# Habit of not displaying a valid placard, despite having one. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319 "2017-06-06T23:04:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/41 "2017-06-07T21:06:39Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > You need to be careful about your assumptions, though. I broke my pelvis in March, and although I’m now out of a wheelchair and I can now walk with pretty much a normal gait, I’m under instructions to keep walking to a minimum for another 3 months. > [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Be very, very careful about making assumptions. My dad can walk just fine, but he can’t walk very far: Parkinson disease has reduced him to a very limited energy budget. I am careful. When I see someone jump out of their car and run into a store I have a strong suspicion they don’t need to use the handicapped space. And when I see people I know who are just using the placard that was meant for someone else I don’t think I’m assuming too much. There are people who just don’t care, they think they won’t be caught, and I’m happy when they do get ticketed. Really, I’m no huge stickler for rules, and I have crappy knees and may need a placard some day, but if I can still manage to walk from the regular spots then people in better shape than I am can manage it. There’s a local access Traffic Court show here, you’d be surprised how many people get ticketed and fined, and their usual excuse is they didn’t see the sign and big yellow emblem on the ground. Besides the fine the judge should pull their licenses for being unable to see well enough to drive. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/42 "2017-06-07T23:06:05Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Be very, very careful about making assumptions. My dad can walk just fine, but he can’t walk very far: Parkinson disease has reduced him to a very limited energy budget. I don’t say anything to _anyone_ who is using a placard, not ever. However, I’ve heard the above statement myriad times and I want to say, the only times I _think_ the person parked in the handicapped space is abusing a placard is when it’s beyond blatant. Like **Tripolar** says, when a person jumps out of the car and runs into a store, it’s obvious that they don’t belong in that parking space. You say your father can walk just fine but I’d be willing to wager that the overall appearance he gives off, despite that ability, is quite different than that of the running jumper. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/43 "2017-06-08T00:03:39Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Ambivalid, I know this is a passionate topic for you. But unless you have the ability to issue tickets and citations to people that violate these laws, you are going to be continued to be viewed in the same way as junior-modding is around here. Just some asshole barking up the wrong tree without any real bite. A circuitous route to calling another poster a name, but it gets there all the same. Don’t do this again. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/44 "2017-06-08T00:34:24Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > And it drives me crazy to see able people take the spots. If it’s a placard rather than a license plate, bear in mind that the driver you see getting out of the car might be able-bodied, but their passenger isn’t. My dad keeps one of his in my car for when I drive him and he needs to shop also. His COPD has now progressed to the point of being on 02, so he needs a shorter walk while the passenger too, not just when he drives himself. State law says that’s a valid use too: > [@](#): > > Disabled persons can acquire a Disabled Person (DP) placard or DP license plates. These entitle you to special parking privileges in areas designated for disabled persons, **whenever you are the driver or a passenger of the vehicle**. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/45 "2017-06-08T00:36:47Z")
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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/46 "2017-06-08T00:54:05Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > If it’s a placard rather than a license plate, bear in mind that the driver you see getting out of the car might be able-bodied, but their passenger isn’t. My dad keeps one of his in my car for when I drive him and he needs to shop also. His COPD has now progressed to the point of being on 02, so he needs a shorter walk while the passenger too, not just when he drives himself. > > State law says that’s a valid use too: Again, I’m not hastily judging people. If there’s a placard or plate I don’t even think about. No placard or plate and the driver can run and I know there’s something wrong. And my problem is also with the people who have the attitude that there’s something wrong with having special spots in the first place. I tolerate a lot of rude obnoxious behavior because I know I’m not perfect myself but there has to be some kind of line and this one is pretty clearly drawn. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/47 "2017-06-08T01:14:46Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Like **Tripolar** says, when a person jumps out of the car and runs into a store, it’s obvious that they don’t belong in that parking space. Not necessarily. I have a placard as I sometimes drive my mother who is entitled to one. When I got a call from the drugstore, that she had fainted and fallen, you can bet I parked in the closest spot (marked handicapped) and ran into the store. This was not only moral (in my opinion had it been illegal) but also legal as I was picking her up. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/48 "2017-06-08T02:15:42Z")
AT least in WA state, you are not supposed to drive with it hanging from the rear view mirror. I ignore that and leave it hanging. I see a lot of people (almost all obviously elderly) pulling into handicapped spots, then pulling out the placard and dutifully hanging them. Occasionally, my wife grabs the placard because she is taking china bambina somewhere, and then never remembers to put it back. Households can get two placards, but now my eldest driver drives her sister to the same school all my kids attend, and thus has one of the two placards. So, I have occasionally parked in handicapped without even realizing I don’t have the placard. In WA state, you also get a little ID printout that I keep in both the glove box and my wallet that shows my daughter is in fact entitled to placard and handicapped parking. I’ve never had a problem where I take my daughter somewhere and park, and then the other placard family member picks up and there I am in handicapped with no daughter. None of us use handicapped without my daughter (although it can be tempting and I admit to doing so occasionally when we first got the placards). As to why people with placards in the glove box don’t use them is beyond me. I wouldn’t want to be ticketed nor run into someone with an attitude that my key my vehicle for missing a placard. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319/49 "2017-06-08T03:04:10Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > Not necessarily. I have a placard as I sometimes drive my mother who is entitled to one. When I got a call from the drugstore, that she had fainted and fallen, you can bet I parked in the closest spot (marked handicapped) and ran into the store. This was not only moral (in my opinion had it been illegal) but also legal as I was picking her up. I would consider this to be a mitigating circumstance which justified your action. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/habit-of-not-displaying-a-valid-placard-despite-having-one-why/788319.md?page=2)