Handicap Parking – Do you get questioned?

[Noki4]

Has this ever happened to you, you park in a handicap spot and a stranger comes up and questions you for parking there?

I had it happen yesterday. A woman came walking up to my vehicle at a fast pace and before I could even fully get out of the vehicle, she was yelling at me.

I was angry at first but I chose to calm down before I spoke up. I ask her if she knew me personally. When she answered rudely by saying, “of course not”. I then ask her then how did she come to the conclusion that I had no right to park in the spot?

She said those words we have all heard so many times, “because you don’t look sick or handicapped.”

I told her that before you decide to approach a stranger and question them, you should really become educated about invisible disabilities.

I also told her that I felt in the world that we live in today, that it was dangerous to approach someone in the angry manner that she did me because not all people are as nice as me and I walked off.

I learned a long time ago that trying to stand there and explain to some people about invisible disabilities is just a waste of my valuable time.

[bd]

I rarely use my handicap tag. The times I do are the days I shouldn’t be out anyway, so it’s pretty obvious. Also the days I need to use it I don’t care what anyone thinks. But then I have the benefit of being old and crotchety

[FredFriend]

Ugh! Yes, too often. Just last Saturday night a silver haired man in a parking garage chose to loudly make disparaging remarks to his companion speculating on the ‘mental’ disability I must have since I was clearly able bodied and taking up a handicap spot. Hubby and I didn’t want to engage in a discussion with this surly person at 10:30 PM after seeing a great show. We know that if I hadn’t used the spot, I may not have been able to attend the show so late into the evening. Note that there were three empty blue spots in the same section of the garage where we were parked. It wasn’t going to make a difference to anyone other than myself if I used that parking spot.

[Noki4]

Bd & FredFriend,

I am sorry that this also happens to you. I wrote a blog recently for TPC on this topic. The title is, “If You Want To Take Away My Handicap Parking Permit…You Must, FIRST, Take Away My Disabling Pain!”

It is my hope that enough people who live with pain will see it, read it and share it on social media sites. Just maybe those who do not live with pain will find the topic displeasing enough to read it and learn from it.

We will continue to use our placards and hold our heads up high (or as high as we can without pain).

Take care,
Noki4

[pipboy]

I have to say as a caregiver this really gets my blood pressure elevated. No one has the right to question any of you. I have been with my wife when she has been confronted. I must admit if it wasn’t for her wanting to educate people on invisible disabilities, I would have given them a good talking too on how rude and disrespectful this is.

[Author]

Posts