Handicap Parking
By Bytemi
@Bytemi (1553)
United States
October 24, 2008 1:00pm CST
I have Multiple Sclerosis, along with this lovely illness comes certain limitations. I am not suppose to walk without resting for 15 minutes for every 200 feet. If I don't live by this restriction, then my legs go into an enternal spasm until I get home to my muscle relaxers. It pretty much sucks.
I picked my Dad up for lunch today and I pulled into the handicap spot like I always do, yes I have handicap license plates, and one of the new employees in the office kept trying to wave me away from the parking spot.
I parked there anyways, that is where I always park and the guy looked at me and said "just because you are picking your Dad up for lunch does not give you the right to park in a handicap spot, I would rather see you park anywhere else." The response from the rest of the office in harmony was, "She is handicapped, leave her alone."
The guy was pissed, "She doesn't look handicapped me" and stormed away.
Another great part of this illness is if I get nervous or upset, I start shaking uncontrollably, no more control of my muscles, so now I am standing in my Dad's office shaking.
How would you deal with someone like that. I live with an invisible illness, the average person will not know that I have it by looking at me. I have the plates, I have the medical alert necklace, but nobody really seems to care about those things. I have had people call the cops on me to arrest me for parking in a handicap spot, of course I have ID and my plates are linked to my walking restriction so I have never gotten in trouble, but the shaking always starts, the confrontation kills me, I hate it and I shake.
What would you do?
3 responses
@ganda8831 (816)
• Philippines
25 Oct 08
It's a reality that there are people out there who are insensitive to handicapped people. They are unaware of our needs and are very ignorant about certain things. I think the best way to do is accept this reality because there's very little we can do about it. I guess those kinds of people need to be more informed about different types of disability not just those that are visible.
@hoping4amiracle (227)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Do you know if the man work for the place that you went too? If so I would file a complaint with the company and get the guy fired. If the person didn't work for the company and just a customer then not really thing you can do about it. Sadly, their some people that no matter what you do won't believe that you have a illness.
1 person likes this
@Bytemi (1553)
• United States
24 Oct 08
My father manages the shop and said that he would speak to him after lunch. I think at that point he just wanted to get me out of there, which I can understand, the shaking is scary to watch. Get me away from the situation and calmed down and everything will be fine.
@LilPixelle (828)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Cry. I think I would just...Cry. what a cruel world we live in, but on the bright side, you are part of an interesting education system, because you just gave me another reason to be less skeptical of people and to just have more faith in them...because I would have been one of those people looking at you like you were a jerk... and I'm sorry. You tought me a valuable lesson just now... and I'll try to keep it with me... thank you.
1 person likes this
