We only have 'temporary' handicapped badges that each last three years -
then you have to reapply.But in order to get one, you have to have a
permanent disability.
Nice to know that *something*, in the area of "social care" is better in the US than in the UK :) Here, if you have a permanent disability, you get a permanent tag; the "guy in the wheelchair" symbol is pressed into your license plates (preceding the numbers). You need to renew the plates yearly (everyone does), but that's it (as it should be). The temporary (and up for periodical review) tags are cardboard, bear the same symbol, and are hung off the front mirror. They're *supposed* to be used only when the disabled is on board *and* needing to get to the store, but they're not (I've seen young, brisk mothers of 3 shepherding the brood to a store having first placed her "excuse" on the mirror).
The older folk tend to drive right to the door of the store, drop the disabled person *there*, and park wherever there's a spot, *other* than the Handicapped one. The procedure is reversed at the other end. It's the younger set who take advantage of the few yards (I bet they're the ones who jog for their health daily, too <g>)
I don't drive slowly as I'm not in pain when I drive. I'm not a disabled
driver but a disabled walker.
Yeah, sorry, but, in my (limited, granted) experience, the folk with the permanent tags tend to drive at 10-15MPH irrespective of the posted speed limit (25 to 55 MPH in the immediate area; you don't see many of them on the highways, praise be). And they never turn their blinkers off, either... *If*, that is, they remember to turn them on in the first place... I'm a reasonable person most of the time but, when on the road, I turn into a *witch*, and all the infractions are *counted* <g>
----- Tamara P Duvall Lexington, Virginia, USA Formerly of Warsaw, Poland http://lorien.emufarm.org/~tpd/
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