To The Editor: I have lived in Cape May County for 26 years, and I have been in a wheelchair for 24 years. Driving with hand controls and using a specially equipped van, I have been able to help other disabled people and their families by being a consultant/advocate. There are things that have to be pointed out for the general public as well as some of my disabled brothers and sisters. There are basically two types of vehicles that disabled people either drive or use for transport. Regular cars, station wagons, pick-up trucks and SUVs or specially equipped vans are among them. These vans have lifts or ramps that unfold or lower from the side or rear of the van, and need additional space for this function. The specially marked and signed spaces (law states these spaces must have different color lines than the other spaces in the parking lot) for handicapped parking only. They must by law be eight feet by eight feet for specialized vans (the adjacent to it that is five feet by eight feet for regular vehicles or eight feet by eight feet for specialized vans (the adjacent space is referred to as the “aisle” and has colored diagonal stripes the entire length of the space. It is important to note here that this ”aisle” is not for parking by anyone, handicapped included. That aisle affords the disabled person the space to either get out of a regular vehicle with perhaps a mobility aide (walkers, crutches, canes or braces) or for a ramp lift to come down. It is not a special parking space for motorcycles, mopeds, or bicycles. Nor is it a dumping area for shopping carts, trash or plowed snow. Last but not least, is the blatant abuse of “Hanging Handicapped I. D.” You have seen these colorful hangers dangling from the rear view mirrors of various vehicles. These little dandies seem to multiply on their own, and I could swear that they are passed down to relatives after the death of a handicapped person as a part of their estate. God only knows what happens to the handicapped I. D. after that generation passes. Some are used as extensions to a temporary medical condition that no longer exists but the person now has a way to get close to the store entrance during a rainstorm or maybe just needs to run in to the store for five minutes. I have literally seen these people run, jump and kick to and from the store. (This type of disability is not easily detected by the untrained eye.) Please be aware at all times on highways, roads, and parking lots, that there are people driving out there with this hanger dangling from their mirrors distracting that person’s view of you and everything else in his/her path. The law prohibits such items that can and does cause accidents. The hanger is for parking, not for driving. God bless you all and safe driving. RON JOST Consultant/Advocate Ideas in Motion Court House