I have a moral dilemma question. Can you help?

Question

This is s true story that happened to me a few hours ago on my way to work. (Sorry it is a little long!)

The setting:
An intersection
We are in the right lane
The stoplight is green
Moderate amount of traffic
I am three vehicles back
The car in question is attempting to make a right turn

The story:
The first car is attempting to make a right hand turn. A disabled man in a motorized wheelchair leaves the sidewalk and crosses out into the street. He is traveling the same direction we are so his back is to us. He crosses the street while the "do NOT cross" sign is light and visible. The first car stops and allows the man to cross. I will assume the driver said something to upset the disabled man. The disabled man stops dead in the middle of the lane and turns his chair to face the oncoming car. Does nothing - just stops completely. At least 10-15 seconds goes by and the car in question starts honking the horn for the man to move.

(cont.)

It goes from honking to straight holding in the horn in for maybe 8 seconds or more.
The disabled man proceeds to give the driver the “international peace sign” (aka the middle finger)
I, of course find this hysterical because the driver of the car is now outside yelling at the man and everyone is looking what the hell is going on.

To make this long story short – we all missed the light because the man in the wheel chair stayed there for almost another minute while the driver of the car continued to hold in his horn.
As we got the next green light – the people the two cars in front of me yelled something out their windows at the disabled man who was further down the street. He once again responded with the “international peace sign”.

The moral dilemma is this: even though the disabled man was totally in the wrong was it appropriate for the people to treat the man this way? I would have probably yelled at him too, but I felt bad for him being disabled and all.

Answer 1

While I totally see where the dilemma lies, as someone who works with disabled people, I've also learned that they are people first, disabled second.

The disabled man was wrong, held up traffic, disrupted your and other people's commute--all because he either failed to notice the "do not cross" or simply did not care. Not only that, but he figured he wouldn't be challenged because people will have that inner dilemma you mention. Basically, given that he did see the sign, he did it because he thought he could, and his disability is not an excuse for anarchy (which that was an example of!).

He acted defiant and flipped the driver off--who wouldn't get pissed at that? An unpleasant story, but I can't really I say I blame any of the drivers that were pissed off or you for wanting to yell at the guy.

Answer 2

Personally , I can't blame the driver for being mad, and Yes he had the right to say something. First thing just because a person is in the wheel chair doesn't give them the right to break the law ( not sure if it's a law ) I think it's just a safety thing to have the lights blink red or the Do not cross signal. Because he is in the wheel chair you'd think he'd respect and follow guidelines regarding crossing streets. Perhaps that is why he's in a wheel chair . probably fliiped someone off and got beat up OR J-walked across a street when he wasn't suppose to and got hit by a car.

Answer 3

He may of thought that he started out on a green light. Anyways the underlying dilemma is that we should always give the right of way to the disabled. It is just a common courtesy. The guy in the car sounds like the average road rage Joe that only survives his day on the road to make the lives of others around him miserable. What is up with the baby with the beer? There is another moral question !

Answer 4

No I think the 2 drivers were wrong for even TRYING to intimidate the wheel chair bond person.I too if in a wheel chair, I think I would have done the same thing. maybe I should try that sometime, borrow a wheel chair, and cross a highway with lights , just to irritate some folks, then ask em, you want some of this, and if they say yeah, I would say come on. Havent been in a good ole fight since police academy. I really need one.

Answer 5

Any person who thinks the world revolves around them, has a nasty attitude, and is willing to make innocent people suffer to "get back" for a perceived slight deserves whatever is dished up as a result. It doesn't matter if they're disabled, male, female, black, white, polka dot, whatever. I have seen so many disabled people doing stuff like you described--crossing against lights, going down the middle of traffic lanes instead of on the sidewalk, etc. I have to wonder if they are miserable and are trying to commit "suicide by car."

Don't feel bad. The guy was a prick.

Answer 6

Yes and No. Disabled people want to be treated like everyone else. So in fairness, he should have been yelled at. If it was just a regular person walking across the street who just happened to stop in the middle of the crosswalk because someone yelled hurry up.... they will get yelled at too!

Answer 7

Should not feel bad as the wheelchair person was in the wrong. Does not matter that he was handicapped - take that out of the equation. Handicapped people do not want to be treated any differently than any other person usually nor do they want you to feel bad for them. He is still a person and was not right to do what they did. You would of been OK to yell at them if you wanted to.

Answer 8

I feel that if the man was ignorant enough to just sit in the middle of the road and throw the middle finger at you, or anyone else for that matter, he deserves what was coming to him. Obviously his disability doesn't bother him, so don't let it bother you. He made the mistake of holding up traffic, so it's his fault....disabled or not!

Answer 9

The man sounds rude and the driver sounds worse. It all seems very strange and unescessary. The driver was too rude but it's not the old man's job to punnish him for it and everyone else waiting for the light aswell.

Answer 10

They shouldn't have yelled at him. No one should have. He didn't see the sign. That's perfectly okay. Just good for him he had a little bit of spunk left in him. And you all missed ONE light. For goodness sake. Go repent.