Those who park in Handicap spots who don't need to - give me your staticistics. Gender, age, race, affluence?

Question

Just curios to what everyone's experience is with those who park in handicap spots who don't look hanicaped. It's 80% the same basic kind of folks that I see. Many have stickers and handicap tags, but are in better shape than I am. I want to know what you think. What is the average, age, gender, race, economic make up of those you see who abuse the system.
Thanks

Answer 1

I believe there are bigger issues in life for you to ponder.

Someday you may find yourself in that situation and seem perfectly normal to others, whilst you're agonizing inside to walk 10 feet perhaps.

I personally park as far away as I can to avoid the more rude motorist who insists on throwing their doors open and guarantee me a door ding. Now that personally affects me, not the handicap stickered vehicle.

Answer 2

Okay, I understand what you're saying and do agree that there are people who abuse the system. But I agree with the other posters that say that age, gender, race and affluence doesn't matter in this case. It's based on individual problems. I have a handicapped tag and although I'm rather obese I don't look handicapped. The obesity isn't the handicap. I have rheumatoid arthritis and there are days when I'm fine and don't need to park there and there are days when I'm in a lot of pain and I DO need to park there.. Plus having CHF doesn't help.

There is a process in applying for the handicap tag and plate. I just have the tag. It is annoying at times that when I park there that people will look at me strangely as if they think I'm not supposed to be parked there. That's their problem though, not mine. By the way, I've never heard of parking spaces meant for pregnant women or am I misunderstanding something. Oh well.

Answer 3

Just because someone has a sticker yet looks ok, that doesnt mean they are 'abusing the system' as you put it. Many people have back problems and long distance walking can be painful. Some have disabled children (even mild disabilities can get someone a sticker).
I understand what you mean. There are some people who use them yet dont need them or have the sticker but dont even have the disabled person in the car.
I dont see how you can get a fair and accurate statistic since It all depends on the area a person frequents. If I live in a lower income area, then most of the people I see doing what you are asking about are gonna be low income people.

Answer 4

If they have a handicap sticker, they have some disability. You can't always tell just by looking at some one. I have someone in my family that has a bad heart and emphysema,but looks like the picture of health. What really gets me is the parking for pregnant women. I see people 70 years old walking from the end of the parking lot because the space has been saved for a pregnant woman. Since when is being pregnant a disability?

Answer 5

this is a bothersome question.

Disabled Vet. go me....released with a stress fracture that has me listed as disabled,although without the 60 pound pack and the constant 20 mile marches I am healing fine. Occationally I need the cane, but that's only on a bad day.

So many times I have parked with my Disabled Vet handicapped license plate in plain site and 3 people will stop me as I go into the store to tell me I am parked in the wrong place. Give me a little credit, really. I'm not stupid and I have the handicapped plate on the car. If those people would just use their eyes and heads and realize military vets are not always WWII vetrans.

Answer 6

I understand what you are saying...A friend of mind has a handicap sticker, but his wife is the only one that is handicap, and he uses that where ever he goes with his wife or without her. I all so have breathing problems and I use a handicap sticker..to look at me you would thing that I am perfectly normal, there are people that abuse it and their are people that don't, but we aren't here to police those people, because it would be very embarrassing to you if you were wrong...So my advise to you is to really just mind your own business. If your parked in a handicap spot in the state of Washington, and you don't have a sticker the fine is $250.00. I forgot to put my sticker up in the window and got ticketed and had to get a doctors note saying that I had one at the time..I was at the doctors office when this happened...Someone thought they were the handicap spot police and called the police on me, the officer said that someone called in a complaint about me, parking there. The ticket was throned out of court

Answer 7

Often the handicap is not seen, I have on one occasion thought that the person did not notice that it was handicapped parking space, indeed she looked as if she did not belong there, and she said yes and she was handicapped. There may be joint implants, and many other conditions that would limit their walking ability.Or someone may be doing the shopping for a person that is handicaped. The fine is very high if one abuses the privilege.I think most are honest.

Answer 8

I really don't think gender, race, economics mean anything. Are there people who will abuse the system?............YES...........Are you eligible for a handicapped sticker if you suffer from asthma? YES...........What'sthe big deal here? You walk 10 more parking spaces? There are more important things to worry about when it comes to the "system"..........How about millionaires who file taxes for things they should not? Etc., Etc., SO, unless you KNOW for sure that THAT person who "appears" in better shape than you in the spot does not have an ailment (which may not appear physical), just walk the extra ten spaces.........like I said, there is a ton more to worry about in this world than a closer parking space.

Answer 9

average age, dont know. gender, dont know. race, not sure. economic make up, clueless.....all i know is, people get handicapped stickers and tags for a reason. they dont just hand them out to anybody, there is a process in getting one. if the system is so abused, how come everywhere i go, the only parking spots that are open, are the handicapped spots?

Answer 10

I often park in those bays that are reserved for parents with prams. For one shopping centre near me I went in to the concierge desk and got a 'parent with pram' parking sticker. I told the attendant that I have a neurological condition that affects my coordination and strength and although I could have a disabled bay permit I would prefer to leave those bays for people with wheelchairs. The attendant said I didn't need to tell her I had a gait problem because she could tell and gladly gave me the sticker. It is rather strange that the parent with pram bays are close to the shops entrance as if the young parents had a disability. All they really need is a slightly wider bay and and close access to a footpath around the shops building. This would be enough to reduce the likelihood of them getting swiped or skittled by drivers while pushing the pram with a another toddler holding onto the pram. All the best for your health Rosebud.