Bwwwwwahahaha! I can’t believe I said that!
 

I went to Target today, and as usual I parked in a handicap space. Just as I was getting out of the car, a grumpy man walked up to me and said, “You don’t look very disabled to me.” Before I had two seconds to think, I smiled broadly and replied, “That’s because you are an idiot.” The look on the guy’s face was priceless, and I started laughing in spite of myself. I’ve never done anything like that before in my life, and I don’t plan to do it again, but it really felt soooo good!

MARION!!! I must say I am SHOCKED!!!

Good for you, woman! You ROCK!!! :Excited:

Shocked isn't the word...Delighted is more like it..:p:D:p

:hug:

We should all carry those tiny key-chain cameras with us so we can snap a picture of these morons when they have that priceless look after we've put them in their place!! :D

Good for you!! :cool:

Sounds like the guy had a medical condition of severe constipation?? :p

I only yell at people when they deserve it!:cool:

You go girl!!:D

*Bestowing official Smart Aleck's honors upon fair Marion*

A+

My usual response is

"im sorry officer, I didnt realize they had you patroling this lot today. Tomorrow I will drag a leg and act the part better."


My husband once said "what do you think this is?!" as he smacks on the front pants leg of his jeans. as if he was missing a limb or had a fake leg. I almost spit out my gum!

LOL, I am soo shocked you said that Marian but you go girl - i'm so glad you stood up for yourself as it isn't right that people should walk all over you!!!!!!

Me and my mum once went to the Supermarket and I couldn't walk so I stayed in the car as my mum wasn't going to be a long time. We were parked in the Handicapped bit and had the badge out when all of a sudden, an old man opened our car door and said "Why are you parked here? I bet there is nothing wrong with you! You look too young to be parked in here!! I have severe arthritis and can hardly walk at all and you are just abusing this facility! It's wrong!!"! I was SO shocked and didn't know what to say!! I said to him "Would you like me to try and stand up and see what happens? I fall straight to the fall and it is pretty obvious I have crutches at the side of me and my mum has a wheelchair in the trunk of the car!!" The man didn't know what to say and just slammed the door and walked off!! I was SO annoyed that someone could say that - I would dare say anything like that to someone, even if I felt like saying something!! It's sort of like some older people think that because you're a child, you can't be disabled!!

I'm so proud of you for sticking up for yourself!! You GO girl!!!

You know there are days when my walking is much better and I get afraid to park in the HC spot because of people like that. So I end up hoofing it which leads to overdoing and then I end up hobbling and dragging limbs all the way back to the non-HC spot.

Well, I am going to be in the minority here with my reaction...

I have to wonder what motivated him to speak up. I really do need a handicapped parking space and my reaction is to like that he said something, even if he was a bit rude.

I think he could have been thanked and you could have explained that you have Multiple Sclerosis. Even educate him as to why you NEED to park there. Do you have to justify yourself? NO!!! But to explain would be a different way to handle it.

But it is an opportunity to have him learn, maybe guilt him into a donation to NMSS!

Because it is difficult for me to walk across a parking lot, I do look at someone getting out of a car easily and wonder if he/she is using the placard that belongs to a family member rather than actually need it him/herself.

I want people to speak up for me because I have seen those spaces abused.

The man may have had good intentions albeit that he could have expressed himself in an appropriate way but I am glad there are those that do care to keep handicapped places open for people like me.

I just had to add my two cents worth on this.:)

:o:oThat was me yesterday. Except all the HC spots were taken when we got to the store.

Marion - I don't think speaking up is a bad thing. I think people need to do it more often. I am sorry this man was so rude to you. :hug:

Marion, you GO girl! :D

I do understand what Aarcyn is saying as well but sometimes they really ARE just idiots and it's apparent that they have absolutely no interest in becoming educated.

Sometimes we just have to say what we are thinking. I do know what I am planning to say if someone says something (so far I have only gotten dirty looks) but I think when it happens I won't remember what I was going to say. Then something like what you said will come out!

:I-Agree::highfive: :You-Rock: :Tip-Hat::winner_first_h4h: :Bow:

Go to the head of the class, Marion. Here's a gold star for your forehead.

http://dl10.glitter-graphics.net/pub...clawlepto9.gif

Did anyone ever see the "HOUSE" episode where he got into that confrontation with the new employee in a wheelchair, because she got assigned his much closer disabled parking space? His argument was that she has a wheelchair to zip around in and he has to hobble with a cane, physically wearing himself out faster . . . :p

It is really none of anyone elses business IF we have the doctor's endorsed "authority" to park in a disabled parking spot. Obviously our medical professionals support the need for the spot, and that's all that matters. (Yeah, there are going to be people who abuse other's tags, but there are low-lifes that do all kinds of things that aren't right . . . but we are not the parking or any other kind of "police".)

Parking spots are reserved for the disabled, but what cracks me up is the disabled peoople who think that the toilets are "reserved" for them too. Awe yes . . . everyone else is supposed to line up and share two stalls, while the disabled spot remains empty most of the day? :confused: :Head-Spin:

I had a lady in a wheelchair tag me on that one time in Disneyland (disabled toilet stall), when I was coming out. It's not like I jumped ahead of her ~ she wasn't even in the bathroom when I got there. I said "firstly, these toilets are not RESERVED for anybody, they are just made bigger for the CONVENIENCE of the disabled". "Besides, I have just as many 'toileting' issues are you do, with my MS, and just because I don't look like I have a disability, doesn't mean I don't".

People really ought to mind their own business. :mad: Good on you, Marion!

Cherie

HA HA HA I read this and all i could think about was the V8 commercial where the kid smacks the mom in the forehead "should have had a V8"

next time someone decides to be jerky just smack em in the head and say "should think before you speak!"

congrats! that's the first laugh i had all day. :D

I seriously laughed :D You go girl!!

Congrats, Marion! I had a lady question my handicapped placard once at the grocery store. I was angry, because I only use it when I really need it! I happened to have my MRI scans in the trunk of my car, and I said something like "Would you like to see my MRIs and all the holes in my brain?" I know I was a bit inappropriate, but I was mad, and I would never dream of abusing someone's placard! Anyway, it shut that lady up pretty fast. Maybe if I'd been feeling better I would have been nicer and explained things, but it was a bad day!

Sarcasm usually makes me feel better. Next time this happens to me, I'm going to tell the person that I got MS so I'd have a good parking spot. ;)

People need to realize that not all disabilities can be seen. I'm sure if we wore our lesions on the outside, nobody would bother us. I guess we have to deal with one idiot at a time until people realize we're not in it for the parking!

I know I dislike the person in me when I make sure that anyone that is parked in a handicap space looks handicapped or has a sticker. If they don't look it I just remember that I don't look it either but if you would watch me when I come out of the store I do look completely different.

lol thats great and the answer was short sweet and to the point lol thanks for smile

I saw a 20-something guy riding an electric shopping cart in he store one day. Made me wonder, but I didn't say anything though, you never know. But another woman asked him "Do you really need that? There's a lot of people who do, if you don't." She eyed me, hobbling along with my cane. (which I don't use often, but needed that day.)

The young man said he was tired, his knees hurt from playing basketball.

:mad:

The woman asked if he was a bit ashamed of himself, but he said no, and zipped away. She said something about it to me, like why didn't I confront him, maybe I could use that cart more than him.

I told her, "I didn't ask if he needed it because you can't tell by looking what's wrong with someone - you can't tell with me, unless I have my stick, here. And I am not using one of those things until I have no choice."

I think it's bad juju, you know? Like asking for trouble. Very superstitious about that.

I once had some teens yelling at me for parking in the handicap places... I had just put my wheel chair in the back seat and was sliding toward the front of the car when they started in on me...

I just looked at them and asked if they wanted to use my wheel chair that they didn't see me put in the car.

I also told them they couldn't handle walking with my legs for 5 minutes.... so they shouldn't judge someone just by looking at them for a few seconds.

I don't always use my chair... if I can park close enough I can usually make it into the store to use an electric cart... It usually takes me 10 minutes to walk the 30 feet or so....

Some people will never understand....
:o
Abbie

I always felt a little guilty, using HDCP, when I was only using a cane and sometimes didn't.....but, when I came out of the store (whipped), I would tip a carryout person to go fetch my car and put the groceries into it. I'd tip him/her, slide in and leave.;)

Most able bodied youngsters suspect everyone of cheating. They're just jealous you beat them to it...LOL and the oldsters should know better.:mad:

I am not usually an abrupt person, and it isn’t like I considered my options for a response. Seriously, it just popped out, and there was a broad smile on my face when it did! I wasn’t in a bad mood, and I wasn’t really annoyed at his question. It just seemed that he deserved an answer, though he did not deserve an explanation. As it turns out, it was probably the quickest way to get him getting out of my face.

I'm proud of you,Marion. Yeah, you could have went into some long dissertation about MS,what it is. etc. But would someone like him really listen and learn anything from it? Probably not! Honestly, he deserved what he got and IMO wasn't worthy of you wasting your energy on a more lengthy, educational response.

I love what you said! I never ever question anyone using the handicap spots. Even when they don't look handicap because they may look good getting out of the car but doesn't mean by the time they come out they wont be having a hard time. I think this comes from so many people giving Jim a hard time when he was 22 and on a cane. He didn't "look" like he was having a hard time even though he used a cane. But I will promise you by the time he came out to get back in the car it would be all he could do to get there. If I remember correctly he could walk about 100 steps before his legs started shaking.

I may have to use your comment someday when I am being stared at getting out of our van to come around and meet Jim. Sometimes he takes a minute to open the side door and oh the looks coming from those around me are priceless. It's not a mean look, but one of questioning. Gotta love a small town! lol

Marion, quit beating yourself up. It didn't hurt him or you! And it gave us a laugh!

And I think this conversation is a very valid one for all of us.

I have only had one person question me, he got out of his car as I was pulling out of a blue spot and he shook his head. I don't owe anyone an explanation, except to authority. But I honked the horn and waved my blue tag. He then smiled and waved.

I DO think people who believe someone is illegally parked SHOULD call the local police, but I don't think it is THEIR right to question the person parked in it, especially IF their tag or license plate says they are allowed access. You know in this day and time, you really don't know if you are talking to an armed psycho or not!

I certainly don't believe in stooping to someone else's mental deficiencies, sarcasm usually breeds anger. I don't want to promote that. But sometimes we do say things without thinking. We are all but human. I don't want to harbor anger in myself about my illness. And I'm not going to allow someone else's stupidity to bring out anger. (Note, I'm no angel! I have said stupid things on more than one occasion)

For those of you who feel guilty using a blue spot, just because to someone else's eyes you might look "normal", you need to QUIT worrying about what others think. We see in others what we want to see, so quit looking at them. My goodness, blue taggers come in all shapes, sizes, various walking paraphernalia, various other devices needed for medical reasons. Some of us need the spot on coming OUT of the store, and not to enter it. Change your thought processes and quit judging others and yourself so harshly!

Great topic!

I get upset at DH when he takes advantage of my handicap tag to get a closer space for the sake of the car!!!!!!! Soemtimes handicaps spaces are further away from the door than others. McDonalds is really bad like that. But since the spaces are bigger my DH likes to use them. It's still winter so I don't really need them so I make him in charge of the placcard if he uses a space just cause of the car. I could have parked much closer to the building if I took a regular space. Now shopping, I like the handicap space cause I never know what I'm going to feel like when I'm done. But a restruant, it usually doesn't matter to me.

You have to remember that the general public at large is NOT schooled in what the qualifications for getting that blue tag is. They just "ASSUME" that it means you need assistive devices to walk, or a wheelchair. There are many O2 patients or heart patients who cannot walk very far because of O2 requirements. Some folks need a walker, and some just a cane, but others have "proven" their need through diagnosis, and have met the state requirements to be allowed the proper tags to use that space.

The problem is that some folks abuse the tag. they "borrow" it from mom, or grandma, and use it to just not have to walk from 3 further spaces away. Christmas time is a huge issue as most malls have zero parking spots, and that empty spot upfront looks tempting. How many have seen that person zip into the handicap spot, flip out the tag, and almost jog into the store? Grab a couple of items, and zip out?

I admit I had some preconceived ideas about folks abusing the spots till someone handed ME a blue tag! WHAT?! I now view those spots and those parking in them with new eyes. I am not as quick to comment on things. I know I have horrible days where going in, I look ok, but I know that grocery store is going to whoop up on me, and by the time I get back with a carriage full, I am dragging, and near tears. I am so thankful I dont have to drag myself across the lot to the back side. Even with using the carriage as a walker, I am exhausted.

Great topic! :cool:

Oh, Marion, curse you for being human. :rolleyes:

We could all moralize, preach, pontificate, and lecture about the right and wrong of it, but, the bottom line when it's all said and done at the end of the day as the water goes under the bridge is this:

This is not a sudden, new lifestyle for you, it was an isolated incident that gave you a chuckle and that chuckle has happily reverberated to those of us who appreciate the humor in it.

It's true that there are abusers of the privilege but there are abusers of every privilege in the world. Case in point: Driving itself.

Right or wrong, if we lose our senses of humor in this wretched disease, all is lost.

Kudos to you, Marion, for keeping the one thing MS can't strip from you, your sense of humor!!!:winky::cool::D:hug::hug::hug: