MFFY du jour...

Dave C. wrote:

> Ok, so my question still stands . . . why would someone who is not
> physically handicapped need to park closer to entrance of a building? Thus,
> why the need for handicap plates?

It's possible that the person has some sort of breathing difficulty like
emphysema. That's one reason a person can get handicapped plates since
they would be out of breath by the time they got to the front door if
they had to walk from the end of the parking lot (yes, it can get that bad).

There are waay too many handicapped spots, especially
in locations where parking is scarce. Besides, lots
of super-fatsos are issued handicapped plates. What
a joke.

223rem wrote:
> There are waay too many handicapped spots, especially
> in locations where parking is scarce. Besides, lots
> of super-fatsos are issued handicapped plates. What
> a joke.

The guy wasn't fatso (a little heavy, maybe) and we were the only two
people parked in the lot.

I have never seen a parking lot where there wasn't some parking
available somewhere, except for a couple of mall parking lots during
the holidays. And those places have a very low percentage of spaces
taken by handicapped parking.

Since I am able-bodied, I don't have a problem walking. Hell, I mostly
park whenever I first see a spot, and walk. I often get in faster than
those folks who circle endlessly waiting for a closer spot.

And I don't even mind that the guy was lazy - I'm lazy sometimes too.
That's why I parked in the closest spot I could *legally* park to the
bank doors. If I'd have known that some a-hole was going to make it
tough for me to in and out of my car and pull out of my space, I'd have
taken something further away.

E.P.

>
> > Ok, so my question still stands . . . why would someone who is not
> > physically handicapped need to park closer to entrance of a building?
Thus,
> > why the need for handicap plates?
>
> It's possible that the person has some sort of breathing difficulty like
> emphysema. That's one reason a person can get handicapped plates since
> they would be out of breath by the time they got to the front door if
> they had to walk from the end of the parking lot (yes, it can get that
bad).

Then I'm sure their doctor wouldn't want them exerting themselves by
climbing in and out of a monster truck and driving a manual transmission
vehicle. -Dave

> >
> > It's possible that the person has some sort of breathing difficulty like
> > emphysema. That's one reason a person can get handicapped plates since
> > they would be out of breath by the time they got to the front door if
> > they had to walk from the end of the parking lot (yes, it can get that
> bad).
>
> Then I'm sure their doctor wouldn't want them exerting themselves by
> climbing in and out of a monster truck and driving a manual transmission
> vehicle. -Dave

OH!!! I forgot to add . . . I had the flu several weeks ago. I was out of
work for a couple of weeks, and I had difficulty breathing. My doctor
specifically ORDERED me not to drive, as she said it was not a good idea for
someone with breathing difficulties to be behind the wheel of a motor
vehicle. It made perfect sense to me at the time. I COULD have driven, I'm
sure, but it wouldn't have been safe for me to do so . . . or not as safe as
it usually might have been. I mean, sheesh, how can you concentrate on the
road if you are fighting your own body? So if someone really has difficulty
breathing due to a permanent condition, they probably should lose their
driver's license anyway. -Dave

Dave C. wrote:
> I agree with your side, but can speak from a different point of view as
> well. A few years ago, I spotted a HUGE full-size pickup truck with
> handicap plates. The truck was modified so that the suspension was lifted.
> (The truck was taller than it was when it left the factory.) It had tires
> the size of a small car. It was like a back-yard "monster" truck. With
> handicapped plates. Parked in a handicapped spot. I'm a tall man who is
> not handicapped in any way. I would have needed a ladder to climb into this
> truck, if I owned it. Standing on my tip-toes, I could barely see over the
> edge of the door. When I looked inside, I noticed it was a MANUAL
> transmission. Maybe the driver really was handicapped, but obviously in NO
> way that would require him/her park in a special spot closer to the entrance
> of a building. So why were the handicap plates issued? Did the DMV not
> notice the type of vehicle or the fact that it was manual transmission and
> modified to be EXTREMELY hard to get into? -Dave

You might write DMV and tell them. I'll bet they'd be interested.

Brent P wrote:
> While it might not be in the law, observations like the above have caused
> me to assume that such plates were issued to the mentally handicaped as
> well as the physically handicaped.

It's all the slowpokes on the freeway with DP plates that convince me
of that.

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 21:38:05 GMT, Dave C. , one of an infinite number of
monkeys at an infinite number of typewriters said the following in
rec.autos.driving...

> I agree with your side, but can speak from a different point of view as
> well. A few years ago, I spotted a HUGE full-size pickup truck with
> handicap plates. The truck was modified so that the suspension was lifted.
> (The truck was taller than it was when it left the factory.) It had tires
> the size of a small car. It was like a back-yard "monster" truck. With
> handicapped plates. Parked in a handicapped spot. I'm a tall man who is
> not handicapped in any way. I would have needed a ladder to climb into this
> truck, if I owned it. Standing on my tip-toes, I could barely see over the
> edge of the door. When I looked inside, I noticed it was a MANUAL
> transmission. Maybe the driver really was handicapped, but obviously in NO
> way that would require him/her park in a special spot closer to the entrance
> of a building. So why were the handicap plates issued? Did the DMV not
> notice the type of vehicle or the fact that it was manual transmission and
> modified to be EXTREMELY hard to get into?

To reply to the first question, I don't know about where you are, but in
my area, just about anyone it seems can get a handicapped license tag or
one of those hanging tags for the rear view mirror - it is just a matter
of having the right connections and/or a friendly doctor to sign off on
the "handicap." Its not uncommon for me to see the occupants of such an
equipped vehicle to be about as handicapped as I am as they walk quite
normally - and faster than I am capable of - into the store (or where
ever they are).

As for the second question, I rather doubt that the robots at the DMV -
in your area, my area or any where else - bother to check such things...

"Dave C." > wrote in
ink.net:

>
> "The Office Jet" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Nothing makes me more angry than when someone parks in a handicap
>> spot without being handicapped. One of my best friends is in a
>> wheelchair for the rest of his life and has to use those spots. If
>> he had to go to the bank and this moron had parked there, he'd be out
>> of luck. Some people have absolutley no respect for others.
>>
>
> I agree with your side, but can speak from a different point of view
> as well. A few years ago, I spotted a HUGE full-size pickup truck
> with handicap plates. The truck was modified so that the suspension
> was lifted. (The truck was taller than it was when it left the
> factory.) It had tires the size of a small car. It was like a
> back-yard "monster" truck. With handicapped plates. Parked in a
> handicapped spot. I'm a tall man who is not handicapped in any way.
> I would have needed a ladder to climb into this truck, if I owned it.
> Standing on my tip-toes, I could barely see over the edge of the door.
> When I looked inside, I noticed it was a MANUAL transmission. Maybe
> the driver really was handicapped, but obviously in NO way that would
> require him/her park in a special spot closer to the entrance of a
> building. So why were the handicap plates issued? Did the DMV not
> notice the type of vehicle or the fact that it was manual transmission
> and modified to be EXTREMELY hard to get into? -Dave
>
>
>

Seems to me that this would be a good application for a camera phone or
digital camera;take a couple of pictures,send them to the DMV -and- local
newspaper,with the vehicle's plate number clearly visible.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

(Brent P) wrote in
news
> In article . net>,
> Dave C. wrote:
>
>> edge of the door. When I looked inside, I noticed it was a MANUAL
>> transmission. Maybe the driver really was handicapped, but obviously
>> in NO way that would require him/her park in a special spot closer to
>> the entrance of a building. So why were the handicap plates issued?
>> Did the DMV not notice the type of vehicle or the fact that it was
>> manual transmission and modified to be EXTREMELY hard to get into?
>> -Dave
>
> While it might not be in the law, observations like the above have
> caused me to assume that such plates were issued to the mentally
> handicaped as well as the physically handicaped.
>
>
>

I believe getting handicapped tags or plates is just a matter of getting
your physician to sign the necessary forms and sending them to the DMV.No
requirement to see the person or the vehicle.

As the OP said,it's MFFY behavior.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net