Handicap parking vent!

[olim]

If you saw me, you would never know that I had a disabilty until, I started sweating uncontrollably, losing focus and fainting. It has been 15 years of dealing with a condition that only flares up on occassion but when it does it leaves me realing for days. Because of this, I must avoid long periods of standing and walking and therefore have received a placard for handicap parking.

DD, DH and I went grocery shopping today and as usual, parked in a handicap parking spot. As we were approaching the store entrance an older gentleman approach us and started yelling at DH that we had parked in a handicap spot. Calmly, DH explained that we have permission to park there and have an appropriately placed placard. This is not the first time that we have had to deal with this and usually that will satisfy most people and they will then go about their way. But not this guy! He wanted to know what was wrong with me, I looked perfectly fine and therefore I must be one of those people that fake it in order to get special parking. We ignored him and went into the store and didn't see him again until we left. Luckily, he didn't say anything else. I was so afraid that DH was going to get into it with him.

Now I know that he believed that he was doing the right thing, and a part of me feels good knowing that there are people out there that are trying to protect my right to have special parking. But on the other hand, I am so tired of having to feel like I need to justify my parking priviledge just because my handicap isn't so blatant like someone in a wheel chair or other types of visible handicaps. One of my friends actually suggested that I start limping when I get out of the car so that people would assume that is why I am parking there. I shouldn't have to "fake" a handicap just so to make some people feel better - a visible handicap to go along with the parking priviledge. KWIM?

Some handicaps are not easily seen and I just wish people would realize that.

Anyway....

thanks for listening :-)

SAHM to Madeline Penelope Jan. 9 2004

[Marisa6826]

I have benign multiple sclerosis. Thank God, it rarely kicks up, but when it does, I'm a lot worse for the wear.

I've never had to go as far as get a placard, but when I was working, it was near impossible to get my employers to understand my situation. I explained that when I called in saying that I was having severe back spasms, it meant that I couldn't WALK - not that my back was bothering me and I preferred to stay home and watch tv that day.

It really angers me to see people that are "just running in and out" and feel they can take the hadicapped spots. A few weeks ago my DH and I were entering into a very well to do mall in the area. A carload of 20 somethings came screeching around the corner, and pulled into a handicapped spot. They jumped out, laughing and joking about their "good spot" and proceeded to go shopping.

I looked for a security guard to say something, but couldn't find anybody.

UGH.

Hopefully, they will never know what it is to need that spot.

Sorry about your day

-m

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

I am so sorry to hear this...folks don't realize that being authorized to park in a handicap spot doesn't mean you have to beable to "see" the handicap...I mean a 16 year old can have a heart transplant and be jamming to hip hop music and park in one -and should!!!!

I would never imagine questioning someone who had the card in their window for all to see...there are so many busy bodies in this country I swear...

Anyway I am so sorry to hear this...and you don't owe some stranger a reason why either!!!!
Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[lynettefrancois]

Sorry to hear about that! I once wondered aloud what was "wrong" with someone who had just emerged from their car in the handicap spot seeming perfectly healthy, and my mom (a nurse) immediately said it could be anything- even asthma requires a handicap spot for some people. I was a teenager at the time and that stuck with me. But if she hadn't been there I would have never had any idea- although I can't believe that man's behavior toward you! Ridiculous!
Before I could even drive, my mom had delicate back surgery, and her mother was driving them home from the hospital on the highway- at about 30 miles per hour- until she got pulled over for "possible intoxication." :) Needless to say the policeman escorted them home the rest of the way, but I'm sure all the other drivers who passed didn't wonder why they were driving so slowly, they just got mad at the little white-haired lady behind the wheel. They would never imagine my mom had surgery two days before and that any little bump could be a disaster.
I know none of that helps you much, but I'm glad there are some people (like you) that realize you shouldn't make judgements about people unless you truly know their circumstances. I guess consider yourself lucky! :)

[billysmommy]

I'm so sorry that happened to you. I agree there are many different reasons to have a placard, some visible and some not so visible but that doesn't make them less real.

One Christmas I took my youngest brother (he has CP and is in a wheelchair) shopping and as it had started raining when we were done, I went out to the van to put the ramp down so he wouldn't have to wait in the rain. As I got to the van and was opening the door this woman came over and started yelling at me that just because I had lots of shopping to do and it was Christmas didn't give me the right to park there. I didn't say anything and started to get the ramp down and she said "well sure use the ramp to make it look like you need this spot when this poor young man (pointing to my brother who by this time was heading toward the van) has to park far away because you took a spot from him". You should have seen the look on her face when he came over and got in the van ;) Not even an apology though....

[californiagirl]

What drives me raving insane is the people who park on the space between the handicap spots, thereby often making *2* handicap spots unusable. The last car I saw doing this was over the ramp, even. These are people who have never had to try to get somebody from the passenger seat of a car into a wheelchair, I guarantee it.

[MartiesMom2B]

This is a major peeve of mine. My former boss had a handicap placard b/c of an injury to his leg. If he was wearing pants and you saw him walking you wouldn't notice anything, and in fact he never would actually park in the handicapped spot unless his leg was flaring up. He would tell me stories of people yelling at him, and he's even flashed his leg to people. He said he thinks that most of the time the people who yell at him are those who have fragile parents.

I've even read about this type of behavior in the Washington Post. One man who had a prosthetic leg was confronted by someone who didn't believe that he had a prosthetic on. The confronter actually pulled the man's leg off! When the reporter asked what the person did after that, the man said that the confronter handed back his leg and mumbled his apologies. Outrageous!!

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03

[Karenn]

I think some people just expect to see anyone who gets out of a car in a handicap space get into a wheelchair. The little picture shows a wheelchair, and they just can't get their brains beyond that!

I have to say though, I suspect not even a fake limp would help you out! One of my best friends has an artificial leg and a fairly pronounced limp and gets glares all the time when she uses handicapped parking. I don't think anyone's ever accosted her in the parking lot though!

[starrynight]

I'm sorry someone bothered you like that! I think people just assume handicapped means wheelchair when it doesn't always.