Depends.
I have disabled parking for a family member. Sometimes the disabled spots are crowded so I don’t use one unless I really need to. Sometimes the regular spots are crowded but there are plenty of disabled spots, so using one is doing everyone else a favor without hurting disabled drivers.
Glad I wasn’t the one who missed something.
Upon reflection, I guess what annoys me about this is the parking part. I have no problem with honoring vets. Put up a big sign saying vets are awesome. I just find it weird to give them special parking, as if they are all disabled.
But I guess employees of the month get similar parking. And vets or others may get discounts and other such things. It just struck me as odd, and ripe for overdoing.
Listen Betty, don’t start up with your white zone shit again.
I am a Vet and reservist, and a lot of undue attention makes me uncomfortable. Considering though what Vietnam Vets when through with public ridicule; I guess a little positive attention isn’t so bad.
Tomorrow is Veterans Day, and if I wanted to milk it I could go all over town getting free food. I won’t. Nor would I actually park in a reserved spot, unless it was empty and rest of parking lot was full.
On a side note, I always look suspiciously at motorcycles parked in handicap spots. I mean really? How handicap can you be if you can handle a motorcycle.
I agree with Raining Facts, well said. However
As a veteran I find the last paragraph beyond the pale. Did you serve in the military? Do you realize that the majority of our military is made up of lower middle class and below? This is not the early 1940’s. I won’t say most, since I have no cite, but a lot of the young men and women that join is simply to get ahead. Whether that is the GI Bill and other education benefits or just to get out of the dead end they find themselves in.
And if I gave you the idea, in your earlier thread about disability reform about “saw dead bodies” then I’ll accept I misled you with a flippant comment. It isn’t that simple and I personally would not want to go through the therapy and other junk that they go through.
Your statement:
“Yeah - unfortunately, in my job I get to see a great number of completely BS claims that are receiving 100% disab. And these guys have an amazing sense of entitlement. Really tarnishes my thoughts towards (likely the majority of) more deserving vets.”
Leads me to believe that maybe a career change might be in order. I’m sure your local recruiter would be more than happy to offer you some options
So what? It’s their business. You can do whatever you want with you business or, if it really bothers you, boycott theirs.
To comment on Hojoloco’s comment
After 9/11 we entered a long, drug out campaign with no game plan. The reserve was called upon to augment the active Army. The Army Reserve Command had to rob Peter to pay Paul. Most units were way under deployment strength, so the Army pulled from non mobilized units to staff up deploying units. Eventually those units came time to deploy, and it snowballed.
So Congress opened the purse strings and started handing out enlistment bonuses like candy. It was largely why I rejoined after a ten year break in service. There was also an almost total abandonment of standards during that time. Now they have to cut back; so they get strict on standards, reduce or eliminate bonuses, etc. etc.
I am not sure where the PR campaign comes from. I never fail to notice the connection between serving country and God. A recent Veteran thing I saw advertised recently had a gold cross in the picture, as if that has anything to do with it.
I can say this though to the original post. There is a lot of talk about Veteran benefits and how supportive the Army is of soldiers these days. Yet I had to contact my Congressman to get student loan repayment that I was fully entitled to, had provided all the documentation, and the Army kept telling me they could not verify my loans. So where is your beef about the parking? That stores should not do it? That the majority of veterans who would park there don’t deserve such privilege? What about those few WW2 Vets still living? My grandfather is one, was a Marine in the South Pacific. And that’s all I have to say about that.
You can’t really always tell, from a person’s appearance, whether they are handicapped or not. There are many for which there is no external sign. Only a doctor can no for sure and HIPAA assures that the person can’t be asked whether they are really handicapped or not.
Bob
Wife qualifies for a placard–she can’t even drive anymore–but refuses to get one. Instead, I drop her off, get a store Hoveround shopping cart for her, then go park in a Normal space. “It’s the only exercise you get,” she says, which is more true than I care to admit. She scoots around the store while I try to get my favorite space, the one next to the handicapped space.
Knock it off.
[ /Moderating ]
Hmmm, my father is a decorated WW2 pacific theater and Korean conflict combat vet drawing disability. He’s tickled pink by veteran parking, and IMHO rightfully so. He’s getting a free market honor for his service - from his POV what’s not to like?
My almost 11 year old daughter is eligible for handicapped parking. It’s a godsend for us. I don’t park in handicapped without her as a standard practice. Have I ever parked in handicapped without her, well yes I confess on rare occasions it has occurred. Would I cheerfully give up handicapped parking and literally my left nut to have my daughter be normal and not need handicapped parking? Well, hell yes, and I would happily give my left nut *and *be destined to be relegated to the worst parking possible for each and every time I needed to park for the rest of my life.
Same here. I believe if the general public really knew how much the military disability system is being systematically abused they would have no choice but to demand changes. It is insane.
I wish it were just one flippant comment. Maybe I’m exaggerating the abuse somewhat, but I’ll suggest the possibility that you are underestimating it somewhat on your part.
I think it’s likely because of the historical response to veterans which was “fuck em and forget em”, this resulted in a very long period of intense lobbying by GAR after the Civil War, and continued on with the VFW after later wars. I think it finally created a culture in which there was societal understanding people who get sent to die and get maimed for their country deserve some societal help afterward. And that’s where it should be, but unfortunately people kept on after securing these important benefits and recognition and turned it into hero worship, which is not good.
Eh, the financial crisis has created sketchy disability claims across the board due to the lack of significant social safety net for people who are just poor. But you really shouldn’t trivialize PTSD, it’s something that is still under-treated because lots of veterans who have it still do not seek help, and it can cause serious problems.
I personally retired after 24 years in the Army some time ago, and I’ve never even had Veteran’s plates. I’ll keep taking my pension check, and I don’t need or want anything more. I’m glad I retired before it became habitual for people to come up to soldiers in airports and out at restaurants and say “thank you for your service” that shit squicks me out. I also find it moderately distasteful the young soldiers today that ask about a military discount at damn near every place they shop.
A non-disabled spouse using the disabled parking permit when the disabled spouse is not involved in the trip is ILLEGAL.
As for the “parked in a disabled spot, able-bodied stays in the car while the disabled walks/rolls/whatever into the place” - it’s a legal and legitimate use of the permit and spot. Why should the able-bodied people in a disabled person’s life be compelled to be chauffeurs? The spot is for the disabled person, and in such circumstance they’re using it.
I don’t think I’m underestimating it at all. I know that it exists. I know veterans that were getting disability and then after several years were called back to the VA to be re-examined and their benefits were reduced, in 1 case from 100% to 0%. I also believe that SSDI is being exploited, same for workman’s comp.
I know that my disabilities are real, but you probably wouldn’t think that I’m disabled by looking at me. None of them are psychological. You may or may not notice that I’m a little gimpy when I walk.
I think what a lot of America doesn’t understand about VA Disability Compensation is that they leave off the last word. It is compensation for a disability that is service connected. Do I need to go to the VA for my health care, no I choose that. If I go to the VA, they bill my health insurance and they get reimbursed. The more patients they have the more likely it is that Congress will fund them.
Are there problems with the VA Benefits Administration, absolutely. They were understaffed when a huge wave of benefit requests came in so there was a huge backlog. Instead of dealing with it sanely (hiring more people both in VBA and VHA) they started approving benefits that probably shouldn’t have been approved. But the whole process is flawed and needs to be fixed. But fixing it should not impact any veteran that deserves benefits.
Speaking as a person who often drops off the disabled person,parks in regular parking and then picks up the disabled person, it may be legal for me park the car in the disabled spot and either wait while the disabled person walks/rolls into the place or walk into the place myself leaving the disabled person waiting in the car. But that doesn’t mean it’s not inconsiderate to take up a spot that a disabled person traveling alone needs more.
I already said it was their business. I’m just discussing it. Just like you are right now.
Well, when the disabled person owns the car and does the driving does that make a difference to you?
Then again, the disabled guy in my household will often forgo the handicapped spot for regular spots nearby it on good days (no slick surfaces, he’s OK), because he’s pretty mobile for someone in that situation.
Really, I leave it up to him - it’s his privilege to use or not use, not mine.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with your method, other than many disabled folks don’t like being chauffeured about, they’d rather do it themselves. And some are happy to be driven around. Generally, I leave it up to the parties in question, they know their situation better than I do.