Well, I'm usually pretty outspoken on topics like this, so I'll be tactful. And as a disclaimer, I mean NO disrespect to those of you (specifically those who have posted in this thread) that have honest-to-goodness disabilities, be they seen or unseen.
The only way to fix the abuse problem is to offend SOMEONE and be utterly invasive of privacy - or to just use personal judgement, which often doesn't work. I, personally, would be the last person WDW would want at Guest Services deciding who gets a Pass or not - because I'm quick to pre-judge everyone I see. Someone like MontyMon would come in, and for reasons he stated himself, I'd be quick to doubt him and his needs. That's why I don't work in places like that, haha.
There are PLENTY of people who abuse the system. I'll be in the grocery store (like last Wednesday) and see some utterly obese woman driving around in an ECV, bumping displays, parking in the middle of aisles while she looks at everything on the shelf, and then barks at a stock boy to get her a 12-pack of coke and put it in her basket. Oh God, I wanted to.....do bad things. She's probably someone who'd go to WDW with her family of 12 and get an ECV, then take all 12 of them to the front of every line, because she can't drink Diet Coke (don't flame me with the "she might have a gland issue" comments - this is an example).
So, a CM sees someone like the woman above, and if he/she tries to judge them and decline front-of-line access to them - they could be in for some problems. I'd LOVE to be the one who actually decides who gets a Pass or not - but like I already said, I'd be too harsh. I appreciate Wedoada's comment about waiting in line with everyone else. Not many in his/her place would say something like that. I'll say that people with severe disabilities or other lifelong illnesses have "done their time" waiting in doctor offices, operating rooms, and simply dealing with life as a disabled person - and I feel for them. Perhaps some of those people, by individual opinion, should get a front-of-the-line pass, and maybe take their closest family members (who have probably waited in doctor offices with them for years). But I, personally, don't want Big Bertha to drive up to the front of the line with her 12 cousins and aunts and uncles and cut everyone who has been waiting in line - but that's just me.
I HATE situations like the girl and dad RUNNING to ToT - there is no way in my mind that they deserve special treatment. The 3 guys in ECV's at Epcot were PROBABLY abusing the system, but as someone said, they MAY really have had something that justified it. 2 people RUNNING to a ride are not justified - period...especially when they exlaim out loud that they're expecting it. UGH! I just wish we didn't have to be so P.C. nowadays - God forbid we offend someone in order to try to make it a better place for everyone.
Sorry for the soapbox - and again, no offense to the disabled parties who have posted in here..and I apologize if anything that I wrote offended you.
-Tom :wave: