You're not the ONLY disabled person in the world

[PepperElf]

well i'm reminded of an episode of the Golden Girls.
Blanch dated a man in a wheelchair who turned out to be an asshole. so the moral of the story was that, just because you're in a chair doesn't mean you can't also be a jackass (tho she phrased it more classily than i have)

and for your friend

[angelgirl]

'using' a wheelchair

Once, we had to call the police on somebody at our facility. The cop we talked to said some of the drug dealers in the area are staying in wheelchairs when they're hanging out on the corner, because the police don't like to arrest them that way. If something happens to a medically needy or disabled person in police custody they're responsible, so unless the crime is big, they usually just ticket the person and let them go.

[Seshat]

It isn't. . . yet.

Mine is!

But it's not painted with flames.

[EvilEmpryss]

Mine are decals I picked up at an auto parts store. Real simple to stick on and they stay stuck pretty good.

Someone should have the finished look, even if it isn't me.

[Seshat]

Yay!

Thank you.

[Daemonmonkey]

I was once riding the tram during rush hour, and I sat in the reserved seatings, thinking that if someone disabled or elder came around I could always offer my place.

In came an elderly somehat disabled (limped with a cane) and DEMANDED to sit there, no excuse me no please but just "Get out of there you idiot I'm sitting there because I'm <long rant>".

Chocked, I simply said "No", and new rant out of his mouth with more insults. I lost it then and I said, that I didn't care if he broke every bone in his body when the tram makes a sudden breaking, he didn't deserve sympathy.

Just because you're disabled or old doesn't give you the right to offend everybody.

[bainsidhe]

This disabled EW just felt the need to park her car *just* crooked enough in the space to have her car taking up two of them.

Yup. My sister's MIL is a sweet older woman with a handicap tag. She drove us to the store and while the rest of us jumped out and went inside, MIL parked the car. I came back to the vehicle...to find another woman had parked between the two handicap stalls, literally an inch away from our car. Sis's MIL was horribly pissed, she had just parked when idiot blocked her in. And of course now MIL couldn't exit the vehicle and just sat and waited for us to return. MIL even yelled at the idiot and was ignored. Guess the jerk assumed her handicap tag meant she could park wherever she wanted.

[EvilEmpryss]

That's just. . . (insert angry disgusted noise here).

It's a shame that docs can't distinguish between the physically handicapped and the morally crippled.

[protege]

Guess the jerk assumed her handicap tag meant she could park wherever she wanted.

Gotta love the entitlement. And yes, I've seen this sort of thing more than once. Not far from me, there's a small strip mall. By "small," I mean that there are only 4 or 5 stores, and a tiny parking lot. There are ramps at either end of the sidewalk, complete with handicapped parking spots. Imagine my surprise, when I'm coming through the lot, notice that there's nowhere to park...and both handicapped spots are empty. Imagine further surprise...when I see the reason for the parking shortage. Seems some douchebag in a white GMC SUV (which had a handicapped tag, BTW) decided he was too good for the designated spots...and parked his land yacht in the middle of two regular spaces

[EvilEmpryss]

Protege, the guy taking up two spaces (handicapped or not) was a douche. BUT, you should keep two things in mind regarding handicapped tags:
1) Just because the tag is there it doesn't mean that the person is *required* to use a handicapped spot.
2)Just because the tag is there doesn't mean that the handicapped person is actually with the vehicle at the moment.

For situation 1, I've been places where they put the handicapped spots so far from the store I want to go to, it's actually easier for me to use a regular spot. Since I get my walker out of the back of my van and don't need the extra space to the sides, this is perfectly acceptable. I'm entitled to park in all the same places you are without having to account for it, so long as I keep my vehicle within the marked boundaries. Now I try not to take up "normal" spots in a crowded lot, but I'm also not going to waste an hour driving 'round waiting for some handicapped person to vacate a designated spot just so I don't use a regular spot. I also will not park on the opposite side of a mall just because that's where the only open handicapped spots are located.

For situation 2, just because one has a handicapped tag (either hanging from the mirror or an actual license plate), it doesn't mean that the handicapped person is in the car. If the person with the tag is not in the car, the driver may not park in a handicapped spot, even if they forgot to take the tag off the mirror. My Evil Overlord was driving my van (with my disabled vet plates on it) when he parked in a normal spot at Wally World because I wasn't with him. Some biddy actually got out of her car and followed him, berating him for taking up a perfectly good normal spot when the handicapped spots were empty. The biddy was absolutely in the wrong. My Hubby could have received a ticket is he had parked in the handicapped spot.

[protege]

Protege, the guy taking up two spaces (handicapped or not) was a douche. BUT, you should keep two things in mind regarding handicapped tags:
1) Just because the tag is there it doesn't mean that the person is *required* to use a handicapped spot.
2)Just because the tag is there doesn't mean that the handicapped person is actually with the vehicle at the moment.

Maybe...but what he did, effectively prevented anyone else from parking in that lot. I don't know about you, but I can't afford a $150 fine for using a handicapped spot.

[Andara Bledin]

Sis's MIL was horribly pissed, she had just parked when idiot blocked her in. And of course now MIL couldn't exit the vehicle and just sat and waited for us to return.

I know it isn't the right thing to do, but I would be horribly tempted to try to open my door, bang it into the other car and look surprised that it was even there. 'Cause it's not supposed to be *censored* there.

Maybe a few dents and some missing paint might get the point across.

^-.-^

Maybe...but what he did, effectively prevented anyone else from parking in that lot. I don't know about you, but I can't afford a $150 fine for using a handicapped spot.

The fact that he took up 2 spaces makes him (or her) an utter douchebag.

The fact that he used a normal space when he may have been able to use a handicapped space is a non-issue. After all, if someone had trouble walking longer distances and didn't need the ramps, it would make more sense for them to park in the middle of the strip as opposed to one of the ends. Sure, it sucks to be someone who can't use a handicapped spot at all and has nowhere else to park, but that's the fault of the shops/parking lot designers.

^-.-^

[bainsidhe]

After all, if someone had trouble walking longer distances and didn't need the ramps

Absolutely, 100% agreed. My mom suffered from congestive heart failure and couldn't walk far before becoming winded. She'd park as close as possible, which wasn't always the handicapped stall. Jerks that take up multiple spots unnecessarily or stores that plow snow into handicap stalls....grrr.

[Sapphire Silk]

For situation 2, just because one has a handicapped tag (either hanging from the mirror or an actual license plate), it doesn't mean that the handicapped person is in the car. If the person with the tag is not in the car, the driver may not park in a handicapped spot, even if they forgot to take the tag off the mirror. My Evil Overlord was driving my van (with my disabled vet plates on it) when he parked in a normal spot at Wally World because I wasn't with him. Some biddy actually got out of her car and followed him, berating him for taking up a perfectly good normal spot when the handicapped spots were empty. The biddy was absolutely in the wrong. My Hubby could have received a ticket is he had parked in the handicapped spot.

This kind of thing is a big problem on my campus. Parking is very tight, especially in the mornings when most of the classes are held. We've had a lot of trouble with students borrowing Grandma's handicapped hang tag, or driving Grandpa's car with the handicapped plates and taking up the handicapped parking.

It got to be such a problem that campus police now stakes out those spots. If they see someone using a handicapped spot that looks suspicious (healthy looking 18 year old with bookbag weighing a ton), they will verify the driver is the owner of the hang tag or registered vehicle.

If he is not, they will confiscate the hang tag and report it it to the DMV. If it is a plated vehicle, it gets towed, and reported to the DMV.

Suddenly, it's not quite the problem it was.

[Kristev]

Now, my brother forgets to take the handicapped card off my mother's car when he drives it, which he does a lot.

But then, he also never uses the handicapped spots. He says it's wrong because he's 28.