Fraudulent Use of Disabled Parking Placards on the Rise

One of the things that bother us is the abuse of disabled placards. Almost daily we see what appears to be healthy people pulling into disabled parking spaces (often driving SUVs, BMWs or other high-cost cars). They often jump out of their vehicle. We've often suspected abuse and dishonesty ... and now the LA Times exposed it also happening in Los Angeles (yes, it happens everywhere).  I just can't understand why people would go to that extent to cheat actual disabled people of spaces to park closer and not pay for parking. It's Wrong. 
  Why do people do these devious, wrong things?

 Fraudulent Use of Disabled Parking Placards on the Rise
LA TIMES:  California has 24 million licensed drivers and, according to the Los Angeles Times, will issue 2.1 million permanent placards this year. That's a significant increase over the 1.2 million placards issued just a decade ago. Further, about 621,000 of nearly 6 million licensed drivers in Los Angeles County have placards.
According to state motor vehicle officers, fraudulent use of the placards is rising:

With 1 in 10 California drivers now legally registered to carry the passes, transportation experts say abuse has become commonplace. At any given moment, on any given street, more than a third of the vehicles displaying the tags — and parking without paying — are doing so illegally, say officials with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Under California law, drivers who display the placards can park in a metered space for free for an unlimited amount of time. A relative or friend can use the placard, provided that the person holding the placard "accompany that person or be within 'reasonable proximity'."