If you have a Disabled placard....have you ever been asked for ID?

[Tap]

Bittersweet day here today.  DD18 got her disabled placard and will be getting her plates soon. The  auto license office says she has to her Disabled Parking ID Card with her at all times (when using the placard), in case she is asked for it by a police officer.

 

Quite often, she doesn't bring her purse when she is feeling ill, because she doesn't want to lose it. She wouldn't be driving.  I haven't heard of anyone actually being asked for it, but it made me wonder if anyone has.  I used to drive a van for a group home.  I was never asked in all those years to present one.

 

I'm thinking of just leaving a copy of the licence in each car that she is most likely to be in, with the registration etc. That way, incase she doesn't have her purse, (while it wouldn't be the official copy), she will have something to show it is hers.  She will be using it on her college campus where there is limited parking.  A disabled pass allows the holder to park in any parking space (disabled, regular, staff, metered etc), will be worth gold there. I can imagine campus security watching disabled spaces for offenders.   Having the placard also reduces the campus parking pass from over $200 to just $50, so that is another incentive for people to cheat the system.

Edited August 17, 2017 by Tap

[blondeviolin]

I've never been asked in 15 years. But I keep it in the glove box just in case.

[Catwoman]

I don't think she will be asked for it, but I think it's a good idea to leave copies in each car, just in case. Better safe than sorry!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I like the idea of copies, or storing the placard and ID together in a plastic bag or something.

 

I would encourage her to find a very small wallet with a cross body strap though...  it's really better that she have ID on her now that she's an adult and will be out and about more.  Does she wear a medical ID bracelet?  

[Arcadia]

Sometimes they do get asked. There was a question of if someone was collecting prescription medicine on behalf of their disabled relative, can they use the handicap lot if the disabled person is at home. The answer given was that the disabled person must be in the car or at the store when using the handicap lot.

 

Here the Target handicap lots tend to be abused but they have many handicap lots so checks are random. The smaller Walgreens tend to have one handicap lot so people might complain if that lot is used and no one looks disabled in the store. What a former colleague told me was that a photocopy of an ID is good enough if not driving because the police can always escort you back to your home or hotel to verify identity.

 

"In the past three years, the number of citations for illegal use of disabled person parking placards has increased by the hundreds in California - diminishing parking spots for the disabled.

 

For anyone who is caught, no points will be assessed since it is not a moving violation, but that misdemeanor will appear on their driving record. " http://www.cbs8.com/story/35182236/dmv-sting-disabled-parking-cheats-caught-in-the-act

[Tap]

I like the idea of copies, or storing the placard and ID together in a plastic bag or something.

 

I would encourage her to find a very small wallet with a cross body strap though...  it's really better that she have ID on her now that she's an adult and will be out and about more.  Does she wear a medical ID bracelet?  

If she is out by herself she always does, out with friends she usually does, but not when she is feeling fuzzy headed.  Even with a crossbody, it would be too easy for her to take if off and leave in a dressing room or on the chair of a restaurant.  It isn't too common that she leaves without it, but it does happen.  If she and I are together, she doesn't carry anything. I pay for everything and she isn't driving, she doesn't need anything else. 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Tap

[Tap]

Sometimes they do get asked. There was a question of if someone was collecting prescription medicine on behalf of their disabled relative, can they use the handicap lot if the disabled person is at home. The answer given was that the disabled person must be in the car or at the store when using the handicap lot.

 

Here the Target handicap lots tend to be abused but they have many handicap lots so checks are random. The smaller Walgreens tend to have one handicap lot so people might complain if that lot is used and no one looks disabled in the store. What a former colleague told me was that a photocopy of an ID is good enough if not driving because the police can always escort you back to your home or hotel to verify identity.

 

"In the past three years, the number of citations for illegal use of disabled person parking placards has increased by the hundreds in California - diminishing parking spots for the disabled.

 

For anyone who is caught, no points will be assessed since it is not a moving violation, but that misdemeanor will appear on their driving record. " http://www.cbs8.com/story/35182236/dmv-sting-disabled-parking-cheats-caught-in-the-act

That is funny to me, because many disabilities are not obvious.  LOL  I guess people can complain all they want.  Only a LEO or traffic patrol can ask for ID, so the  store would have to call them if they had their suspicions. 

[blondeviolin]

Sometimes they do get asked. There was a question of if someone was collecting prescription medicine on behalf of their disabled relative, can they use the handicap lot if the disabled person is at home. The answer given was that the disabled person must be in the car or at the store when using the handicap lot.

 

Here the Target handicap lots tend to be abused but they have many handicap lots so checks are random. The smaller Walgreens tend to have one handicap lot so people might complain if that lot is used and no one looks disabled in the store. What a former colleague told me was that a photocopy of an ID is good enough if not driving because the police can always escort you back to your home or hotel to verify identity.

 

"In the past three years, the number of citations for illegal use of disabled person parking placards has increased by the hundreds in California - diminishing parking spots for the disabled.

 

For anyone who is caught, no points will be assessed since it is not a moving violation, but that misdemeanor will appear on their driving record. " http://www.cbs8.com/story/35182236/dmv-sting-disabled-parking-cheats-caught-in-the-act

it doesn't sound like anyone here falls into this trap, but just a PSA that there is no specific "look" that a disabled person has. There is nothing visible about my disorder, but I have qualified for a handicapped placard for the last 15 years. I've never had a cop ask for my card. But I sure have had a fair number of people judging me, or even aggressively telling me how horrible I am for taking that spot, because I don't "look disabled."

[J-rap]

We've had a disabled placard (actually, I had to look that up to make sure it's the same thing!) for 7 years now, and we don't even have a disabled ID.  Is that a special disabled driver's license?  Anyway, we have never been asked for any ID or proof.  Maybe the placard or the license plate is enough in our state?  I like the placard because we can bring it anywhere -- to other states when we travel, and even other countries.  I would think that at school, your dd could register her license plate number with the student disabilities office so she wouldn't need to constantly prove it.

 

 

[Ottakee]

Can you make copies of the disability ID along with copies of her state ID for her to carry? I agree she should have her ID with her but also realize the realities of it being lost.

 

The place I do see it most likely to be questioned is at the college as I know in our area they have fined students for using Grandma's car and placard at college even though grandma (or other placard holder) was not in the car or at the college.....it was just a way to get faster, easier parking. Sadly it is abused at times.

[bettyandbob]

It makes sense they check. Those placards are frequently abused, often by family members who don't have the person with the disability with them. I could see a police officer checking the ID of a young person who looks healthy.

[Daria]

Can you attach an envelope for the card to the back of the placard?

[JFSinIL]

Does she have a Medic Alert necklace or bracelet?  Also, on campus, can she register with the on-campus police as a disabled driver who WILL be using her placard to park where needed on campus?  If she gets her vehicle in their system that may help. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Yes.  We carried the laminated card that came with the placard in my wallet, behind my driver's license. 

[sassenach]

I haven't been asked, but we keep a copy in the only vehicle we use it in. Especially if she has a hidden disability, I would be sure to have a copy of it with her.

[sassenach]

Can you attach an envelope for the card to the back of the placard?

This is what I was thinking. Maybe MacGyver it so it's kept up along the top edge?

[bethben]

I've never been asked for it but then the only reason I use the handicapped parking space is with my son in a wheelchair so it's obvious why we park there.

 

 

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[Guest]

Its checked here if they have the permit but not the plates. Quite often its a relative, not the disabled person, but often its people who were temporarily disabled due to surgery and no longer are. The towns are enforcing everything in order to generate revenue.

[Ali in OR]

We don't have a special ID in Oregon. I do remember dd had to get an OR ID card (like a driver's license but can't drive) when she got her placard at age 4--it was a very cute ID! We've never been asked for any ID.

 

The placard is dd's--I only use it if she is in the car or if I am picking her up. We have a conversion van so it's pretty obvious that there's a wheelchair user. Ironically we needed the placard more before we got this car. We have a rear entry van so I can get her in and out of the car in a normal spot. I used to need the extra space by a handicapped spot to load her into or out of her chair. And I do recognize that many people need those close-proximity spaces more than we do since I am able-bodied and can still get dd in and out of the car, so if they're scarce I can park elsewhere. The biggest problem spot I've observed has been at dd's schools where there are multiple wheelchair kids. I used to get frustrated with people who have placards taking the few handicapped spots but were never leaving their car--they waited for their able-bodied kids or grandkids to run out to them. Meanwhile parents picking up their wheelchair kids had to park down the block or circle the school or come back later. Most of us learned to pick our kids up early.

 

I think your plan to have a copy of the ID in the car is a good one and should be sufficient. And I think you're right to suspect that she may face more scrutiny on a college campus where parking is so tight.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Ali in OR

[Petrichor]

Does she carry a (smart)phone? I don't like to carry a purse, so I use a wallet case with my phone. 

[bethben]

We don't have a special ID in Oregon. I do remember dd had to get an OR ID card (like a driver's license but can't drive) when she got her placard at age 4--it was a very cute ID! We've never been asked for any ID.

 

The placard is dd's--I only use it if she is in the car or if I am picking her up. We have a conversion van so it's pretty obvious that there's a wheelchair user. Ironically we needed the placard more before we got this car. We have a rear entry van so I can get her in and out of the car in a normal spot. I used to need the extra space by a handicapped spot to load her into or out of her chair. And I do recognize that many people need those close-proximity spaces more than we do since I am able-bodied and can still get dd in and out of the car, so if they're scarce I can park elsewhere. The biggest problem spot I've observed has been at dd's schools where there are multiple wheelchair kids. I used to get frustrated with people who have placards taking the few handicapped spots but were never leaving their car--they waited for their able-bodied kids or grandkids to run out to them. Meanwhile parents picking up their wheelchair kids had to park down the block or circle the school or come back later. Most of us learned to pick our kids up early.

 

I think your plan to have a copy of the ID in the car is a good one and should be sufficient. And I think you're right to suspect that she may face more scrutiny on a college campus where parking is so tight.

This type of thing is very rampant where we live.  I will notice the usually elderly person sitting in the passenger side while the very able bodied driver literally runs into the store.  My daughter yells at them from inside the car when she sees this.  We too only need the spot because of wheelchair access getting into the car.  I just need extra space.

 

We had the same thing with parking spaces at my son's high school.  There was a teacher who would ask kindly if they were picking up a disabled child or going into the school themselves.  When they replied "No", she would haul into them about people who NEEDED those spots and how dare this person take away someone's need for their convenience.  

[KungFuPanda]

The copy is a good idea. We've never been asked. I wish they would occasionally check. It would cut down on everyone using grandma's placard even when she's not with them :-/. This is the reason I got a rear entry van. There are lots of times when there are no spots and rear-entry is the only reason DS can exit the van.

Edited August 18, 2017 by KungFuPanda

[Ali in OR]

 My daughter yells at them from inside the car when she sees this.  We too only need the spot because of wheelchair access getting into the car.  I just need extra space.

 

Your daughter is awesome! We're all non-confrontational introverts so we just complain to each other. I used to want the handicapped spots with extra room on the side to be located further away from the store as I didn't need to be close but I really needed extra room. And I don't expect there would be quite so much demand for them if they were further away. But I know that doesn't fit everyone's needs.

[MountainViewHS]

We put these on the back of the placard and placed ID copies inside.

https://www.mochithings.com/products/12459

[Insertcreativenamehere]

We have a disabled parking hang tag for our son and were given no other documentation with it, nor have we been asked for anything.