Until recently I never really gave much thought to the "Handicapped" parking spaces both here at home and elsewhere. I never gave much thought as to how few of them there are, available to people who need them. I never used them because I knew they were there for a reason, for people who needed them.

Well, now what I have been noticing is that not only has the general public been abusing these parking stalls, but that even handicapped people and their families are abusing them too.

I have seen delivery trucks use them because they are so handy, taxies use them, and "Joe Public" use them because they will only be "a minute or two."

Family members of holders of the permits use them and feel they have a right to do so, because the owner of the permit is in the vehicle.

To these people I would like to remind you that if you read the back of the permit you will see that the permit is valid ONLY for the authorized holder and the authorized owner of the permit MUST leave the vehicle.

Any abuse by the authorized owner and/or their family, driver, caretaker, etc, can result in the permit being terminated, leaving the disabled person being unable to use the designated parking spots.

These too few parking spaces are for people who have mobility difficulties of some sort, and enable them to get out and about if just to run to the store or bank, etc, to be able to have some sort of control over their own lives.

The other night I was watching the Calgary late news and one item was a motion in council to raise the fine for unauthorized use of these parking stalls to be raised from $250 to $500. Maybe that's what's needed here - policing of these spots by the city and stiffer fines, instead of the $50 there is now. Would that work?

Tom Haverko

Cranbrook