Soldiers-Wife's Blog

Absolutly!! Even w/my 7 kids, we'd rather walk from the far back than take a handicap space. My mom needs one of those spaces and I know a lot of other people who need them. Those of us w/able legs should make sure those spaces are left for those who have need them most! Don't diss on the infirmed...do your part...walk the distance...don't be a taker, be a giver.

I know from working in a doctors office, all the patient has to do is bring in some darn form, and have the doctor put thier signature on it and add a diagnosis, like mild back pain. Maybe these people have mild back pain because they aren't parking far enough out to walk and get thier pulse goin! I know that I have seen many doctors just sign off because they don't have the time to consult the patient about the problem, and they are just worried about getting them out of there so that they can get to the lunch room!!!! Maybe something should be done....

My mother used to have a Senior Companion who took her shopping. Both of them were very capable of walking from anywhere in a parking lot. Because the Senior Companion also drove handicapped people, she had a handicap tag. Much to my mother's aggravation, she seemed to think she had to park in a handicap spot. Many times I have seen elderly people slowly limping across a parking lot while an apparently perfectly healthy person practically ran from his/her handicap spot. I think it's a simple case of being inconsiderate. I agree that something needs to be done about it, but what?

I work in a doctors office and we work very hard to prevent disabled tag abuse. We evaluate every patient to see if they meet the state's criteria for the tag. What all physician office's need to realize is that the state can come in and audit your charts to verify that you are not falsifying the information just so your patient can get one. Every year the form we fill out gets more and more detailed.

While undergoing chemo, I didn't ask for a handicapped parking pass. I wanted to feel "normal" even though it was an effort at times when I had to park farther away.

What disturbs me is a reserved space for expectant mothers. I had 2 children and found walking very helpful to my pregnancy and delivery. If you just gave birth, that another thing. I think the elderly might appreciate those spaces.

It is all about being courteous.