Last October, my daughter (who is wheelchair bound) and I went to Wal-Mart. When we arrived, there were no vacant handicapped parking spaces. After circling the parking lot, we spotted a car exiting a handicapped parking space. Just then a second car arrived; the two female occupants showed anticipation of claiming the same space.

As we parked, the occupants of the second car and the driver of the truck behind them all gave my daughter and myself extremely dirty looks. With our ages being 30 and 50 respectively and we both having full heads of all black hair, their behavior suggested that since we did not look like senior citizens, we had parked in violation of the handicap ordinance.

Situating my daughter in her chair required extra time so as we approached the entrance, the occupants of the other vehicles had also arrived after having used regular spaces. Each one was now trying to avoid eye contact due to embarrassment about their earlier behavior. The eldest occupant of the other car was a very good-looking, agile, able-bodied, young senior citizen. I wondered to myself why these two ladies would even be using a handicapped parking permit.

This week, I saw two young 30-something ladies leap out of their car and dash into Target out of the rain after parking in a handicapped space. A handicapped person would have been soaked just trying to get into his/her wheelchair.

I readily concede that there are others in addition to wheelchair bound persons who are entitled to park in handicapped spaces. My point is this there are far too many healthy folks legally parking in handicap spaces.

It may be that the parking permit was issued for a legitimate reason, and is just being used by someone else (the person whose name on the parking permit should be in the vehicle); it may be that permanent permits are being issued for temporary disabilities; or lastly, it may be the medical field is indiscriminately issuing parking request to senior citizens of good health.

Observing the misuse of handicapped parking permits by able-bodied persons encourages others to disrespect these reserved spaces. While being nearer the store entrance, more importantly, a handicapped parking space is wider so that there is space to assist an infirm person or for a wheelchair to be placed parallel to a car.

Sometimes, instead of wider spaces, white diagonal lines are placed alongside a handicap parking space to provide the extra space required for use with a van's chair lifts or to allow car doors to be opened wider. Some think these lines are not part of the handicapped parking space and will park there. My daughter was once blocked from entering her car at Cumberland Mall because some man parked in the white lines area, taking away the extra space she needed to maneuver. Doing this stole my daughter's mobility.

As Fayette shopping opportunities expand, serious consideration needs to given to the abuse of handicapped parking permits. There will soon be a retirement home on Ga. Highway 314 and I can only see more and more people truly needing handicapped parking.

I have never once allowed myself the luxury of parking in a handicapped space without my daughter's presence. These spaces are for the handicapped and the need for a handicap permit is a simple visual test it shows when it hurts to walk or one cannot walk at all.

It is not about being legally parked, but about being morally parked.