I am going to allow myself to be a little pissed for a moment here. I have something I need to get off my chest as it seems to me very few people are bothered with what I am about to talk about. Please forgive me in advance if this does not apply to you, and if it does, you need not tell me so…just let me know you get the point and will stop doing it…and if you don’t get the point I will probably eat your head the next time we meet. –Or simply chop it off with my machete which I bring with me everywhere…obviously.
It seems to me, everywhere I go, people are lazy. –Inconceivably lazy. So lazy in fact that they cannot walk more than 3 feet at the time. Due to this habit of being slothful people drive everywhere. This is a fact I have accepted long ago. If people wish to slowly lose their ability to walk, let them drive…”fuck the environment as long I don’t need to exercise”. Hopefully as time goes by they will realize that exercise is actually good for you…and perhaps they will start walking again. Either way, neither the environment, nor the need for exercise is going to be the topic of this post.
The thorn in my foot (not my side) today is the laziness that affects those who would love to exercise but cannot due to physical impairment. I am talking about those fuckers (pardon my French) who think it is ok to park on a handicap spot right in front of the store entrance. The “only-going-to-be-gone-for-5-minutes”-assholes that are too lazy to park 4 spaces down where there is no handicap sign.
As someone with a close family member who needs these handicap spaces…spaces which are wider so you can open the doors completely without causing damage to the car next to you…spaces which are close to the entrance so you wont have to carry bags far, and which limit the distance you need to walk…I have seen how these selfish idiots can ruin a shopping trip.
I have been a passenger with this person who in situations like these have only had the choice of finding another store where handicap spaces have been available…sometimes that requires a long drive or a visit to several stores…now I am sure you can imagine the predicament if the store in question is one of a kind in an area.
In these situations I have personally gone out of the car just to check the parked cars for a handicap permit. I can tell you that in 98 percent of the cases, no permit has been present.
I have also caught people red handed coming out of the store while Ive been checking their car…Obviously when I ask them where their permit is they always get angry and give me the following line “I was only gone for 5 minutes”. As if that is an ok excuse. As if the person who actually has a permit and drives by will know this. As if you can tell whether or not they have a permit in their front window when you drive by the car on the opposite side. The person looking for a handicap space cannot see the front window with the permit…or lack of it…they can only assume you have one. And you don’t know if the person parked there will be gone for 5 minutes or 2 hours… Besides, it is often apparent they have been gone way longer than 5 minutes…it takes more than 5 minutes to buy a whole bag worth of items…
It makes me so angry that so many people think it is ok to do this. That they can believe their laziness is more important than the wellbeing of an already unfortunate person who cannot walk as far and long as you and who cannot carry as heavy as you can.
If you do not need a handicap space, please do not under any circumstances park there! Someone needs it and trust me, there are more people out there with a permit than you would think! Just be happy you don’t really need that space…cause suddenly one morning you may wake up and find that something is not right with your body, and before you know it you have the need for a handicap space. And at that point it is too late. You wish you could exercise, run, wear high heels or simply carry a heavy bag. Stuff most of us take for granted…stuff so many people wish they could do. Why add to their misery? How can you be so selfish? Why is your laziness more important than other people’s wellbeing? If you have legs to walk on then walk. And if you don’t, get a permit before you park illegally.
I think I will start carrying a permanent marker in my bag. And every time I find an illegally parked car, I will write in big letters on the back window: “I am more important than handicapped people”. That way the driver will have to drive all the way home in embarrassment before he can wash it off with spirits.
Next car could be yours. Think about it.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Acknowledging discrimination
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7 comments:
# Aplause # :)
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# Aplause # :)
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If you get caught around here doing that, Its a big fine! Not worth the "5 minutes" those assholes take to do whatever it is. I also wonder what credentials some of these people use to get a tag in the first place. Its not very discretionary I can tell you that.
Ahhh but alas, you and I are on the same page with this one little lady. Just an FYI though, I went after one of these alleged violaters once, getting ready to blast them when it was a simple case of driving a different car and not having a tag in it. I felt bad for getting angry and almost letting go on them. But I always would tell them, "Although not being able to read IS a handicap, Or being Stupid is a Handicap, I dont think thats what they meant by putting that wheelchair on that parking space!"
I Supervise an employee whom I inherited taking this position, I literally had to write a letter for her file that states,"You will stand to the side of the Fire escape stairwell until everyone is out safely. Upon which time, you can step into the emergency stairwell and the emergency crews will come and get you. She is too big to walk, and has blown both knees. they wont surgically repair her knees since she wont lose the weight.
How sad is that?
Well you know...in order to get a permit, you need a statement from a doctor and you need to apply to the transportation department which ultimately decides if you are eligable. In most states/countries you need to have a chronical illness in order to get one. AND this is the important fact, if you drive a car WITHOUT an issued permit...(each permit has a licence number matching your car) you can NOT park at a handicap space. You need to use the car and the permit everytime. OR always bring the permit no matter which car you drive! That person tricked you my friend. He or she was not allowed to park there without the permit present in the window....Its a common lie many people pull. Some also use the: "I have ordered but it hasnt arrived in the mailbox yet.." Also a lie, as you need to show up personally and prove that you are you with proper ID.
Well, their wheel chair was a dead giveaway they probably werent tricking me, but this was some time ago. I have also seen the family of people who have tags using it just because they can. Its in the Car, they are driving the car, Why not? I had a friend his Mom had one. We drove her car to the store and he parked way out. I said jokingly, "You got one of those tags, lets use it!" He said, "Now my brother would do that, but that is just bush league doing that shit." We laughed and went to the store. I would have busted on him if had tried that, but it was funny to joke about to each other.
Hahahaha - I was going to say what Beat said - there are large fines for that here. Though people do try it. Newer developments have a LOT of handicapped parking too so we aren't running into that as much here anymore. But it is very frustrating.
The only thing I have to admit to is I sometimes use the handicapped stall in the women's bathroom. I always get out quickly - but I can fit my babies stroller in there and it is usually when nothing else is available. I have always wanted to ask how handicapped feel about that. Although I would never use one if someone who needed it was there first......is this as bad??
I would say if you have a kid in a stroller with you and you have to take her in with you, heck yeah thats alright. Its for a kids safety. But a lot of times they dont make those Bathrooms Handicap only, usually its a combonation type deal since Bathrooms are a very large expense. To install and maintain.
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