Handicapped placards meant only for disabled
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Allen Kelley
Published: May 15, 2008
As I ride through the town of Culpeper, I’ve noticed that everybody seems to have a handicapped placard hanging from their rearview mirror.
Many of these people are young and even run from their cars into the stores they are visiting.
Something’s wrong here.
Doctors must be giving people a handicapped placard for having a running nose these days.
Also, people are using friends, grandmothers, brothers, etc. to take advantage of the system. Some people really need this privilege because they can’t get around as easily and comfort-ably as others.
I think our law enforcement officers need to check people parking in handicapped parking more frequently than they do. In fact, I don’t know if they ever check at all.
Just because you have a disabled person in your family who has this privilege, it doesn’t give everybody in that household the right to take advantage of it.
The disabled person is supposed to be in that vehicle whenever you park in a handicapped parking space. That’s the law, or you will be fined $100 to $500 with no warning.
Please, Culpeper Police Department and Sheriff’s Office, start enforcing this law!
Allen Kelley
Culpeper
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( AFMom ) on May 16, 2008 at 11:15 am
Just remember - there are many who are handicapped but don’t look sick. My aunt has Lupus. She tires very easily, but to look at her you wouldn’t think she was sick. However, having to walk through a parking lot in extreme heat or cold can make her collapse. But she doesn’t look sick. There are those who abuse the placards - yes. But please keep in mind that just because a person doesn’t look sick, doesn’t mean they aren’t sick.
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Posted by ( chasccharles ) on May 15, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I know of one instance when I who is handicapped have my son or someone else drop me close to the store and then they park my car with handicapped plates on it in a handicapped spot and then they may have to leave the car there and go to work or some other place. I also wonder about when all the handicapped spots are taken and you have to use a regular spot which could be used by someone not handicapped. I also wonder why some businesses have handicapped spaces so far from the entrance. There are a lot of times common sense should come into play but alas it doesn’t
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Posted by ( semper fi mom ) on May 15, 2008 at 10:00 am
I’ve always wanted to say something like, “so, what’s your handicap?“ when I see someone hop out of their Cadillac SUV or their sports car. If you’re handicap, you are entitled. If you are related the that individual, you are not. If you are no longer handicap, you are not entitled. Just another of those selfish abuses people commit.
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Posted by ( Pat ) on May 15, 2008 at 6:56 am
Mr. Kelly you are so correct I see this everyday. I work in Culpeper and this is something that people take advantage of. Some husbands take advantage of this and some wives and I have even seen children. I do know not all reasons for having a handicapped sticker means that you are in a wheel chair or using a walker. Sometimes it has to do with Heart problems and not being able to walk for a distance. I understand that but the folks I see are not in medical distress. When I see a car come by with someone I know needs that space and I just saw it being taken by a person perfectly able to run across the street it make me so angry.
This is a real problem and getting worse. There is no proof that the person using it is not the one it is for. Maybe the Name should be written on it. And then if the person using it is not that one well I guess it is up to the doctor and the police.
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