Monday, June 09, 2008

What're you in for?

Today's Boston Globe has a tale of come-uppance in "Disabled placard abusers targeted"

He lives in one of Wellesley's most exclusive neighborhoods, owns a $1.8 million Nantucket vacation home, and has a small fleet of luxury cars at his disposal. But when Gerald Hamelburg drives downtown, he doesn't like to pay his way, according to investigators with the state inspector general's office.

The Boston lawyer, they say, uses his deceased mother's handicapped placard to park his Mercedes convertible, free of charge, at meters near the High Street firm that bears his name.
Public humiliation, a $500 fine, and a 30-day suspension apparently wasn't enough for Mr. Hamelburg; our feckless governor has to go one step beyond:

The Patrick administration also filed a bill making it a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, to use a counterfeit or altered placard. That bill was given initial approval Thursday by the House.
That's a proportional response.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the bill exempts Senator John Kerry?

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately all you need to qualify for one is to be fat, meaning most Americans already qualify.

Bruce said...

They're having a hard enough time putting dangerous, violent criminals in prison in Massachusetts for any appreciable stretch of time. Does anyone think they're going to start locking up people for misusing handicapped parking placards?

On second thought, don't answer that.