Tampa, Florida -- How many times have you watched someone with a handicapped placard hanging from their rearview mirror walk away from their vehicle without a problem? You've probably wondered if every car with a handicap placard really needs to use that parking space and in the case of metered parking spaces, use it for free.
Most of the people we saw using the placard and tried to talk to either rolled up their car window on us, or slammed the door in our face.
"In Florida, there is so much rampant misuse and abuse," says Hillsborough ADA Coordinator Sandy Sroka, who has been in a wheelchair most of her life. She would like to see stronger enforcement of the laws.
"Frequently, someone who has a placard passes away and the family member or someone associated with an individual continues to use the placard," says Sroka.
We saw one woman doing just that, who decided to pay the parking meter after she told us the placard belonged to her husband, who wasn't with her.
Anyone who has a handicapped tag has to sign a disabled person parking permit form from the state and get a doctor to certify they need it. But in downtown Tampa, we saw block after block of parking spaces filled with cars that have disabled placards.
Some drivers aren't always complying with the law.
The law also allows for people with the placard to park in metered spaces without charge for up to four hours. Most people park and when the four hours is up, they move their car to another space to park free for another four hours. It costs the city $600,000 a year.
Sroka says the free four-hour parking was instituted so those with disabilities don't have to continually feed the meter, but with credit card parking, she believes many would be delighted to pay if they could stay in the space all day. To her, it's more about access than the free parking.
The sad part is the City of Tampa is aware that many people are scamming the system, but when it comes to enforcement, as far as the city is concerned if you have a handicapped placard, you are handicapped.
"Don't most systems get scammed?" asks Scott Bloombilleau. He should know. We saw Bloombilleau park for free with a placard and walk away.
He told us he had a hip problem and needed a placard. Even though the problem was corrected with surgery, he still uses the handicapped tag. The state isn't aware he's no longer qualified.
"They sent me a renewal. Should I continue to have it? I wouldn't have applied for it again, but they sent it," says Bloombilleau.
"The effort it would take to enforce that... we couldn't afford it," says Irvin Lee, the Director of Tampa Public Works Department. Lee says it would be too expensive to go after those scamming the system.
What about the meter readers, can't they do something? In Tampa, meter readers don't have the authority to question anyone with a placard.
"All I can say is, give them a ticket or do something," says Anthony Brown.
Brown is driver who legitimately needs the placard and is annoyed by those who he sees abuse the placard over and over again.
The state legislature is proposing some changes that would include a person meeting with the DMV to get a tag, and the ability to allow meter readers to ticket people who are abusing the tags.
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