NIMHS (Not in MY Handicapped Spot)

San Francisco is embroiled in yet another parking debate. It appears that we will now have to pay for meters on Sundays. People are outraged, but I'm not really sure why. It was bound to happen. Sunday is no longer the "day of rest" it once was. Stores are opened and people are out doing the same things they do on Saturdays. I don't want to pay, but I will. Or I'll get more parking tickets, because those are bound to happen too.

Of course those with handicapped placards don't have to pay for meters. Not in San Francisco or anywhere else in California. (I'm pretty sure that's the case in most if not all states, but I'm not sure of that.) If Maggie is with us, we put up the placard and we get to park for free. Some take great issue with that. To them I say: wanna trade problems?

This letter to the editor was in the Chronicle this morning:

Make everybody pay

We can open up more parking by charging a fee for disabled placards. $500 a year for a placard would make dishonest people think twice about applying. It would be small fee to pay for convenience for a truly disabled person. Nothing should be free of charge. Also, make handicapped parking available to all after 9 p.m. Kerry Mark, San Francisco Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/04/EDC31NUNND.DTL#ixzz1rBSRC7pB  

Because people with disabilities aren't allowed out after 9?  *Shakes head*  Kerry Mark, whoever you are, you should not upset me so early in the morning. 

I just submitted this response to the Chronicle . I wonder if they will print it. 

I circle streets looking for a space that will allow room to lower my daughter’s wheelchair ramp and unload her giant wheelchair with the additional 50 lbs of medical equipment hanging off of it.  This one won’t work because there is a tree blocking the path of the ramp, that one has newspaper racks, a third would only allow the ramp to open into traffic.  Every handicapped space is filled and nearly every meter downtown has a car with a handicapped placard in the window.  Where are all these handicapped souls? They certainly don’t attend the meetings.

   

When I  witness seemingly healthy able bodied individuals bounding  out of vehicles with a handicapped placard in the window, I  try to give them the benefit of the doubt. Many disabilities are invisible; but many people use handicapped placards illegally.

Instead of Kerry Marks’ ludicrous and cold hearted suggestion that a $500 annual fee be imposed to obtain a handicapped parking placard, (letter April 5) how about some rigorous enforcement against those who obtain and use them unlawfully.  Imposing a significant fine on the scofflaws would bring in far more revenue that imposing fines on the truly disabled.  Sally Coghlan McDonald, San Francisco

I feel better already.