Special Parking - The Able Disabled

Now a subject I just love... parking lots and the reserved spaces within them. Over the last several decades we have witnessed monumental changes in our sensitivity to the needs of the disabled. Those spots are sacred ground, as those that are inambulatory require a short distance to transit to reach necessities.

However, is it working when every asshole has a window permit to park there? It is not uncommon to find the first 10% of any parking lot reserved for disabled patrons, but is 10% of the population physically disabled? No. These are spots of convenience for many that I see. A car will park and a spunky and spry person will hop from the driver's seat and bop into the store. Where's the disabilty?

Even more common is the person that drops a wheelchair bound individual at the door and then uses the parking place for convenience. How uncool is that?

Plus, most people in wheelchairs etc just want to be treated like the ambulatory, allegedly. I've found that some didn't appreciate when I've tried to do something for them, such as help push them up a ramp. Maybe I should have asked first, or at least asked where they were going before I took them there.

The idea to make it easy for the disabled is a good one, but we need a better system to determine who absoultely needs the space. Issuing permits for love handles, splinters and gingivitis eliminates the reason for the accomodations.