My letter to the editor for the Peter Duffy article from November 8th was in the newspaper today - although it was edited, which they've not done before - but my letter was rather long this time so I can understand why they edited it. Here's their edited version:
Shameful stalking
Peter Duffy (Nov. 8 column) and Dorothy Grant were actually stalking people at handicapped parking spaces in the HRM to see whether they were limping or carrying canes, if they had handicapped stickers on their car. I am appalled at this!
My parents are senior citizens who both drive; each has their own car and a handicapped sticker hanging from the rearview mirror. Neither has gone to the "school of silly walks" that Monty Python used to give seminars on in the 1970s, so neither would pass muster with Mr. Duffy. My father SHOULD use his cane and when he gets out of the car, I’ll often bark at him like Dorothy Grant likes to do when she sees people getting out of their cars without them: "Where is your cane?" Our purposes, though, are not the same.
My parents deserve to have those stickers in their car. Unfortunately, they do have health conditions although not physically disfiguring, they make walking long distances difficult so those blue parking spaces are handy; and they are entitled to them as much as Ms. Grant is.
Shame on you, Mr. Duffy!
Here's the original article: Fear and Loathing Drives Disabled Parking
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