An Ethical Dilemma

[Raederle]

You're going through your mail and you see an envelope from the Dept of Motor Vehicles, containing one of those blue disabled parking signs that you hang from your rearview mirror for permission to park in handicapped spots.

It's got your address on the envelope but the name is one you do not recognize. Could be someone who used to live in your place. Could be a computer mixup of some sort. It's definitely not yours. It's good for the next 2 years.

What do you do?

[Saturo]

Use it for great justice.

[Azunara]

Er. I said use it. I see my ethics are not so good.

[Moonlost]

Personally, I'd return it back to the DMV. But I'm kind of a girl scout. That, and I don't drive much.
With that said, this is kind of a harmless dilema. If you keep the sign, nobody really gets hurt. A few people may be inconvenienced, but that's about it. I don't think I'd be pissed off if someone decided to use it... unless I was paid to do that, but that's a different matter entirely.

[Arwyn]

Return it. Knowing my luck someone who knows my family would see me using it, call my mother, and then I'd get chewed out.

[petlover]

As the mother of a disabled child, I know how much time and effort went into getting that handicap placard. That and do you really want to use a parking space that someone truly disabled could greatly use? Trust me when I say that the handicap placard and parking space has saved my sanity, wrestling a 50 pound child and a wheelchair. I really hope you return it, and maybe some good karma will get back to you.

[Moore]

This really shouldn't even be a question. Take it to the DMV place.

[Sarayana]

This really shouldn't even be a question. Take it to the DMV place.

Agreed.

[cowmuflage]

I'd return it back. I mean I had a kind of temp one when I had my first rib surgery and it made my life easyer. I would of kept it before then but now I know how it feels to need such a thing.

[Silivren]

This really shouldn't even be a question. Take it to the DMV place.

Here here

[Mindsprocket]

I agree with the majority that it should be returned to the DMV.

a) It probably belongs to someone else who's really disabled and really needs it and may now have to wait even longer until they can convince the DMV that they never got it and need a replacement. If you give it back then it can be handed to the real owner much faster.
b) Don't take the parking space that's meant for disabled people. They need, you're just lazy.*



*I'm not directly addressing the OP since this is a general question. Just sayin'.

[mpd_84]

id return it.id feel like a lazy,hypocritical parasite using it...

[Foru21dr]

I return it.. but I'm also the person that parks at the end of the parking lot so that I get exercise in walking to where I want to go.

[Ikutai]

I'd return it. A few extra feet of walking won't kill you. And if it would kill you, a little extra walking might prevent that, too.

[Wark]

Return in, toss it out, something. Anything besides illegally using it.

I am utterly biased: I've been playing chauffeur for my dad after he shattered his right leg in a skiing accident. It's been a bit humbling to learn how awful getting around is when it's not something you can just do unassisted and without pain. Gentle 15-foot-long slopes become an Olympic event. You start contemplating circling the lot another one or two times in the hopes that you'll get a parking spot five feet closer, just because that's five feet less to traverse. Stairs? HAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHahahahahahahahahaaaa... no. Loading/unloading zones become the best thing in the world when you have a driver.

So knowing there's people out there who use the tags not because they have any difficulty going that far but because they can't be arsed to walk an extra 20-60 seconds? Especially when handicapped spaces are finite, and it's entirely possible they're screwing over someone who finds the extra distance a marathon? It's not as big a deal as, say, mugging people-- but it demonstrates the same disrespect for strangers and humanity in general. It sure as heck doesn't improve the world, and I like to do what I can to improve the world, especially when it doesn't take much work on my part.

[Arantxa]

I'll return it. I am lucky enough not to need it and why take up a parking space that someone with disabilities can truly use. Walking is no big deal. Karma works my friends!

[GormanGhaste]

I keep one of these in my car, as my Mom has a couple of tags for being disabled. I only use it when I'm driving her places.

I can't imagine using a handicap space if I didn't need it, so I'd return the mis-mailed tags.

[Novikova]

I'd return it. What if in using it you deprived a genuinely disabled person of a spot? :/ That and I'm sure whomever it was meant for really needs it. Maybe I'm a girl scout but I dunno. Bit of walkin' won't kill me and I prefer to park in the shade/farther away so goobers don't smash into my car.

[Demon]

Immediate reaction. Took all of..... what, 3 seconds to contemplate and check "return" ?

not mine, I don't want it. If it's mine, and I mean "mine", you better bring the army to get it back, because I wont part with it easily.

But, since it's not mine, and I don't need it, then I'll return it. Like the others are saying.What's an extra few meters? Or a hundred or so meters? It's not gonna kill you to walk that distance. And if some idiot clips you and disables you while you're walking You get a pass, you can sue, and you'll be set on pain meds. You still wont care >.>


Demon,