ABSTRACT
In California, doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, optometrists, and chiropractors can all certify people for placards, for everything from serious permanent impairments to temporary conditions like a sprained ankle. Laws granting free parking to people with disabled placards confuse an undeniable need for more access with a less obvious—and often nonexistent—need for more income. Able-bodied people who abuse placards deny curb parking spaces to others, including people with legitimate disabilities. If placards account for most nonpayment, and this nonpayment both costs the city money and hurts efforts to reduce pollution and congestion, then perhaps placards shouldn't entitle their holders to free parking. Not all nonpayment comes from disabled placards, of course. Some drivers have government credentials that let them park free. In other instances, meters are broken. Many people just cheat, and park without paying. The researchers recorded the start and end of every parking session, the time and length of payment, and any visible reason for nonpayment.
