[outlaw]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

No question that this does happen, my 90 year old mother would drop her cane just about every time she got out of the car in a regular parking spot while the handicapped placard sat in the glove compartment. I've seen 20 year olds park in designated spots and jog into the store. And yes, even in deference to my new friend from last night, some are so obvious that no special training is needed to spot them. These rarely are the drivers that obtained the permit, it is usually someone else using the vehicle. Their behavior is totally inconsiderate of others and reflects the "me first" attitude I've alluded to.
Maybe I still have left over anesthesia in my system, but it appears I failed to effectively communicate my position yesterday, at least to one other TOTV poster.
So, if when at first you don't succeed.....
The parking criteria, in NY, are such that there will be patients that clearly qualify whom may not be the least bit evident to a casual observer. They may not be evident to a medical professional who watches from a distance, and therefore may not be evident to someone with extensive "life experience". They may have a pulmonary, respiratory or neurologic condition that only manifests itself after 100-200 feet of sustained effort, and thus be completely invisible when walking short distances. In many cases, you just can't tell. I tried to explain, in my HUMBLE experience, that the frauds who directly seek such a permit from their doctors are quite few and far between.
I'm sure there are providers who just willy-nilly sign a handicap permit, just as they indiscriminately hand out narcotic prescriptions. They are also, in my HUMBLE experience, few and far between.
My intention was to point out, in essence, that you can't judge a handicap book by its cover, but I may have gone overboard in my zeal, or frustration in responding to a particular poster. For this I apologize to him and everyone who may have read the whole thread. I have often posted on the dangers of sitting anonymously behind a keyboard and not counting to ten before responding. I feel I contributed to the deterioration of an important discussion on a subject that helps the weaker among us get out and about. I'm even OK with the personal attack launched back at me, but I do take exception to the attack on my profession as a whole, but I leave that to the conscience of he who shall not be named

How do you know if someone is a 20 year old just by casually looking at them? Rhetorical, but I couldn't resist.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by outlaw

How do you know if someone is a 20 year old just by casually looking at them? Rhetorical, but I couldn't resist.

No problem, that was fair game.

But you would be surprised at how good one can get at guessing ages if you see enough people and are looking at their record

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Bonny

I am amazed at how many on this thread remark about all of these people they see in the handicap spots. Do people stand or sit there and watch these people park, get out of their car and walk all the way in the store or where ever ?
I can't remember if I ever saw someone parking in the handicap spot, let alone watch them get out of their car and monitor the way they walk in a store.

Like I said before (and I am not speaking to anyone personally), some people look for injustices to get irritated about in their lives. Its part of their nature, I think.