People with Disabilities and that Little Blue Sticker

When I worked for DLP, the closest parking lot to our office had several handicapped parking spaces, which is quite normal. However, those handicapped spaces were taken up by obese HR employees who had a harder time walking than most but no other obvious physical disabilities. None of us is sure exactly how these HR employees obtained Handicapped parking permits, because a friend of mine temporarily confined to a wheelchair was denied one despite providing a doctor's note and clearly being unable to walk. To sum it up, my experience with the Handicapped spaces has been a running cynical commentary instead of any serious consideration for people with disabilities. 

Today, however, I was changed. At the Starbucks in Boonsboro, I put my (awesome little red Honda Fit) 5-speed in reverse and checked my mirrors before backing out. The lot was full, except for the Handicapped parking space immediately to my right. An elderly woman pulled into it, but we both noticed the elderly man with oxygen tubes in his nose that was following close on her tail. 

The woman called out to the man, "Excuse me, sir, I'll be just one minute!" (Meanwhile, he's in his car behind me and preventing me from leaving.) 

An argument ensues. She does not have a Handicapped Parking permit, nor does she have difficultly walking-- elderly or not. (A line of cars has formed behind the elderly man, and I still can't back out.) 

I can hear her explaining her reasoning to the elderly man who DOES have a permit, in addition to an oxygen tank. "This store, here," (a UPS store), "has failed to send a package to New York like they should have. It will take me just one minute, sir, to straighten the situation out, and then you can park in your space. It's not your space, any way, it's for people like me, too!" (More cars have lined up; I still can't back out, and this woman clearly has no right to the only Handicapped space in a very full parking lot.)

She heads back to her car, and for a second, I thought she was going to move. So did the man, but it turns out she was just getting her purse. In anger, the man drives off to find another space, and the woman begins to laugh.

My windows are down, and she clearly thinks she's in the right so she turns to me and asks, "Can you believe that he expected me to move?"

Rather chagrined myself, I reply, "Well, the space you are in requires a permit, which he has. Do you have one?"

I can see immediately I have offended her, so she tries to defend herself to me. "Well!" She sputtered. "I am only going to be one minute! He can wait if it's absolutely necessary."

"And you can move. There's a reason it's illegal to park there without a permit."

She glares at me a second before hustling into the store. I can see the elderly man shuffling across the parking lot (holding up traffic, because he is towing an oxygen tank and going very slowly.) He has a package in his hand, and I decide to see who comes out first. 

Sure enough, after 2 minutes, the elderly man is the first to leave the store and is having visible difficulty making the walk back to his car. I can see the woman in the store having it out with the store clerk (exaggerated gesturing and occasional hand-on-hips attitude) and shake my head. A new respect for parking permits has entered my soul, and I find I no longer resent those handicapped parking spaces. 

Comments

[Kendra]

That is really appalling, that that lady seriously had the nerve to think that she was entitled to park there without the permit. You were very diplomatic, I would not have been so nice. I would have even gone as far to call the police, lol, and have them write her a ticket. You're right there is a reason for it being illegal for others to park there.

[Gnarlodious]

Thank you for your observations. I routinely have to park my wheelchair van in a "regular" space because some obese person who is too lazy to walk has a handicapped placard and is using a van accessible space. This means when I return to my van I have no way to ensure the side door is accessible.

As the state DMV expands its definition of "Disability" to include obesity, it is getting harder and harder for wheelchair users to park. To add insult to injury, these obese people have no inhibitions and well developed lungs. They typically begin shouting at the first sign of objection from the feeble and handicapped, and their usual explanation is that they are just as disabled as the other person. No doubt they use the same bullying attitude to berate doctors into signing their "handicapped" applications.

In fact, our state legislature has ruled that drivers are not to engage in vigilante supervision of disabled parking because they run a greater risk of becoming the victims of rage. As a normal sized wheelchair user, I realize that all an obese person has to do is fall on me accidentally and it would crush me under a gross of porcine adipose tissue. Not a demise I want to invite upon myself.

[David Greenwood]

Go get 'em! We both liked this one. :) I absolutely recall that parking situation at the workplace you mentioned, b.t.w.

[Recycling Stickers]

. . i'm also in the favor of recalling that parking situation , they should allow them to do anything .