| My diminutive, white haired, 88 year old | | | | for the new permit. She was now armed |
| mother-in-law drives a red sports car | | | | and ready to pay her ticket! |
| and is now being threatened with prison | | | | After finding the municipal building, |
| time. Well, maybe not prison, because | | | | which handles traffic violations, |
| no one in their right mind wants to | | | | including handicapped parking sins, she |
| envision a little old lady pushing a | | | | located the municipal court clerk's |
| walker and being led to the hoosegow by | | | | office. Unfortunately there was a sign |
| burly armed sheriff's deputies. | | | | on the door that said the department was |
| The whole thing started a few weeks ago | | | | closed from 11:00am to 3:00 p.m. for a |
| when she got a ticket because she parked | | | | Thanksgiving party. It doesn't take |
| her car in a handicapped zone just as | | | | much to exhaust an 88 year old lady, no |
| she does every time she drives to the | | | | matter in how good a shape she's kept |
| mall. This time though, her parking | | | | herself, so she went home to fight the |
| permit had expired and the decal stuck | | | | battle another day. |
| on her back window was out of date. | | | | The day after Thanksgiving the situation |
| Sounds simple doesn't it? Take a few | | | | didn't improve much for the municipal |
| minutes to write a check and send it to | | | | clerk's office was closed for the |
| the address on the ticket that was under | | | | holiday. She did get advice from an |
| her windshield wipers and the problem is | | | | office employee who was working over |
| solved. Wrong! Governmental | | | | time. He looked at her summons and told |
| bureaucracy rears its ugly head! | | | | her she could just mail the amount of |
| Buying a new sticker would have been no | | | | the fine into the office, thus saving |
| problem if she'd remembered that the old | | | | her a lot of aggravation. |
| one was expiring. Her memory was jogged | | | | That's just what she did! The next day |
| last week however, when she received a | | | | she sent the money for the fines and |
| summons demanding that she pay up or the | | | | court costs, including an additional |
| local constabulary would throw her in | | | | amount for the fee to renew her handicap |
| jail. | | | | permit. Any governmental agency, when |
| As soon as she received the summons, | | | | faced with more money than they |
| without reading any farther than the | | | | expected, does what comes naturally; |
| first paragraph where it threatened her | | | | they keep it! They didn't apply it to |
| with incarceration if she didn't pay the | | | | the fines or to the new handicap decal. |
| ticket immediately, she drove downtown | | | | No one seems to know where the money is! |
| to the courthouse where she had gotten | | | | Unfortunately now, fees for her new |
| her parking permit, to pay the fine. | | | | handicapped permit had been sucked up |
| It was the wrong place, but they did | | | | into governmental never, never land. |
| tell her that after paying the ticket | | | | Once again she had to pay again the |
| she would have to return to the license | | | | fines for not having a decal, even |
| bureau to get her new decals. They were | | | | though the clerk acknowledged that they |
| even helpful enough to give her the | | | | had received her money. They just don't |
| exact amount she would have to pay for | | | | know where it is! |
| the new permit; even telling her she | | | | After this was done, when she went back |
| could just put it in the mail. | | | | to the courthouse to get her new decal, |
| It's important to know that my | | | | she was told that she would now have to |
| mother-in-law is as deaf as a post | | | | have a another doctor's physical before |
| unless her hearing aids are working | | | | she could be issue a new handicap |
| properly. If they are working, as often | | | | parking permit! |
| as not they emit a ultra high frequency | | | | Evidently the 88 year old, white haired, |
| feed back, that drive all the dogs in | | | | mostly deaf taxpayer had finally come to |
| the neighborhood nuts. Most of the time | | | | the last straw. She reached across the |
| if she hears every 10th word, she's | | | | counter, grabbed her application for |
| having a good day. | | | | handicap parking and told the clerk, "I |
| One of the clerks was patient enough to | | | | just won't get another permit. It'll be |
| write down the address of the municipal | | | | easier to find another parking place at |
| building complex and the department she | | | | Wal Mart than to have to go through all |
| needed, along with the amount she needed | | | | the red tape again! |