A Lesson in Handicapped Etiquette
First off, I am not handicapped. Aside from a shattered toe in 10th grade, and a debilitating case of Lyme Disease in 8th grade, I’ve led a pretty healthy 27 years.
That said, the above photo was taken yesterday outside Amore in Snider Plaza. The car did have a handicapped placard, which brought a few conclusions to mind:
1. This is a person with a fake handicapped sticker, because a handicapped person could clearly not get in or out of that truck.
2. This is a driver with a handicapped passenger, in which case the driver (who probably owns a smaller, lower-to-the-ground car) should’ve been more thoughtful and not broken out the Ford F-350 for lunch.
3. This truck is so large that it has a telescoping ramp that slides in and out of the vehicle when the handicapped person needs to exit.
The answer is probably #1, though I’m holding out hope for #3.
Did the truck have custom vanity plates? There is a Little Person(hopefully that is the correct term, sorry) that I see driving one all the time. Murdered out wheels etc. They drive very fast, too fast. The first time I saw them(once again not trying to pass judgment) I thought a child was behind the wheel and I was -this close- to calling 911. If they read this, slow down please.
Not all handicaps can be seen. Some have internal issues such as a heart condition or emphysema. They could also be the driver of someone with dementia and other physical ailments that would prevent the person from dropping off the person and then parking further away.
Have a placard, good enough for me.
In addition to wheelchair confinement, Texas allows handicap parking permits for people with poor visual acuity. Take it up with the state if you have a problem with it and leave the etiquette to Dear Abby.
Come to think of it, where is the etiquette lesson here? If you have a handicap, you should think of other people first before you buy a vehicle? I don’t remember reading anything in drivers ed. restricting trucks to only able-bodied individuals. Maybe they teach it different in Baltimore.
Please bring Merritt back. This blog desperately needs her.
99% chance of d-baggery here, regardless of placard.
Wow. Judgmental, much?
There was a placard. Maybe the person with the handicap could only get a ride with his/her friend who drives a big truck. Is that against the law?
Also as Bluebird said, not all handicaps are visible.
Did your college teach Busybody 101 in its journalism dept.?
for pete’s sake,
anyone who thinks
this blog has
anything to do
with journalism,
needs to buy a
dictionary.