Question: It seems that road rage has become a part of mall parking rage. The McCully Shopping Center handicapped parking stall requires a long route to get to. Some people just go straight to the handicapped parking stall because it is faster to go against the one-way designated traffic flow. Some of these people appear to be quite violent, with their tone of voice (volume 11), physical hand gestures (the procreation hand signal) and fighting challenges (hand-waving gestures to fight). To top that off, the people whom I have observed do not appear to be physically handicapped. If anything, they could probably qualify to enter a bodybuilding or ultimate fighting championship. Are handicapped parking placards issued to the mentally disabled? If so, what category of mental illnesses are permitted a handicapped parking placard?
Answer: No, disability parking permits are only for people with impaired mobility. But before we get to the details, we must dispel some myths. The vast majority of people with mental illness are no more violent than the general population, and are more likely to be victims than perpetrators. About 3 to 5 percent of violent acts can be attributed to people with serious mental illness, but that population is 10 times more likely than the overall populace to be victims of violent crime, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which posts information on this topic at 808ne.ws/mhmyths.
The rude drivers you’ve seen might be just that — and not mentally ill.
Now, back to the permits, which are issued to individuals who have a properly certified mobility impairment meeting at least one of the following criteria. The person is:
>> Unable to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest due to a diagnosed arthritic, neurological, orthopedic, renal, vascular or “oncological” condition.
>> Unable to walk without a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair or other assistive device.
>> Has restricted breathing due to lung disease to a specified extent.
>> Uses portable oxygen.
>> Or has a cardiac condition to a specified extent.
Read the specifications, as well as the process for obtaining a pass, at 808ne.ws/dispass, the website of the state’s Disability and Communication Access Board.
We also checked with McCully Shopping Center, at 1960 Kapiolani Blvd.
Cherish Manuel, senior property manager for Sofos Realty Corp., which oversees the complex, said she’d heard no prior complaints about disability parking there.
The shopping center has two handicapped-accessible parking stalls, both near the elevator, she said. One is on the street level, accessible via one-way traffic flow, and the other is in the basement parking garage.
If you encounter this problem again, call the management office at 522-5999 or see security for assistance, she said; security is on the street level, near the elevator.
Mahalo
On May 1 I was surfing at Ala Moana when on my first wave I had a very bad wipeout. I slipped, and as I fell into the water, the tail of my board whacked me right next to my left eye. I was lucky it didn’t hit me directly in the eye! I first thought it was a bump, but then I saw the blood on my hand and in the water. I immediately caught a wave in. As soon as I reached shore, I ran to the lifeguard stand, where the lifeguard on duty administered first aid to my bloody gash. After my wound was cleaned up and bandaged, I drove to the ER for seven stitches. Although I didn’t get his name, I want to thank the lifeguard on duty that day and the rest of the water safety personnel for always being there in times of need. — Thankful surfer
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
