Placards

Call them cretins, barbarians - whatever you like. I'm with you. But there are two very good reasons many California drivers abuse disabled placards when they park their vehicles. First, it saves them a lot of money. Second, the chance of getting caught is next to nil. My Wednesday column on the subject has drawn hundreds of responses from readers who have disabilities but struggle to find parking because of all the cheaters, and there were scores of people offering their own evidence of abuse.

Cities should set the right prices for curb parking because the wrong prices do so much harm. A yearlong study in 1984 estimated that cruising for underpriced and overcrowded curb parking on 15 blocks of Westwood Village created about 950,000 vehicle-miles of travel a year, equivalent to 38 trips around Earth or four trips to the moon. This cruising wasted 47,000 gallons of gasoline and produced 728 tons of greenhouse gases. Studies have found similar results in other cities. Because underpriced curb parking causes so much cruising, transportation experts around the world are watching California's experiments with flexible prices at curb parking meters.

Cities should set the right prices for curb parking because the wrong prices do so much harm. A yearlong study in 1984 estimated that cruising for underpriced and overcrowded curb parking on 15 blocks of Westwood Village created about 950,000 vehicle-miles of travel a year, equivalent to 38 trips around Earth or four trips to the moon. This cruising wasted 47,000 gallons of gasoline and produced 728 tons of greenhouse gases. Studies have found similar results in other cities. Because underpriced curb parking causes so much cruising, transportation experts around the world are watching California's experiments with flexible prices at curb parking meters.

Who parks where Re "Going after meter cheaters," Column, Feb. 16 The one thing that should be mentioned for those out there who are morally handicapped is that handicapped parking spaces and disabled placards are provided not only for convenience but more importantly for the safety of those who are wheelchair-bound. Moving wheelchairs are barely visible in the rear-view mirrors of most cars and in many cases could be missed by someone looking back as they prepare to back up. You can imagine the danger this poses for those in wheelchairs.

It was with complete surprise that we read the letters from readers who totally misperceived the purpose of the "Baby on Board" or "Child in Car" placards. Never did it cross our mind to be so egotistical as to presume that other drivers should drive more safely around those of us who display such signs in our car windows. We carry those placards purely as a public service. Yes, our purpose is entirely altruistic--that is, to warn other drivers that a harried and distracted mother is behind the wheel.

Who parks where Re "Going after meter cheaters," Column, Feb. 16 The one thing that should be mentioned for those out there who are morally handicapped is that handicapped parking spaces and disabled placards are provided not only for convenience but more importantly for the safety of those who are wheelchair-bound. Moving wheelchairs are barely visible in the rear-view mirrors of most cars and in many cases could be missed by someone looking back as they prepare to back up. You can imagine the danger this poses for those in wheelchairs.

Parking priorities Re "A peculiar parking pattern," Column, Jan. 25 My husband and I know a number of people who have kept their disabled placards long after they needed them. One such man we know plays tennis. About six years ago, my husband had a serious foot injury. During that time we realized how difficult it was to find disabled parking spaces. Were all those disabled parking places being used by people who truly needed them? My husband is a retired physician, and patients would sometimes ask him for placards that they didn't need.

The proliferation of placards for the disabled that allow drivers to ignore meters and use parking spots meant for those with disabilities points to abuse of the system, officials said. About one in 16 motorists in California carry the signs -- more than double the number a decade ago. An aging population, a broader definition of the disabilities that qualify drivers for the privilege and abuse of the system are behind the increase, said Mike Miller of the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Martin Hochman's aunt died in 2004, but every other year the DMV continues to mail a blue disabled placard to her last residence. Sue Martinez's husband also receives placards with noteworthy dependability even though he died years ago. "They just keep coming," Martinez said. The fraudulent use of disabled parking placards -- the blue or red badges that allow motorists to park for free or in specially reserved spaces -- is on the rise, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

In the aftermath of Monday's earthquake, anyone concerned about the condition of their home or business can look for placards posted by the city Department of Building and Safety indicating that an inspection has been done.

As the scoundrels arrived to look for parking, little did the unsuspecting offenders of decency know that an undercover sting had been set up to ruin their day. I'd written two columns on the fraudulent use of disabled-driver placards in downtown Los Angeles, and the city's Department of Transportation was swooping in for a crackdown. My only regret was that department chief Jaime de la Vega claimed he had other things to do, so there went my chance of riding shotgun with him in his Hummer.

Call them cretins, barbarians - whatever you like. I'm with you. But there are two very good reasons many California drivers abuse disabled placards when they park their vehicles. First, it saves them a lot of money. Second, the chance of getting caught is next to nil. My Wednesday column on the subject has drawn hundreds of responses from readers who have disabilities but struggle to find parking because of all the cheaters, and there were scores of people offering their own evidence of abuse.

Parking priorities Re "A peculiar parking pattern," Column, Jan. 25 My husband and I know a number of people who have kept their disabled placards long after they needed them. One such man we know plays tennis. About six years ago, my husband had a serious foot injury. During that time we realized how difficult it was to find disabled parking spaces. Were all those disabled parking places being used by people who truly needed them? My husband is a retired physician, and patients would sometimes ask him for placards that they didn't need.

Cris Lombardi, a Hollywood camera operator and downtown Los Angeles resident, loves strolling the city when he's not working. In particular, he likes photographing buildings under construction, such as the Broad Museum. "Walking the same route every day, one begins to notice details," he wrote to me two weeks ago in an email. "On my walk up 4th Street from Hill to Olive, it dawned on me that … nearly all of the parked cars had handicap placards. " The cars were at expired meters with flashing red lights.

There's the grown son bridging the distance with his alcoholic father, an old woman's girlhood memories of working in her grandfather's dumpling restaurant, a student's search for an inspiring former teacher. Like pages ripped from a diary, they're personal stories about love, loss and just coping with everyday life in this crowded and stressful society. But these private thoughts are presented in a public place: The short tales, signed by their authors, are part of a new storytelling program on Seoul's Metropolitan Subway System.

Our Andrew Bynum interview is the first in a series of Q&As with prominent sports figures. The Q&A features will run every Monday. It's been three months since Lakers center Andrew Bynum delivered his infamous forearm shiver to the rib cage of diminutive Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea, and stripped off his purple and gold jersey after being ejected. It was the parting shot by the defending champions in surrendering their NBA crown. The 23-year-old 7-footer apologized for his actions two days later.

I am writing about your article regarding the misuse of disabled parking placards (Metro, April 12). Recently, while walking on a major street in Beverly Hills, I counted eight Mercedes parked in a row and all had the disabled placard on the dash. At the time I figured the odds of finding eight disabled persons in Mercedes parked one after another were about as great as winning the lottery. It seems to me the way to prevent people from misusing the placards or loaning them to friends or family members is to issue a special license plate that would indicate the driver of the car is entitled to handicapped parking.

"Shifting Into Reverse" (March 5) raises disturbing questions about reserved parking for the disabled. The handicapped placard, which may have seemed like a good idea, has created a privileged class exempt from most parking laws. The law invites everything from misuse to counterfeiting. An arguable 1% to 2% of the public is genuinely disabled, yet far more somehow get the placards. All someone has to do is have a doctor sign the application. The DMV considers almost anything a "disability."

Placard protocol Re "Dead still alive on DMV disabled list," July 20 I read with interest the article about the misuse and misunderstanding by many of the disabled placards because I encountered this dilemma when my mother passed away several years ago. Her updated placard came in the mail, with a letter clearly stating that if the recipient had died, the placard was to be returned along with a note explaining that the person...

Martin Hochman's aunt died in 2004, but every other year the DMV continues to mail a blue disabled placard to her last residence. Sue Martinez's husband also receives placards with noteworthy dependability even though he died years ago. "They just keep coming," Martinez said. The fraudulent use of disabled parking placards -- the blue or red badges that allow motorists to park for free or in specially reserved spaces -- is on the rise, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.