WHYY’s Tom MacDonald reported the following for WHYY 91FM.

Photo by WRAL, Copyright Capitol Broadcasting Company

The abuse of handicapped parking in Philadelphia was the subject of a Philadelphia City Council hearing today.

City Councilman James Kenney says too many able-bodied people are acquiring handicapped parking placards from elderly friends and relatives and abuse is rampant.

Kenney: “The problem is with all things is that people try to get over. If you are an able-bodied person and are using a disabled placard for merely your convenience, you ought to examine your own conscience in the first place and we’d like to get the government involved in enforcing the use of those placards.”

Councilman Kenney is proposing a $1000 fine for misuse of a handicapped placard, and Richard Dixon of the Philadelphia Parking Authority says that will be a deterrence for people misusing the sign, which happens all too much.

Dixon: “20-some-year-old people park their car put their placard in the window put their gym bag over their shoulder and jog into the gym. We get parking enforcement officers coming into the office every day and say this is a problem and we need to confront these people. There’s one reserved meter space on every block and when that person takes that metered space out of service there’s no place for that disabled person to go.”

The proposal will go for a vote to the full Council.

Comments about this issue? Write let us know on this post whether you’ve seen evidence of handicapped parking placard abuse. While we’re at it, what about the reserved handicapped spaces on residential streets? Let us know in the comments section.