I was reading the news when I ran across this article about a NY driver who was ticketed for using a mannequin to drive in the car pool lane. The police figured out there might be a scam because the mannequin was wearing sunglasses on an overcast, cloudy day.
It reminded me of the people I run into who cheat using handicap parking. This is particularly frustrating in an area where it's crowded. Not being able to find a spot can mean having to leave without doing an errand, but it can also mean missing or being late for appointments.
It does no good to say anything to those who cheat. They're full of rationalizations. "No, I'm not disabled, but my husband is. This placard is legal! I do it all the time." And on and on. This is one of the most frustrating experiences - to see a nondisabled family member using the placard when no disabled passenger is even in the car. Then there are those who have no placard and just gamble on the fact that the police won't catch them. Or those who obtain temporary placards and continue to use them beyond the expiration date.
It's all cheating. On the Philadelphia news, there was a story about a guy who tried to sell a placard on Craigslist. NBC10 investigators went undercover to bust him after a wheelchair user seeing the ad got nowhere calling police and the DMV.
And so it goes on. However, the good news is that some states are cracking down on handicap parking abuses.
Too bad it's not as easy as spotting a mannequin with sunglasses on a cloudy day.
3 comments:
Hey Ruth, how are you doing?
I understand what you mean about people cheating the system. My grandmother doesn't even like to use my mom's when mom is in the car with her and Oma's the only one who needs to get out of the car, and she has mobility difficulties herself.
Our church has several spots near the narthex doors that are indicated accessible parking on Sat. and Sun. I won't even park in them when I run by the church office during the week!
Grace- doing well here, thanks for your comment :)
this angers me aswell, my dad has a disability and often can't get parking because people can't be bothered to walk a few metres.
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