Disability Placard - In the right or not? Can the partner utilize it?

[Cid_B]

Scenario -

Husband and wife. Wife was in a serious car accident and is in recovery. While in recovery she received a handicap placard.

If the husband is on business for the wife (ie picking up her prescription at Rite-aid)... is he wrong? Legally or ethically?

As I understand it in many states it is illegal to ask someone about it so I don't think you would do something but.....

PS. This is not my scenario but one I heard about and thought it was interesting...

[msongs]

1. if the person for whom it was issued is acessing the vehicle it is wrong IMO

[Cid_B]

3. Two ways...

1) She is in the car and waiting while the husband goes for pain pills. I think that is open and shut

2) Wife is home and in pain and needs the meds as quickly as possible so hubby parks as close as he can to get in and out

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. no. Partner can not use placard when person it's assigned to is not with them

Otherwise we'd all just share placards.

[nosmokes]

4. This.

The placard is issued to an individual and if that person ain't in the car then you shouldn't be using the placard,legally or ethically.

[csziggy]

24. That's how it works in Florida

I was issued a temporary handicap permit and got a lecture about how it was for my use only and not for anyone else.

Heck, even if I go back to get a permanent handicap permit when hubby is driving me somewhere, he can drop me off at the door and find a parking space some distance away. He does not need to tie up the handicapped parking spaces.

[Hangingon]

6. +1 eom

[REP]

5. If only he is in the car, he is in violation. Period, end of story.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. +1

[jp11]

8. I think if the person the placard is assigned isn't driving or making use of the 'trip'

ie going into the store/pharmacy the driver should just use a normal spot. If the person the placard was assigned can't drive or doesn't then they must be present when the driver is using the placard/spot.

Placards aren't so you can get in quicker, they are because people have limitations and suffer from the longer trip from a regular spot OR are at risk for having to travel longer, ie a wheelchair rolling across a parking lot. If they aren't 'suffering' from the longer walk or at risk from crossing a lot why does their proxy need the ease of a closer spot? If the argument is due to pain, the proxy can walk faster/run so what happens when they get in the store are they going to push people around and cut the line, hop a counter because speed = less suffering/pain for the person who the placard is for?

Legally I don't know but that is how I see it ethically.

[pipi_k]

9. Mr Pip has one...I wouldn't think of using it myself

unless I were driving him someplace and he had to get out of the car with me.

By myself...no. I don't use it.

Although I really want to sometimes. Bad knees and all. But then, I should get my own.

[Philippine expat]

10. Legally

he can only use it if she is in the vehicle also

[lunatica]

11. It's a misdemeanor if the person isn't in the car

It's pretty serious but not considered a felony. There are plenty of lawyers who specialize in misdemeanors.

[JVS]

14. A misdemeanor can send you to the clink for a while.

[dkf]

12. It's only there to assist the handicapped person when they are in the car needing access.

If they are just sitting in the car waiting and dont need the shorter walking distance they shouldn't use it too.

Of course that is how it works for people with ethics, and we know how rare that is nowadays.

[petronius]

16. A bit nitpicky, but I'd say it's appropriate even if the issuee is waiting in the car

It's reasonable that they may change their mind, or need to go in after all; seems like overkill to make them move the car in that case...

[jp11]

18. The issue I see there is they are then taking a space when they have someone doing

something on their behalf and presumably decided/agreed to not leave the car when the other person was parking. Now on the issue of 'they might change their mind' they are taking up a spot that someone else might need, remote yes, but they easily could have said they were going to get out when they arrived at their destination.

[JVS]

13. When my father was blind and weak from chemo he and mom had a placard.

Even though my mom was ok, it was so that she could take him places and he'd be able to make it inside. He couldn't have managed the walk across the lot, and dropping him off curbside while mom hunted for a space would have been imprudent.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. In this situation, using a placard held by your dad only would have been ok

Driver can use placard to drop off and pick up handicapped

[lunatica]

20. when the person needing the placard is in the car it's legal for you mom to use it

Since she is taking him to where he needs to go.

[blondeatlast]

15. If you have to ask, it's more than likely wrong at least in terms of ethics. nt

[Cid_B]

17. Few things...

1) That's just dumb. Everything is not black and white.

2) Just a scenario... Relax...

[blondeatlast]

21. It's just my opinion. Relax yourself. nt

[lazarus]

22. as someone who has (and needs) a placard

I know I'm rather disgusted at the thought of a healthy person using a placard on their own. It's a crime, and it should be.

In the scenario you put forth, he is absolutely in the wrong. Here in California, it's a huge fine, too. Plus, the person whose placard it is will lose the placard.

I know I've called the police several times on cars parked in a handicapped space with no placard, too.

[Cid_B]

23. By coincidence...

... this story came about in California as well.

The guy acting on behalf of his wife did have the placard btw...