Quote Originally Posted by Biciclista View Post
Shooting star, your sisters had several multiple pregnancies? Lots of twins and triplets? how many??

Cataboo,you're right, I'm sorry. I have just known a few people with handicapped permits who REALLY would have been okay without them. I've just watched the wheel chair set of our society grow exponentially in my life and it scares the dickens out of me.
Oh, no worries - it's actually harder to get a handicapped parking pass than you would think, at least it is here (my father once had to bring my little brother in a wheelchair to the DMV because they were giving him such a hardtime and refusing to give him a placard despite having the correct paperwork). It's sort of like getting disability or being prescribed pain meds, despite the fact it seems like everyone's abusing it, it's really hard for those who actually need it to get it.

I have a friend from high school who got swine flu a year and a half ago - it got into her lungs and she couldn't clear it for about 5 months, and she's been diagnosed with at least 3 chronic illnesses over the last year. Most days, she can barely get out of bed. Yet, she has to keep her job and for the most part, she looks fine. Tired, but fine. So the whole looking fine while being very sick has made it difficult for her to get her job to be flexible (many doctor letters later, she's allowed to work from home half the week) and she does have a handicapped parking pass. There are a few times when I've encouraged her to do a lot of walking (okay, by a lot, I'm talking about 8 blocks or maybe a mile, so really not a lot...) and she does do it. But what happens is that she spends the next few days paying for that exertion and unable to work or get out of bed. I have been places with her that people wouldn't believe she had anything wrong with her or give her access to handicap spots because of it. I know her well enough to know that she's never been a lazy person, and she hates the limitations on her life. And I hope that in the future she finds a way to manage things so that she can function and doesn't need handicapped parking, 'cause she's in her mid 30s and possibly facing spending the rest of her life like this... But the reality is that she does need handicapped parking until she or the doctors figure out a way for her to function. But she also shouldn't have to justify or explain her entire medical history to people that think she looks fine and shouldn't be using handicapped parking.

So, it's easy to say people need to walk and it's good for them. And I agree, americans don't do nearly enough walking. And i guess I'm being naive thinking that most people who have a handicapped parking spot would be quite happy to give that up for better health and that most family members of people who have a handicapped parking spot realize how important those spots are to the actually handicapped and don't abuse them.