Community Chat

[NoelSeven]

On 4/3/2015 sophiamarie said:

On 4/3/2015 JustJazzmom said:

On 4/3/2015 Allegheny said:

My husband has been issued a handicapped placard because he has difficulty walking and uses a cane. It irks me to no end that he insists on parking in a reserved spot when he remains in the car and I go in the store. We've have had several heated discussions about this. I am going to go on line and research it further, because unless he sees in writing that what he is doing in not permitted he could care less what I have to say.

I don't understand--- he waits in the car in the handicapped parking space while you go into the store? In other words, if he is not going into the store with you, then the car should have not taken a handicapped space?

I don't understand why you say that "what he is doing is not permitted". He has the placard - so what if he chooses to sit in the car. That's his choice. Does he hang the card up while he's in the car? If not, then he should - otherwise I see nothing wrong in what he's doing.

I understand her point. He doesn't need to take up a handicapped space because he won't be walking, he's just sitting. The issue being that someone with trouble walking would have to hike from back farther in the lot while he's just sitting there enjoying the view.

[Qwackertoo]

On 4/2/2015 raven-blackbird said:

you DO NOT park in a handicapped space for any reason.......it's meant for those with the placard who have difficulty getting around ALL the time..........when I broke my ankle, I didn't park the the handicapped parking, I just gimped my way to where I needed to go.........KNOWING.........in a month, I would be able to walk again without any aide or assistance of any kind.........they don't get to say that........................................raven

Well, I was told with my bi-mal fracture that IF it shifted in even the slightest . . . I'd be in the hospital getting fitted via surgery with plates and screws . . . so I proceeded with extreme caution for the next few weeks/months and I did use my handicap placard several times. Most of the time, I couldn't as they were all filled. Heck I couldn't even get my first cast for almost 6 weeks due to the swelling, just the temporary splint/wrappings . . . even 23+ hours a day with my toes higher than my nose . . . the swelling just would not go away for what seemed like forever. Even going up & down the steps on my rear-end . . . so parking maybe half a dozen times or so doesn't seem all that terrible considering.

[straykatz]

There are able bodied people who use their placard or plates to park even when the disabled person is not with them. There are also people parking in those spots who look/move/walk/run better than me so what is their handicap? I also think some if not many doctors are too free giving out handicap forms to get these placards/plates.

It's sad that handicap parking has become such a sore spot for so many in this country....it was intended to be a good thing and make it easier for those suffering with physical limitations.

[LilacTree]

On 4/3/2015 JustJazzmom said:

I think if you are truly handicapped, you should get a placard for your car. Why are you not interested in getting a placard for you or your daughter Ford?

She feels adequately able to walk into the store, therefore, she does not want the card. On her bad days we just don't go out. When I go to a store, which is seldom, I use my wheelchair and she drops me off in front of the store while she parks the car. In other words, we manage without it.

I have often suspected that she feels she would be turned down anyway because no one recognizes Lyme Disease as a disability. She just doesn't want the hassle.

My license is due for renewal this month and I will probably renew it because I own the car even though I don't drive it anymore. I am contemplating applying for the card, but I am not sure I will.

[NoelSeven]

On 4/3/2015 Ford1224 said:

On 4/3/2015 JustJazzmom said:

I think if you are truly handicapped, you should get a placard for your car. Why are you not interested in getting a placard for you or your daughter Ford?

She feels adequately able to walk into the store, therefore, she does not want the card. On her bad days we just don't go out. When I go to a store, which is seldom, I use my wheelchair and she drops me off in front of the store while she parks the car. In other words, we manage without it.

I have often suspected that she feels she would be turned down anyway because no one recognizes Lyme Disease as a disability. She just doesn't want the hassle.

My license is due for renewal this month and I will probably renew it because I own the car even though I don't drive it anymore. I am contemplating applying for the card, but I am not sure I will.

I'm seeing that Lyme disease can make one eligible for disability payments. That's qualifying right there.

For a disability placard in CA, it's up to one's doctor to say a person is eligible, not a bureaucrat.

I don't see why your daughter would not be eligible.

[NoelSeven]

On 4/3/2015 straykatz said:

There are able bodied people who use their placard or plates to park even when the disabled person is not with them. There are also people parking in those spots who look/move/walk/run better than me so what is their handicap? I also think some if not many doctors are too free giving out handicap forms to get these placards/plates.

It's sad that handicap parking has become such a sore spot for so many in this country....it was intended to be a good thing and make it easier for those suffering with physical limitations.

I had a friend with Crohns who was in her 40s and looked like a million bucks. The latter is often true for those of us with an autoimmune disease.

She had a card because she often had emergency needs for a bathroom. She could not wait to find a regular parking place, and if she didn't run her own errands like shopping for food, there was no one else to do it.

[brii]

There must be some guidelines for how many handicapped spots are allowed in parking lots. It must depend on the size of the lot.

[kdgn]

Apply for the card, Ford. If you need to use it, it's there. If you don't feel it's necessary on any given day, don't use it.

There were days my mom was raring to go and fully capable of walking the distance of the parking lot to reach the front doors of her doctor's office. Other days she could barely make it out of the car. When I knew she wanted to walk, we walked.

Letting her out of the car at the door was not an option. She'd take off for who knows where.

I will never forget waiting as someone backed out of a handicapped spot at the doctor's office building. There were an inordinate amount of handicapped spaces which was wonderful. Unfortunately unless you got there early they were always full. I'm patiently waiting behind the space for the vehicle to pull out. While the car is directly in front of me, ready to drive off, this red Jeep comes from the other direction and whips into the spot I was waiting for. This man, who appeared to be maybe in his 50's, gets out and walks towards the door.

I sat in the car, speechless. He turned and gave me the finger.

My then 86 year old mother had to push her walker over 1/4 mile once I found another parking spot. I so wanted to run into that man in the building. Preferably on the balcony of the second floor. I would have overcome my fear of heights just to put the fear of God into him.......

[LilacTree]

On 4/3/2015 NoelSeven said:

On 4/3/2015 Ford1224 said:

On 4/3/2015 JustJazzmom said:

I think if you are truly handicapped, you should get a placard for your car. Why are you not interested in getting a placard for you or your daughter Ford?

She feels adequately able to walk into the store, therefore, she does not want the card. On her bad days we just don't go out. When I go to a store, which is seldom, I use my wheelchair and she drops me off in front of the store while she parks the car. In other words, we manage without it.

I have often suspected that she feels she would be turned down anyway because no one recognizes Lyme Disease as a disability. She just doesn't want the hassle.

My license is due for renewal this month and I will probably renew it because I own the car even though I don't drive it anymore. I am contemplating applying for the card, but I am not sure I will.

I'm seeing that Lyme disease can make one eligible for disability payments. That's qualifying right there.

For a disability placard in CA, it's up to one's doctor to say a person is eligible, not a bureaucrat.

I don't see why your daughter would not be eligible.

Not so!! She received several weeks of temporary state disability and they cut her off and that is done. According to the medical community, Lyme Disease is curable within three weeks of taking an antibiotic and therefore not considered a "chronic" illness sufficient for disability.

She will have to get a lawyer to apply for SSDI, and she went to one and had a very bad experience, so she has not tried again. Besides, it takes years of fighting with SS and one gets turned down many times before they even start considering benefits.

She sees the Lyme doctor next week and he will test her to see what progress she is making on the doxycycline. She is hoping for good test results and at that time will contemplate what she is going to do next.

As far as I'm concerned, I am adequately medically compensated by my Long Term Care Insurance, and even though I qualify for other benefits, I don't want to use the system if I don't have to. Just because one is qualified doesn't mean one has to take advantage of it.

[straykatz]

On 4/3/2015 kdgn said:

Apply for the card, Ford. If you need to use it, it's there. If you don't feel it's necessary on any given day, don't use it.

Agree...you don't have to use the spot if you don't feel it necessary that day or any day.