I was shocked by two things earlier this week. One, that my mother has a handicapped placard and two, that she had to pay $30 for it.
After thinking for a minute about my mother's health conditions - the heel spurs that make her heels raw and her back problems that make her sometimes walk at a snail's pace - the shock of her having a handicapped tag wore off.
But I'm still stunned that she had to pay for the placard.
My mother, who lives in Tennessee, paid $30 for hers. She said she didn't want to pay the money, but when she's in pain, but still has errands to run, she's happy she shelled out the cash for the privilege to park as close to the door as possible.
In New Jersey, where I live, the placard is free.
Charging for the placard is like punishing the handicapped on top of their disability. I'm sure state officials can site production costs, but how much does it actually cost to print that thin blue tag?
Maybe in the states that charge for the placards and license plates officials are trying to cut back on people taking advantage of the parking privilege. But a doctor must sign off on the application.
What do you think? Should the handicapped be charged for their placard or special plate?
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