Handicapped Parking Only

Now let me preface this post by saying that I have absolutely no predjudices against our elder community & furthermore have the upmost respect for old people, no matter what their stage of senility.

Now to the point...

I can't believe that I am the only person who has come to the following conclusions. Honestly, it chills me to the bone just to think of it. It is a danger to every person who steps foot outside of their door...

Now seriously...who else out there sees the problem with the theory of "Handicapped Drivers"? It is not just about the prime parking spaces in front of every building, but that is a major part of my point. These are people who claim that they are not able to walk farther than the closest available parking spot when entering or leaving a building, but we are to believe that they can operate a motor vehicle properly?

Here is what the RMV states as being the eligibilty standards for obtaining a disibility plate or placard:

To obtain Disability Plates, a Placard or a Disability Veteran Plate you must be a Massachusetts resident. In addition, a Massachusetts registered and licensed physician, chiropractor or nurse practitioner must certify that you meet one of the following conditions:

• Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
• Cannot walk without the assistance of another person, prosthetic aid or other assistive device.
• Are restricted by lung disease to such a degree that your forced (respiratory) expiratory volume (FEV) in one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one (1) liter.
• Use portable oxygen.
• Have a Class III cardiac condition according to the standards set by the American Heart Association.
• Have a Class IV cardiac condition according to the standards set by the American Heart Association. A customer in this condition must surrender his or her license.....isn't that comforting
• Have Class III or Class IV functional arthritis according to the standards set by the American College of Rheumatology.
• Have Stage III or Stage IV anatomic arthritis according to the standards set by the American College of Rheumatology.
• Have been declared legally blind (please attach copy of certification). A customer in this classification must surrender his or her license...again, at least there are standards
  
• Have lost one or more limbs or permanently lost the use of one or more limbs.

To be eligible for a Temporary Placard, the medical professional must certify that the disability is predicted to last at least two (2) months.

I mean no ill-will towards those who shuttle the handicapped back & forth from their bridge games & bingo tournaments, for they only benefit from the parking spaces. My problem is with the handicapped that drive themselves. How is it that someone who has been deemed to have a physical disability can be expected to hit the brakes fast enough to avoid hitting the little kid who runs out after the bouncing ball? How are we sure they can see that the light is red?...or even that there is a light at all??? I'm sorry, but if you can't walk 200 feet without stopping (for comparison, that is 66.67 yards), you should not be driving a car.

Again, I realize that there are exceptions. There are a great amount of people who have disablity plates or placards for the sole purpose of carting their loved ones to & from the senior center (although, I have heard that those mixers can get pretty wild...). Such people do, in fact, have a burden to bear & they have my sympathy. But the others...they are menice to society at large & must be stopped at all cost. After all, isn't that what the GLSS is for?

If you know someone who should not be on the road, there are people that can help you. Click here for information. The life you save could be your own...