People Who Do This Should Be Ashamed?

Question

It seems certain people have no shame, but I got an issue. (among others)
I have one of those hadicapped visor cards issued by the BMV for whenever I take my grandmother somewhere.
Too many times though, I have seen others just like myself, getting out of their car at Wal-Mart for example and cross the traffic into the store with no apparent mobility problems whatsover.
I see it and call out people on it too. Saying loud enough so they can hear. "Hey your getting around pretty good there", or other benign but effective comments.
I never get a response other than maybe a quick look because they know they have been "outted".
My question is, have you seen this happen yourself?
Also, are you inclined to say anything or is it nobodys business?

Thinking about it, I guess it is the business of the real handicapped persons who cannot find a close space because of these narrsisitic individuals?

No, I have not done it...

Answer 1

You are the one who is completely out of line. You CANNOT judge a person's disability by how YOU perceive them to be "getting around."

Some disabilities are not easily seen by the average ordinary person. Some disabled individuals may be having a great day at that moment and the pain barely visible. Twenty minutes later, they could be in agony from a flare-up.

You need to MYOB and get some sensitivity training!

Answer 2

I recommend turning your angst toward the motor vehicle department that may give the placards to an undeserving person. As to watching someone walk from the car - you do not know why they have the placard. You are assuming the worst (as we tend to do because we are harsh on each other). I agree it is hard for you to find a place but it isn't the individual that you judge - it should be businesses that do not provide enough parking spaces. I believe the stigma (again judging each other) attached to the "handicapped" parking placards means that most people don't use them just as a way to get a close place. I tend to want to give others the benefit of the doubt because I do not walk in their shoes.

Good luck with resolving this inside yourself.

Answer 3

Personally, I have gone through a LOT of lipsticks for this particular thing. I see someone in a handicapped zone with no sticker, I check to see some little old lady is not in the back seat first, and if not, tend to scrawl a nice big squiggle on the front window on the driver's side. In Canada, you must have a special card. I only do this to cars with no card. The person might have an invisible health problem.

Me bad. Me also know how tough it is when you are travelling about with a victim of cp and you cannot find a place to unload the chair and child!

Answer 4

Of course it should bother us when we see people cheating. Another thing about that system that bothers me is that you can't park in a handicap space just because you're handicapped, but you must also have an official permit to do so. I am currently unable to walk without a brace and must limit my walking to the shortest distances possible. But since I don't have a blue tag, I can't park in one of the handicap spots or I'll get ticketed. Rarely do I see someone getting into or out of a vehicle in a handicap space who isn't walking normally. But here I am, hobbling along in pain at a reduced rate in a leg brace, prohibited from enjoying the convenience of the closest spaces for want of a pale blue dangler. It doesn't make me angry, but it does make me sad.

Answer 5

I agree that many people do take advantage of the handicapped spots, but I also know several people who need to use them but don't have any apparent physical need to. These people have heart problems, and one has spinal problems. You can't tell when they're just walking short distances. They've been yelled at by people for parking in the spots, but they do have a legitimate parking sticker given to them by their doctors. If you want to say something, just make sure that the person really doesn't need to park there - some of the people who need to just don't look like it.

Answer 6

Sometimes people have a handicap that is not visible and obvious such as a heart condition,a hearing problem etc. I agree people misuse the handicap card and I want to say something but who am I to judge them. I figure they will get caught someday by the law and fined.

Answer 7

When did you get your degree as a doctor???????? looking at me I look healthy but I had spinal surgery, fibro, arthritis, and a heart condition... If you ever said anything to me I would tell you to get f'd because not all handicapped people are in wheelchairs, sometimes it takes all out of me to get in the store and once done it is hard to get back to the car. quit trying to be a doctor or a cop!!!! next time you say something to someone and you may run into me and you will feel like crawling in a hole because what you are trying to do is embarrass people!!!

Answer 8

I agree with you. People should not park in the handicap zones of the stores unless they have a handicap sticker on their automobile. I do not say anything to them because the stores don't do anything to enforce it. I think that they should have a security guard out there to make sure those spots are available for the people who really need them.

Answer 9

Dumas ... Well, you're 100% right, of course. I haven't got the right word to describe how underhanded, stupid, and annoyed it makes me feel to see what you've described.

Yes, as you said there are many other such things that people do that testifies to the fact that they have no pride AND no shame.

There is no easy solution. People take advantage of this privilege just as people who apply for credit, run up their balances, and then claim they can't pay their bills and expect to keep everything they bought. Ridiculous, of course.

I'm very sympathetic. However, I'm not sure what can be done. Good luck to you, Dumas.

Answer 10

I know that a lot of people do take advantage of the system but some people have what is known as a hidden disability such as intestinal problems or stroke. Keep them in mind before you jump to conclusions next time.