I see the point.  OK, then, make better and long-lasting hang-tags, dammit!
I just got my license tag renewal form from the state today (they are issued
the month after one's birthday), and they (as usual) included a form for a
"vanity plate," which I've never gotten and very likely never will.  I can't
see myself shelling out another $20 for a plate just to be unique in that
respect.    Anyway, for the standard renewal, one gets a sticker one affixes
to the upper right-hand corner of the plate, and each is good for one year.
I think the longest I kept a plate was 10 years; by the 10th year, the
uppermost tag was peeling off and the plate itself was barely legible.  I
got stopped by a cop one night and was advised to get a new plate the next
time around.  LOL

Too bad they tightened the requirements so much, Deri.  What if a heart
patient just falls short of meeting the requirements?  Then what?   My
parents both had severe heart disease and could barely walk a quarter of  a
mile on their good days, never mind the bad days.

Kat


----- Original Message -----
From: "Deri James" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 7:24 PM
Subject: Re: disability related venting


> On Thursday 11 Apr 2002 1:26 am, Salkin Kathleen wrote:
> > I see your point, Marilyn,  but to tell you the truth, I'd far
> > rather have a permanent plate than a hang tag.  Why?  Because the
> > ones the state gives out are so cheap they fall apart in less than
> > a year, and they're supposed to be good for seven years.  I wish
> > they would offer permanent plates.
> >
> > If they were permanent plates, you'd just have to get one for each
> > car.  I'd not mind doing that if I had to.
> >
> > Kat
>
> Problem with perm plates is that the car may have more than 1 driver,
> the concession is to a disabled person, not their car!!
>
> The reason why they are time limited is not only to reassess the
> medical condition but because the rules governing their use may
> change. I have lost my parking permit this year because the
> government tightened up the rules 2 years ago so when my current
> permit expired I was not entitled under the new rules.
>
> The new rules is something like "inability to walk 1/4 mile (with
> adaptive device if necessary)". So if you can do 440yds, at whatever
> pace/discomfort, using a walker or crutches then you are not entitled
> to a permit. This change was advocated for by a number of disability
> groups - which are usually dominated by vocal wheelchair users whose
> main focus is of course accessability. The old rules included an
> element of discretion so the assessor could take into account a lot
> of other factors. For example, should a person with extreme vertigo
> be given a parking permit in a town which has mainly multi-storey car
> parks, I would argue yes, these disability activists would not agree.
>
> I am a bit peeved about this because it is the only thing I have ever
> claimed (and it cost the government nothing). I do not claim any of
> the disability pensions that I would be entitled to because I am
> lucky enough to have a job which pays enough for a comfortable
> lifestyle (its the Old Socialist in me - distribution of wealth based
> on need not merely entitlement).
>
> Cheers
>
> Deri