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Comment by sverige | Hacker News Reader

In the U.S., there are laws that determine how many such spaces must be designated in parking lots, based on the size of the parking lot and/or venue.

I have a friend who is physically handicapped and very much needs to park in these spaces. The only problem he has ever told me about is finding a spot to park at work. Apparently it's somewhat common where he lives for middle-aged women (his description) to game the system and obtain handicapped placards. He says he knows they are not really handicapped because he sees them walking briskly through long corridors at work without distress. Sometimes too young people will borrow an older relative's placard to park in those spaces.

Incidentally, he would never be able to afford a Tesla. He buys three- to five-year-old Hondas and drives them till they can't be fixed.

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While I can't comment on the exact instances of people using handicapped placards, I would like to bring up the existence of invisible disabilities [1]. These are disabilities that are not immediately obvious to onlookers. For example, people with xeroderma pigmentosum[2] have a very severe sensitivity to sunlight (sunburn within a few minutes, vastly increased risk of skin cancer). A handicap space would be needed to minimize time spent in the sun, but no issue would be present walking inside a building.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_disability

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeroderma_pigmentosum

Also, appropriate accommodation for a handicap helps keep one more functional. So when one gets appropriate accommodation, one can appear more or less "normal" for short periods, such as time spent in public spaces. Take away that accommodation and life can come apart at the seams.

> In the U.S., there are laws that determine how many such spaces must be designated in parking lots, based on the size of the parking lot and/or venue.

> I have a friend who is physically handicapped and very much needs to park in these spaces. The only problem he has ever told me about is finding a spot to park at work. Apparently it's somewhat common where he lives for middle-aged women (his description) to game the system and obtain handicapped placards. He says he knows they are not really handicapped because he sees them walking briskly through long corridors at work without distress. Sometimes too young people will borrow an older relative's placard to park in those spaces.

Firstly, it's very possible to be handicapped at any age, so this "too young" idea is pretty disgusting.

However, if people are using the placards of others, and if this is in the US, your friend should report these people to the police. The placard also comes with an identification card with the person's information on it, which can be used to verify their disabled status.

so this "too young" idea

He left out a comma.

Yes, sorry, and I'm usually a pedant regarding commas.

My friend has been handicapped since he was a child, incidentally. I'm well aware that some people have an entire life filled with difficulty.

My apologies for misinterpreting!!

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