Pregnant women aren't diabled, even temporarily. I like the stores that offer family and pregnant women, I'm down with that. But there is widespread abuse by some physicians when it comes to handing out temporary disability parking placards. As far as I know, a physician could give someone the note necessary to get a temporary placard if needed. Some pregnanies lead to more limitations than others.
I could be wrong on this: but I don't think anyone gets an automatic placard, even the visibly disabled (not visually, visibly, like in a wheelchair, etc). Anyway, I could be wrong on that, but still, there are very few if no classes of people who automatically get access to disabled parking spots.
I liken this to letting stupid hybrid cars into the stupid carpool lanes. That's not why they were invented.
Anyway, I'm glad it was killed because I think it could have done harm to those who truly need the access.
Update: found the article. And this is 100% correct:
The Department of Motor Vehicles said pregnant women already can obtain disabled placards if their doctors diagnose major mobility problems.
"Pregnancy is not itself a disability and, secondly, we are creating an issue for the disability community without offering a solution," said Charlotte Newhart of California NOW and the American Association of University Women.
Showing that he's missing the point, the sponsor, Chuck DeVore, an OC Republican says:
his bill would assist women who are not necessarily disabled but are having a particularly painful day, or have swollen feet, or have given birth and find themselves struggling to switch their newborn from a car seat to a stroller in a parking lot with cars jetting by.
A bad day? We all have bad days. Pregnant women should be glad their bad days are limited and not permanent. It's rare that bad public policy that is otherwise a bit pandering and fluffy actually gets killed. Good work, guys.
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