Actually, around here it starts at $500
My wife just got a placard in the last year (due to problems associated with MS). We didn’t ask for it, but her physiotherapist asked if she wanted one, and when my wife said that she often didn’t feel she needed it, the physio said, “Well, on your good days don’t use it.” She got a sideways look at the Drivers Bureau when she took the application in. People don’t expect a 35 year old woman who appears to walk fine to require a permit.
The placard in Ontario has registration number, name and birthdate. It is issued to the person and is transferrable between vehicles, so if she gets a ride from someone else, then they can park in the disabled parking. It is illegal for anyone else to use the tag, or for the named person to wait in the car while someone else ‘just runs in’. If you are dropping off and picking up the named person at the door, then you are supposed to use a regular spot since the disabled person did not require the close proximity of the space. I can’t find a cite for these, but we had an insert when we received the placard describing them.
We rarely use the designated spots. Typically if she is having a bad day, or the parking lot is so full that we have to walk a great distance to get to the entrance then we will use the spot. My wife does not use a wheelchair and walks ‘okay’ most of the time and we figure that we can leave the spots open for those with a wheelchair or those in more need. We do have a walker in the back of the van for her bad days, or when there is a lot of walking involved.
Why do you think the officer needs to make a medical diganosis? Around here a separate card is issued to the handicapped person to prove that they belong to the placard. Easy enough to verify. We have both placards (temporary and permenant) or handicapped plates. The registered owner of the vehicle does not have to be the one who is handicapped. My father in law is legally blind. Obviously he doesn’t drive. My mother in laws car has the plates on it. They also have a placard for when they are in someone elses car. It is illegal for her to park in a spot when he isn’t in the car.
Okay, so say $500, less a $10 reward x 20 x 365 = over three and a half million dollars per year. Seems like a worthwhile cause.
That’s what Sonia Montdore implied:
[QUOTE=Sonia Montdore
]
When the cop ascertained that neither of them was handicapped, he wrote a ticket.
[/QUOTE]
Placard holders do not have to prove they are handicapped to anyone, not even cops. If they are the legal holder of a valid placard, any other opinion of their physical capabilities is irrelevant.
Not in my state.
Thats the whole point, how does anyone know if you are the legal holder or owner of the placard? If there is no way to verify that you are legally allowed to use the placard does that mean if I steal one out of your car I now have a legal right to display and use the placard? I can now park willy-nilly with my stolen placard, skip into the store on my good legs, and no one can question the validity of the placard? Doesn’t sound very logical. I have never had any handicapped person get mad at me for questioning whether they had the right to park in those spots. In fact it has always been the oposite, they have been very thankful that I am looking out for their interests.
I never implied that a police officer or any one else has the right to question whether a person is handicapped. That is up to the doctor that signed the form. What the officer can do is verify if that person is the legal owner of that placard or plate or in the case of my in laws, if the driver is in fact the handicapped person and not some other family member that is not present.
Perhaps you missed post #15.
Then you are contradicting yourself.
There you say that being in possesion of a placard is enough. (holder does not equal owner). Yes I read your previous post I just don’t have the ability to attach a name to every post I read especially days later. So the placard *owner * has to prove they are handicapped to someone, probably a doctor. Then a placard holder has to prove to the cop that they are the owner. I think we are saying the same thing, I was just confused by your wording.
In Texas, the handicap placard has the owner’s driver’s license number on it. I would guess, but don’t know for sure, that someone with a Texas ID would have his/her ID number on it.
That’s not true of NJ either. You either have the placecard or the license plate.
You go to your doctor & have him fill out the form. Then–mail it in to the State.
Temporary handicapped stickers are available, too. Same method.
Assuming you truly are from Michigan, take a look at this —> http://www.michigan.gov/documents/bfs-108_16249_7.pdf
Read this part, …
Here (Toronto), the disabled parking permit must be registered to the driver or a disabled passenger using the vehicle. If abled-bodied me borrows the permit I can be charged for misusing it and face a fine of up to $5,000.
So if my wheelchair-bound buddy has a permit and I chauffeur him for the day, that’s fine because he’s the legitimate owner of the permit and is the passenger in my car. But if I just borrow his permit, when he’s at home, and stick it on my dash to run my errands, I can be charged.
Don’t know if it’s the same in other provinces (or in any states), but in addition to the blue handicapped tag that hangs from the car mirror, I got a piece of paper that I am supposed to keep in my possession to prove that I am the owner of the tag.
I think I still have that piece of paper buried somewhere - it’s rather obvious that I am in need of a handicapped tag (being paraplegic) so I don’t worry too much about needing to prove that a given tag belongs to me.
The pertinent section of North Carolina statutes is (my bold):
§ 20 37.6. Parking privileges for handicapped drivers and passengers.
(a) General Parking. – Any vehicle that is **driven by or is transporting a person who is handicapped ** and that displays a distinguishing license plate, a removable windshield placard, or a temporary removable windshield placard may be parked for unlimited periods in parking zones restricted as to the length of time parking is permitted. This provision has no application to those zones or during times in which the stopping, parking, or standing of all vehicles is prohibited or which are reserved for special types of vehicles. Any qualifying vehicle may park in spaces designated as restricted to vehicles driven by or transporting the handicapped.