Dogs in RV

I travel with three dogs and take them everywhere. They love the truck and feel safe in the cab or the back. Hot weather can be a challenge. I rarely leave them in the RV when we are not there. There are plenty of restaurants now that allow dogs at outside tables.

I am a case in point...
I have probably the worst knee west of the Mississippi. My first total knee replacement went south when they put in a Cobalt Chromium knee that I was deathly allergic to. They cut my leg off the second time and put in a ceramic knee that, while it functions, it doesn't work well.

For me to even get out of my car I have to be able to swing the door all the way open. This enables me to swing my right leg out. Very few conventional parking spaces provide enough space to do so. Once I am out I can walk without an apparent limp. I also have serious nerve damage in my right foot and every step is painful.

I'm not looking for sympathy, you can get used to just about anything, but the point is at first glance I do not appear to have a physical handicap. If there are spaces that provide enough clearance I will use them instead of handicapped place but if I come back to my car and someone has parked close I now have a problem just getting back into my car.

Believe me, I would be more than happy to trade my handicapped plates for a fully functioning knee and the elimination of the nerve pain.

:C

rjxj wrote:
Sit in a parking lot some time and watch the people that park in the handicapped spots. I dont need to say more.

The assumption being that all qualifying disabilities are immediately observable? I prefer not to judge on such limited information.

Oh, when we had a dog while camping, we never left it alone. Someone would stay with the dog if people were going to do tourist things. When we went on trips that we knew we would all want to leave the campsite, we put the dog in a trusted kennel or had neighbors "dogsit" at our house.

Many, many times over the years we experienced the "our dog never barks" dog in a neighboring campsite when the owners went off for hours to enjoy themselves.

Please don't abuse "service dog" vests. The few, very few, people who legitimately have service dogs need them for day to day living.

Don't get me started on "therapy dogs"....

rjxj wrote:
Sit in a parking lot some time and watch the people that park in the handicapped spots. I dont need to say more. ME ME ME.....Mom said so.

Yes, it IS very "me me me" to assume you can sit in judgment of someone simply by watching them walk from a parking space into a store.

It's also very "me me me" to fake a service dog.

rjxj wrote:
Sit in a parking lot some time and watch the people that park in the handicapped spots. I dont need to say more. ME ME ME.....Mom said so.

You can't always tell by just watching someone park and walk into the store. My father would have probably looked fine to you... but with his bad heart, how far he had to walk made a huge difference.

Desert Captain wrote:

NMDriver wrote:
I did not go anywhere my dogs could not go or one of us stayed with the dogs while the other went in for things like a DR appt. or to shop for supplies.

Buy one of those service dog vests and take them along just about anywhere. You can even get the service dog certificate on line :)

Even if you are kidding and it does not sound like it, this is the worst advice I have ever seen on this Forum and nothing to joke about. The folks that cheat and buy a jacket and fake certificate online should be prosecuted for fraud.

Do you also recommend getting a fake Handicapped parking placard? That little stunt usually comes with a $1,000 fine when you get caught.

:M

Sit in a parking lot some time and watch the people that park in the handicapped spots.

.

Sit in a parking lot some time and watch the people that park in the handicapped spots. I dont need to say more. ME ME ME.....Mom said so.