My sister is a midget.

[ninno20]

Thats actually not really short. I was that height when I was in sixth grade

I'm 5'6~'7 right now. Which should be about... 160cm-ish?

167 - 170.18cm Google strikes again! :P That's more Cm then you originally thought. (:

I'm 177.80 or 5ft 10in, i'm short for a 19 year old guy > sadface ):

[Alusair]

Just because you can do something, does not mean you should.

If your sister has no actual disability, then she doesn't need a handicapped tag (even if her height qualifies her). Does it cause her pain to walk more than 100 feet? Does she have cumbersome equipment like a wheelchair that might be difficult to move too far? Is she anemic, causing her to have no energy and get exhausted quickly? There are people with real needs out there. Everyone that congests the handicapped spots just because they can is not helping.

Same thought I had when I read this thread.

Doesn't matter to me if every space is taken or not, I consider it very inconsiderate to give any sort of inconvenience to those that do have a hard time, for no reason other than because someone perfectly healthy and able is selfish and pitifully lazy.

[JPA32]

Same thought I had when I read this thread.

Doesn't matter to me if every space is taken or not, I consider it very inconsiderate to give any sort of inconvenience to those that do have a hard time, for no reason other than because someone perfectly healthy and able is selfish and pitifully lazy.

I have to third Rota's post.

Often times perfectly able people do use up those handicapped spots. Inconveniencing a disabled person because they can't be bothered to spend 30 seconds to walk an extra 5-10 feet.

[Gnerphk]

I'm rather disturbed that having a height below 4'10" qualifies someone for disability status in Virginia - and we're talking about... wait... what are we talking about again? I scanned through the posts above and couldn't quite...

From a slightly different perspective: I have run retail businesses for many years and have always resented the mandatory access-assistance laws that force me to modify my parking lots... but don't mandate any other changes that would permit me to serve my prospective customers better. Aisle width is unaffected; display height is unregulated. My front door is too narrow for most wheelchairs and the floor is cluttered.

Most of all, I resent that the general public won't help me pay to rent a more accessible storefront.

But I'm unreasonable in that respect. We all have our flaws; that's one of mine.

Back on-topic, though... why, exactly, is being 4'9" a disability?

[Fallbreeze]

I think someone in Virginia took the definition of 'vertically challenged' a bit too far. To be fair, I do think the person had the right INTENT, but I don't think the handicap parking thing should have been included, or having 4'10" as a height bar. 4'4" makes more sense, but not much more.

Aside note: I've been on both sides of the handicap parking issue. There have been times, as a human being with the normal set of failings, that I wish I could park in those spaces. I've also had a grandmother with a valid handicap permit that I've driven around, that I've been glad that I haven't. I think my issue with that isn't that healthy people park in them. It's with the fact that the laws make businesses put in too many of the spots sometimes.

[Rodri]

The good people of this forum make me feel ashamed of how I have treated short people in the past.
Thank you for pointing out the error of my ways.
Sorry, what I mean is vertically challenged people, if that is the correct term.

Anyway, it's good to see that this minority is being given a platform to voice their concerns.



They need it. Or should that be...



...?

[FoxyBunneh]

Being only 5\'2\" myself, and having never been able to use the top half of the cabinets in my kitchen, or the shelves in the closets, or been able to hang decorations on my porch, I agree it is a handicap. However, I have noticed that parking lots seldom have features that require you to be tall to reach/use them. The ground seems pretty low, as do the lines painted and even the crosswalks. I\'ve never encountered difficulties using the parking lots at any business. Maybe if I lost 4 more inches I would, but I\'m thinking probably not.

The purpose of handicapped spaces is to ensure that everyone has access. If you would normally have a very difficult time walking the length of the parking lot, you should get to park up front. I don\'t see the issue here. What I do see an issue with is when I could walk, 3 days after a c-section and in serious pain, the length of the entire parking lot because all spaces were full, with a toddler in one hand, a diaper bag over my shoulder, and my newborn infant held in my arm, then negotiate the entire thing in reverse juggling diapers in the proper size (why can men never read the size on a pack of diapers???????? WHO THE HECK THINKS A NEWBORN WOULD WEAR SIZE 5 FOR CHILDREN 32lbs +??????). I\'d like to note that on that auspicious occasion, I passed at least two perfectly healthy and even frisky people stepping out of handicap-plated cars at the front of the lot. Yes, I thought some obscenities at them as I passed.

[Montros]

167 - 170.18cm Google strikes again! :P That's more Cm then you originally thought. (:

I'm 177.80 or 5ft 10in, i'm short for a 19 year old guy > sadface ):[/COLOR]

\^o^/ I r tallz!!!

[rasterbee]

It's not just access to handicapped parking spots, there is more I'm sure. I'll figure out it and report back. It is silly. Being rather short myself I know my height does have limitations. But very few that a step ladder can't overcome.

And unfortunately no, my sister is not a hot midget, Skirata.

[AllDayXL]

The gym I go to I have a guy that cleans around 450+ pounds (cleans as in the lift)(204 KGs for woldere). He walks out and gets into his brand new SUV that is on 24s(big tires) and lifted and he has a handicap tag and USEs it. That drives me nuts!