RESERVED PARKING FOR DISABLED PERSONS

[OutlawStar]

From my understanding, you have to have a letter from a doctor to be able to apply for a "handicapped" placard. So IMO, some of these doctors are complicit in perpetrating this fraud for people that are abusing the system.

Theres gotta be something going on with why the doctors are doing that. Doctors do the same thing with medical marijuana stuff. The joke was people were getting marijuana cards for literally any ailment like anxiety, bronchitis, asthma, fatigue after working a full day, literally any reason and doctors would give a letter or card. I don't mean the marijuana mills, but regular doctors. I know oklahoma and Florida doctors are doing the same thing; just about any reason given will get you a medical marijuana card. MJ aside, if you go into your doctors office and ask for ambien because you're having trouble sleeping sometime, you'll get 30 pills before the day is done.

Maybe doctors don't see a reason to argue with people, and just give them what they want for the price of an office visit?

 

[Axxe55]

Theres gotta be something going on with why the doctors are doing that. Doctors do the same thing with medical marijuana stuff. The joke was people were getting marijuana cards for literally any ailment like anxiety, bronchitis, asthma, fatigue after working a full day, literally any reason and doctors would give a letter or card. I don't mean the marijuana mills, but regular doctors. I know oklahoma and Florida doctors are doing the same thing; just about any reason given will get you a medical marijuana card. MJ aside, if you go into your doctors office and ask for ambien because you're having trouble sleeping sometime, you'll get 30 pills before the day is done.

Maybe doctors don't see a reason to argue with people, and just give them what they want for the price of an office visit?

It may be each doctor has their own criteria, or standards as to who they will prescribe a placard to?

 

[Reinz]

Time in the exam room is critical.

Depending upon which group or hospital network the doc works for, they have strict criteria for how much time is spent with the patient. One group I knew had a 9 minute average. If the doc went over on a routine basis he was penalized. If he bettered that average he got a bonus.

So, why spend time arguing or discussing with the patient about placards and thus penalizing his average resulting in less pay?

 

[1911'S 4 Me]

Every prescription pays a kickback.

 

[Katydid1984]

The thing is, there are enough so-called "handicapped" people that are scamming the system, that unless an ailment is readily apparent, many people are suspicious of those who look healthy and normal.

what about the obese, tooling around stores in the mobility scooters, with their baskets brimming with junk food? And many times, they too are parked in a handicapped spot.

This irritates me, the thing that could help them they're not doing because they're too fat and don't want to be uncomfortable because of choices they made.

 

[Axxe55]

This irritates me, the thing that could help them they're not doing because they're too fat and don't want to be uncomfortable because of choices they made.

I understand some people have weight problems due to medical reasons, but when I see someone cruising around Walmart that's overweight and has their buggy loaded down with sodas and junkfood, that suggests to me poor health choices and not a medical condition that got them fat.

 

[Katydid1984]

I understand some people have weight problems due to medical reasons, but when I see someone cruising around Walmart that's overweight and has their buggy loaded down with sodas and junkfood, that suggests to me poor health choices and not a medical condition that got them fat.

I would agree on that; I can say at my heaviest (which was quite hefty at some point) never did I think I'm going to ride in a cart or try to get a HC tag. At some point I had a valid reason to have one; I also wasn't over weight and ate a strict diet, I told the doctors to shove it where the sun doesn't shine. Now at the time I wasn't allowed to go anywhere alone so if I needed help someone was there, but I always felt like there were others that needed it more than me.

 

[candcallen]

The ones my wife and I acquired separately, expired the same time as our DLs needed renewing (they were acquired years apart and in different TX towns) I don't buy the placard deteriorating over time. Even out here in the West Texas Sun, I saw no deterioration. My friends wife broke her ankle and hers didn't expire for years ( and did she ever take advantage of that).

Mine get brittle and the ink fades. The expiration date is punched but the ink fades.

Still, cause of covid, my placard, which I rarely use cause we only have one car since the kids all have their own and are adults, is 18 months out of date but it's a permanent blue one.

They can haing from mirrors anymore anyways cause of cameras and electrical wires so I just lay them on the dash.

 

[candcallen]

I understand some people have weight problems due to medical reasons, but when I see someone cruising around Walmart that's overweight and has their buggy loaded down with sodas and junkfood, that suggests to me poor health choices and not a medical condition that got them fat.

I also get pissed seeing people on food stamps eating better than me but it's something I just let go. A battle me and my blood pressure cant win.

Besides that problem usually self resolves. You either get healthy or die.

What did piss me off is the puddles of piss and sweat those folks left in scooter seats. If I git that fat I would either die trying to get healthy or die of embarrassment.

I'm glad it hurts more to sit in those seats than walk and I have enough pain meds to walk. Steps matter.

 

[leVieux]

Theres gotta be something going on with why the doctors are doing that. Doctors do the same thing with medical marijuana stuff. The joke was people were getting marijuana cards for literally any ailment like anxiety, bronchitis, asthma, fatigue after working a full day, literally any reason and doctors would give a letter or card. I don't mean the marijuana mills, but regular doctors. I know oklahoma and Florida doctors are doing the same thing; just about any reason given will get you a medical marijuana card. MJ aside, if you go into your doctors office and ask for ambien because you're having trouble sleeping sometime, you'll get 30 pills before the day is done.

Maybe doctors don't see a reason to argue with people, and just give them what they want for the price of an office visit?

No, not "for the price of an office visit" ! The main reason is that the legislation is very non-specific. In my personal experience, most who requested them had valid reasons, even if they weren't readily evident to others. In my practice, one of the biggies was arthritis of feet, knees,, or hips.

I got my "permit" w/o even requesting one. My Rheumatology Doc @ UTMB asked me if I needed the paperwork. I replied: "No, I don't deserve one, I'm not that bad-off." He said "sit back down; you're much worse off than 90% of the folks who have one, and you're gonna get one !" At that particular time, the regular Faculty parking was over 2 blocks away from our entrance. leVieux

 

[mongoose]

Mine get brittle and the ink fades. The expiration date is punched but the ink fades.

Still, cause of covid, my placard, which I rarely use cause we only have one car since the kids all have their own and are adults, is 18 months out of date but it's a permanent blue one.

They can haing from mirrors anymore anyways cause of cameras and electrical wires so I just lay them on the dash.

I always kept mine in the glove box when not in use. I had a blue one, but it did have an expiration date. Fortunately, I got rid of it before that date came.

 

[leVieux]

Time in the exam room is critical.

Depending upon which group or hospital network the doc works for, they have strict criteria for how much time is spent with the patient. One group I knew had a 9 minute average. If the doc went over on a routine basis he was penalized. If he bettered that average he got a bonus.

So, why spend time arguing or discussing with the patient about placards and thus penalizing his average resulting in less pay?

THIS is exactly why we in the TMA opposed removal of the Texas Constitutional prohibition against "The Corporate Practice of Medicine" !

leVieux

 

[Axxe55]

I also get pissed seeing people on food stamps eating better than me but it's something I just let go. A battle me and my blood pressure cant win.

Besides that problem usually self resolves. You either get healthy or die.

What did piss me off is the puddles of piss and sweat those folks left in scooter seats. If I git that fat I would either die trying to get healthy or die of embarrassment.

I'm glad it hurts more to sit in those seats than walk and I have enough pain meds to walk. Steps matter.

And that is our government funding them! Welfare, food stamps, and most every government assistance program needs to be overhauled, reformed, or abolished. Too many people have learned how to cheat the system. I suspect many of those abusing the HC placard privilege are also abusing the welfare and food stamp programs as well, plus getting housing and utility assistance too.

 

[benenglish]

What I do have a problem is a lifted truck with 37's that requires you to jump in and out should not be able to claim handicapped.

QFT!

Also, I think part of the abuse is that stores, and possibly even LE are not enforcing the "illegal" parking well enough.

IME, LE doesn't go looking for violations but they sure are easy tickets to write if you drop a dime on someone.

I generally mind my own business but it just got my goat that people at my gym (yes, people going to the gym) would use the handicapped spaces. One guy was especially egregious in his lifted truck with a total king-of-the-barbell swagger inside the gym where he demonstrated every day that he had zero disabilities. So I called my Constable Precinct's non-emergency number and reported it one day. I was sitting in my car, wondering if the Constable would show up, when a spry young lady driving one of those little Smart cars whipped into the striped wheelchair unloading area next to the illegally parked truck; it's also part of the handicapped space. She flounces into the gym.

30 seconds later, the Constable pulls up. He blocks in both vehicles and checks both. I've talked to LEOs about this and they always tell me that they look inside the vehicles. If they see hand controls for the brakes and throttle or a placard stuck up under the sun visor or even just mobility equipment like a wheelchair, they'll decline to write the ticket. In this case, though, both offenders had no plates, no placards, no disabilities whatsoever. He wrote two very profitable tickets, making the county at least $500 for his 10 minutes of work.

I've only rarely called on someone improperly using a space and then only when the violation seemed especially egregious. It's not a habit. But I won't apologize for the few times I have done it.

 

[Shady]

QFT!

IME, LE doesn't go looking for violations but they sure are easy tickets to write if you drop a dime on someone.

I generally mind my own business but it just got my goat that people at my gym (yes, people going to the gym) would use the handicapped spaces. One guy was especially egregious in his lifted truck with a total king-of-the-barbell swagger inside the gym where he demonstrated every day that he had zero disabilities. So I called my Constable Precinct's non-emergency number and reported it one day. I was sitting in my car, wondering if the Constable would show up, when a spry young lady driving one of those little Smart cars whipped into the striped wheelchair unloading area next to the illegally parked truck; it's also part of the handicapped space. She flounces into the gym.

30 seconds later, the Constable pulls up. He blocks in both vehicles and checks both. I've talked to LEOs about this and they always tell me that they look inside the vehicles. If they see hand controls for the brakes and throttle or a placard stuck up under the sun visor or even just mobility equipment like a wheelchair, they'll decline to write the ticket. In this case, though, both offenders had no plates, no placards, no disabilities whatsoever. He wrote two very profitable tickets, making the county at least $500 for his 10 minutes of work.

I've only rarely called on someone improperly using a space and then only when the violation seemed especially egregious. It's not a habit. But I won't apologize for the few times I have done it.

well damn you know that ticket cost me $675 bucks.

 

[Texas42]

Every prescription pays a kickback.

Dude, where do I get my kickback?!

 

[striker55]

My wife has the blue card, she had knee replacement, vertebrae surgery and she is 69. If I drive her to the store I drop her off at the door, park where I can see the door and pick her up. Who wants to go shopping anyway?

 

[leVieux]

QFT!

IME, LE doesn't go looking for violations but they sure are easy tickets to write if you drop a dime on someone.

I generally mind my own business but it just got my goat that people at my gym (yes, people going to the gym) would use the handicapped spaces. One guy was especially egregious in his lifted truck with a total king-of-the-barbell swagger inside the gym where he demonstrated every day that he had zero disabilities. So I called my Constable Precinct's non-emergency number and reported it one day. I was sitting in my car, wondering if the Constable would show up, when a spry young lady driving one of those little Smart cars whipped into the striped wheelchair unloading area next to the illegally parked truck; it's also part of the handicapped space. She flounces into the gym.

30 seconds later, the Constable pulls up. He blocks in both vehicles and checks both. I've talked to LEOs about this and they always tell me that they look inside the vehicles. If they see hand controls for the brakes and throttle or a placard stuck up under the sun visor or even just mobility equipment like a wheelchair, they'll decline to write the ticket. In this case, though, both offenders had no plates, no placards, no disabilities whatsoever. He wrote two very profitable tickets, making the county at least $500 for his 10 minutes of work.

I've only rarely called on someone improperly using a space and then only when the violation seemed especially egregious. It's not a habit. But I won't apologize for the few times I have done it.

Many Texas Cities used those pre-packaged "city codes" and adopt them w/o reading or modifying.

I learned that # of disabled parking spaces is controlled/mandated by the interior square footage of the business, not the nature of a business.

Out in Midland, the Gym/Health Club, where almost everyone is "able" had 17 reserved spaces. But the Rheumatology Physician's office, where almost everyone is disabled had ONE !

Yes, I am all for enforcing the current Law, but our city councils should be held responsible for adopting absurd "city code"laws.

leVieux

 

[benenglish]

Out in Midland, the Gym/Health Club, where almost everyone is "able" had 17 reserved spaces. But the Rheumatology Physician's office, where almost everyone is disabled had ONE !

That's crazy.

My gym is in a strip center that shares a parking lot with three medical offices in the same building, a hospital, and a physical rehabilitation center. It has never had enough reserved spaces.

Somewhat related - It's the sign that designates the handicapped space, not the paint on the concrete. If there's no sign, the icon of the person in the wheelchair painted on the pavement is meaningless.

I note this because the same handicapped spot I referenced in my previous post is no longer one. When a dental office moved into the space in front of that spot, they did a big remodel. The new floor plan put the entrance door right behind the handicapped signpost. That was inconvenient for the workers who wanted to be able to park in front of the door to unload materials. So they just pulled out the post and threw it away. It was never replaced.

Apparently the strip center owner and/or management doesn't mind the fact that they now have fewer handicapped spaces than required by law, even though they never really had enough.

 

[oohrah]

I have HC plates and parked on the end space one time with my rear tire slightly in the hatched area. When I came out of the store, a guy was waiting in his car, and asked me if that was my truck, and asked where was my "hang tag"! I told him he was an idiot and walked on and got in my truck. He got out came toward me, I put my hand on the butt of my concealed pistol, then noticed he had a badge on his belt - plain-clothes cop. We exchanged a few snarky words, then he walked around my truck, saw my HC plates, waved me off and went back to his car. As Bugs Bunny would say, "what a maroon".