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Handicap Parking and Idiots

Do any of you remember last year when I had an issue with a parking lot nazi at work questioning my disability?

Well check this out! I saw it posted on Facebook yesterday. (Copy & Paste into your browser.)
https://www.************/photo.php?fbid=10202831575089506&set=a.2474833029250.8043354.1205183172&type=1&theater

Today it made the local news: http://j.woodtv.com/mq51d

Best Answer
5887915 tn?1383378780
I viewed it in the local news station thread & yes it was very rude & inconsiderate of that person to come to the assumption that the owner of the car was not disabled. Then to leave a note. What a fool.

I didn't like the end statements from the news crew who suggested that it would be fine to leave a note "if somebody obviously wasn't disabled". This is where things like this get messy because how does an individual know if a person has a disability or health condition if it is not visible. Many people on this forum I'm sure can relate to this. People with breathing conditions, MS, arthritis, cancer etc. may look like they are just fine to others. The news readers should have probably said that as long as a person has a "Card" to suggest this then they should not be questioned.

I had to use a wheelchair for a number of years a while back, sometimes crutches, sometimes a stick but sometimes nothing at all. I have been approached by people because I was young & looked ok. My mum was heaving the wheelchair out of the trunk one day but they didn't see her. They just saw me sat in the car waiting & even with my card sat in full view they approached me & gave me a mouthful. I think people should think a little before jumping in. She certainly looked a fool & for good reason.

I have seen people use disabled parking who don't have a card & don't care. They simply see it as an opportunity to take advantage if they can get away with it.

I don't know what happened in regards to you being harassed at work & questioning your disability...but would love to hear about it. I find this an interesting matter really because there is not enough awareness on how disability is not always involving a wheelchair.

Take Care

Karry.
17 Responses
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Avatar universal
I accidentally clicked select as best answer. Oops. That's okay I guess. What you had to say was pretty good, :)

What happened to me at work was I was parking my car for the day. I worked on a college campus and they built another building adjacent to the building that worked in which mad the parking lot a lot smaller, so it fills up quickly. The next closest parking lot is around the building and across the street and the other one is about the equivalent of 4 blocks away on the other side of campus. We have about 5 or 6 handicapped spots in front of our building and two in front of the adjacent building but all in the same lot. I parked my car in the two in front of the other building and a lady a few spot over came out and started questioning me:

Lady: "Are you supposed to park there. I well I see you have a thing in your mirror."

She said it all snidely, like I stole it from my Grandma.

Me: "Yes, I have that because I have Multiple Sclerosis."

Lady: "Oh well that's good. Oh I mean it's not good that you have MS, but it's good that you have that parking pass then."

This was shortly after I was diagnosed so I was kind up set, almost fighting tears, but angry at the same time. I hope that she likes the taste of foot!

I didn't catch that part at the end of the news story, since I just read the transcript, but I will watch it and believe me I will be contacting the station!

Helpful - 0
1140169 tn?1370185076
Ojibajo, I do remember your issue with the parking lot Nazi last year.

While I've never had this happen to me (yet), I have left a couple of notices that were provided by my handicap placard provider on cars. They politely point out the moral and legal reasons why handicap parking spots should be left for those who need them.

Both times I tagged these cars I saw the person park, get out of the car, and trot into the store. No obvious disabilities and no disabled placard on their cars, so I was reasonably sure they were illegally parked. Both times I had to park quite far away from the store entrance.

Like Karry said, people need to think before they react. I bet their heart is in the right place, but mistakenly accusing someone of not having a handicap can be devastating to the accused. It's bad enough dealing with health issues, without having to deal with strangers questioning the validity of these issues.

Maybe if Matt had been driving a beat up old mini van instead of a BMW he wouldn't have received the note. I guess disabled people shouldn't drive nice cars..........just wondering....

Mike

Helpful - 0
488198 tn?1493875092
I plead guilty to making assumptions sometimes. I posted a picture on my profile here (and on Facebook) a couple months ago after seeing two seemingly healthy 20-something guys jump out of a car and run into a restaurant. I didn’t know if they had a permit hanging from their rear view mirror or not, but I didn’t care, I concluded they were in the wrong. The car also had a “26.2” sticker on the bumper indicative of a marathon runner.

Because the car had specialty plates “LPI OSU” I’m assuming (again!) the owner has something to do with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, and I thought about sending a copy of the picture there. I still could do that, acting of course on my assumptions. To take the level of assumptions further, I assume some of you would agree with my assumption!

But what would sending a picture accomplish? And what would putting a note in the door accomplish? In any given case, it’s either going to turn out to be someone like Matt Milstead (the subject of the original post in this thread), or it’s going to be someone who just doesn’t care. There’s always going to be people who don’t care, just as there are people who quickly jump to wrong conclusions, and there’s not much more we can do than vent about it. As Ojibajo wrote in the thread following the TV story, “people suck.” I gave that comment an up vote!
Helpful - 0
667078 tn?1316000935
If you are at a MS bike ride you will see bikes on the car with Handicap placards on the car. My husband bikes, I have MS.

People come up to me with the Service Dog and ask if I am faking so I can take her with me. Were both faking she was born deaf , I have MS and stage 4 Cancer. People do not see her deafness or my double vision. It is a compliment really we are such a good team. A lady said to me "You do not look like you have double vision?" What does double vision look like?

There are Veterans who need a placard because they spook at loud noises. The may look normal. I always assume people are honest. If they are not that is their problem.

To Assume makes an *** out of you and me.

Alex
Helpful - 0
488198 tn?1493875092
Why would a veteran or anyone else need a special parking permit because they get spooked at loud noises?

You bring up the issue of service animal fraud. Unfortunately, people are claiming their pets are service animals just to bring them in a restaurant or store, and there's little we can do about it. And as a result, legitimate service animal owners will get falsely accused. Chalk another one up to "people suck."

Helpful - 0
382218 tn?1341181487
Not that anyone is owed an explanation, but I saw a quote on Facebook the other day that would make a good bumper sticker for people with disabilities who use a handicap placard:

"My invisible, disabling chronic illness is more real than your imaginary medical expertise."
Helpful - 0
645800 tn?1466860955
The ultimate insult occurred to me a few years back when I lived in FL.

My Dad had MS just like me and used either a cane and had braces on both legs. One day he asked me to take him to the Tampa court house so that he could take care of some business there. We took my pickup and brought along his placard for disability parking.

When we got there there were no parking spaces open so he got out and went inside while I circled wait for a spot to open up or him to come out. Finally one of the disabled spots opened up and I parked and waited to see my dad come out of the building. After a few minutes a cop came up to my truck and asked me if that was my placard. I told him no it was my dad's and that he was in the court house. At that point the cop started writing me a parking ticket for parking in a disabled parking space. Even though my dad came out before the ticket was completed using his cane to walk with the braces visible to everyone that looked, the cop finished writing the ticket and gave it to me.

So my dad and I had to come to that same courthouse a few weeks later to dispute the illegal parking ticket. The judge proceeded to chew out that cop up one side and down the other for giving me that ticket since it was obvious just looking at my dad that he is disabled and required the placard.

Dennis
  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Some of the comments on here sort of **** me off, especially because I am supposed to be speaking with others who have MS. Some of you basically said the same thing that others are saying. "Well the walked into the store and didn't limp or seem to be in pain so they must not have a disability." Are you kidding me???????

MS is very unpredictable. I have good days, so-so days, and super crappy days. I am sure that others can relate. I was been able to dance with friends a few months ago, but a few months before that I was invited to a few functions (a salsa night and an 80's prom fundraiser) that I chose not to attend because I love to dance and knew that I wouldn't be able to that night. Some days I feel pretty good and other days, like today, I have horrible nerve pain, or spasticity or I am just so fatigued that I can barely get out of bed and walk to the bathroom much less walk into a store.


I don't usually need a cane anymore on bad days (even if it would help I'm able to manage just fine without one) but have debated using it on bad days just so people would keep there damn mouths shut!

Yes there are people who use other peoples handicap placards, but that's on them. If they get caught it's a huge fine. Frankly f someone pulls into a parking stop and seems to walk in the store fine or even trot or fun in. What business is it of mine? It's not my place or your place TLC to regulate their behavior or actions. The will get caught eventually and when they do they will get a huge fine and and the person who's placard it is may lose it.z
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Holy crap! That is nuts Dennis. I am so glad that you got the ticket and fine dropped.
Helpful - 0
5887915 tn?1383378780
I just listened to the news readers again. Sorry! I did make a mistake on what they were saying at the end. They were talking about the fact that the guy had a wheelchair so why should he be questioned. It was just the very last sentence of them talking to each other when the story had finished.

I took it out of context as it was the last thing the one female news reader said & they were saying leaving notes were not a good idea etc. & went on chatting together about this. It's just the statement "why should he be questioned if he had a wheelchair" that I zoned in on because of previous experience it is not the case. I obviously zoned on this statement but it was a sentence in a conversation & I took it out of context. My mistake sorry. I should have double checked.

I really hope that all made sense as it was hard to explain ;)

All that said I'm sorry for your experience especially just after being Dx'd.

In Australia when they send out your placards they also send updates on any things you should be aware of. They sent me a letter a couple of years back to ask everyone to not approach anyone who you believe to be parked illegally (no placard) but to call this number & one of their officers will deal with the situation. I think this is a great idea.

Take Care

Karry.
Helpful - 0
987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
My MIL was just recently fined for illegally parking in a disabled bay, she has a valid disability placard, and it was clearly visible on her dashboard, so why was she fined for illegal parking where she is legally allowed to park? Her permit was NOT attached to her rear view mirror and therefore not displayed clearly and if its not clearly displayed you can't legally park in a disabled bay.

According to our local council parking nazi, having a disability is not relevant, nor is actually having the correct parking permit. What makes you legally able to park in a disabled bay, is having your permit hanging from your rear view mirror and if its not....... you don't have any legitimate or legal right to park in a parking spot reserved for people with disabilities!

She did get yelled at for using a disabled parking spot, by someone who said she wasn't disabled enough, she's in her 80's and currently recovering from a hip replacement lol what ever happened to people having a little bit of common sense?

Cheers..........JJ        
Helpful - 0
5887915 tn?1383378780
Hi JJ, they tried the "rear view mirror" types in my state but they were problematic & withdrawn. We have placards that sit on the dashboard & we've been told if the inspector can't see them easily & everything isn't visible you will be fined.

When they were renovating a nearby shopping complex about 7 years ago there was a huge loss of disabled parking. The centre management in the complex approved people to park in the "parents with prams" spaces to help through this period.

I was sat in the car waiting as my mum was collecting the scooter I'd hired from centre management. We had no option but to park in a "parents with prams" space. A lady pulled up with 2 children & saw my "disabled placard" & told me I can not park in "parents with prams" & I need to use the disabled only spaces. I told her to discuss that matter with the shopping complex as I have permission from them. She was really really angry that I was parked there & the language she hollered at me...say no more.

The irony of the situation was that she had 2 children who were walking & no PRAM!!!!  I had to say to her "so where's your pram" & she stuck her fingers up at me.

The "parents with prams" spaces do not require placards & are not monitored at all. They are placed there in the hope that people will respect that some new mums have their hands full & big prams to get by the vehicle with so hence are bigger sized bays.

I just love the way the world has become so compassionate to others. Karry.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Australia seems to do A LOT of things better than the US! The part about calling the number is excellent, and then of course there is the Health Care System. You would think that our so-called world leader country would look toward you as an example, but they would rather see people suffer and be broke I guess.

The expectant mothers and parents with prams/strollers are done as a courtesy by the business and are not something that is required under law or can be legally enforced. I do know of mothers who had difficult pregnancies, or pregnancies that effected their joints, etc., who were able to get temporary handicap placards, which I don't have a problem with at all! As far as that lady that you dealt with, she has a lot of frickin' nerve! I stick my fingers up at her! (Even if she can't see it.)

Ours in Michigan hang from the review mirror but we can get license plates, the thing that I hate about them though is that it has a wheelchair on it. and not all of us use wheelchairs.
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Avatar universal
That's crazy what happened to your MIL! Absolutely ridiculous!
Helpful - 0
738075 tn?1330575844
It just fries me how people can judge others based on visible vs invisible disabilities.  These folks need to learn to mind their own business.  Those placards aren't just a piece of cake to obtain! Hhmmph!
Helpful - 0
2015036 tn?1332997788
I try not to get too worked up about it all.  But even saying that, I still do get mad on occasion.  These two kinds of drivers really get to me:  

1) The person in their very expensive car- who parks in the disabled parking or even the fire lane!! in order to get to his latte sooner!
2) The dummy who thinks they can skirt around the disabled parking laws, by parking in the space provided for walkers and wheelchairs!  

My husband gets really mad, whenever he sees people in disabled spaces without permits.  Especially if there aren't any other disabled spaces left- which means I can't get out of the car at all.  I just try to remind him, that maybe they forgot.  Or more likely, since they aren't disabled- they really just "don't get it".  If they aren't involved in the life of someone with mobility problems, they don't have a good reference to draw from.  
  
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