Asked to move my car which has handicapped plates on it!

[caitlincares]

I just went to the corner store for supplies. I did not feel like walking in a large grocery store.
Since I was not getting gas I parked the first spot on the side (legal parking).
There are no official handicapped parking places because of the size I guess.

The gas station delivery truck pulled in behind me. The gas tanks are on the side of the building where I was parked.
The guy jumps out of the truck and tried to catch me before I got completely out of the car.
He says I am going to back up and end up blocking you in unless you move your car.
So he starts pointing to the far sides of the parking area.

I think he realized I was looking at him strange.
I said "NO - I am handicapped".
He did change his tune. He said "Sorry".
I went in the store and he waited for me to come out.
And pleasantly said "Have a Nice day".

Such a simple task of going to get a few items at a "convenient" store.
That turned into confrontation for no real reason.

 

[I'ddie4him]

I am absolutely apalled that someone could be so calloused to do that and think that it's ok to do.
I would have been less than cordial about it.

 

[MichaelFJF]

I'm confused. What confrontation? The guy didn't understand the situation. When he did, he waited. What exactly is he supposed to do? M

 

[waitsonthelord]

Sounds to me as though there were feelings! You know the kind you get when you KNOW someone is ticked because he has to wait. When I am at the post office and I take a little extra time to get my money in my pocket and pick up my cane and there is a person breathing down my neck and you hear the SIGH?! That kind of feeling. Sometimes if FEELS like I have been in a confrontation when I am really just feeling "in the way."

 

[kevin4misty]

To me It was nice of him to understand and wait.

I remember a year ago I walked it to a place to pay my Electric bill and the clerck said something that I didnt hear and asked her if she could reapeat it or write it down because of me being Deaf.
Boy did she get this nastly little face...her action showed that she did not want to deal with me.
I just said " Fine I'll just go some were else to pay this" loud enough for whole front of the store to hear.

This happend just a few months of losing my hearing and at that time I was ashamed of it and extremly embarassed by it.

 

[allieisme]

To me It was nice of him to understand and wait.

I remember a year ago I walked it to a place to pay my Electric bill and the clerck said something that I didnt hear and asked her if she could reapeat it or write it down because of me being Deaf.
Boy did she get this nastly little face...her action showed that she did not want to deal with me.
I just said " Fine I'll just go some were else to pay this" loud enough for whole front of the store to hear.

This happend just a few months of losing my hearing and at that time I was ashamed of it and extremly embarassed by it.

Thats horrible.. You should never be ashamed of a disability you have. That lady should have felt horrible, horrible after the face she made and ESPECIALLY when you asked her to write it down because you were deaf. Oh my gosh! I want to aplogize for that lady! That is appauling!

 

[allieisme]

I'm confused. What confrontation? The guy didn't understand the situation. When he did, he waited. What exactly is he supposed to do? M

In a way I agree with this statement. There wasn't really a confrontation. He didn't know you were either handicapped or that you had handicapped plates, and when he realized this is apologied and then went as far as to wait until you got out of the store and told you to have a good day!
Thats not a confrontation IMO

 

[greetwell]

No confrontation involved. I give the guy A+ in mannerisms.

 

[Ave Maria]

I honestly didn't see how there was a confrontation. It seems to me that he didn't realize you was disabled and once he did, he decided to be nice about it and wait for you to get out of the store.

 

[Newly Lived Life]

People make mistakes,

 

[phylis]

Sounds to me as though there were feelings! You know the kind you get when you KNOW someone is ticked because he has to wait. When I am at the post office and I take a little extra time to get my money in my pocket and pick up my cane and there is a person breathing down my neck and you hear the SIGH?! That kind of feeling. Sometimes if FEELS like I have been in a confrontation when I am really just feeling "in the way."

This really saddens me. I see this alot at the airport where my dad works. People are in such a hurry to get through security they will even go as far as push or like you said, sigh down the back of the elderly or young children or someone in a wheelchair as if to say, You are an inconvinence and in my way. MOVE. Just in a more "politically-correct" way, God forbid we help anyone in this world.

 

[night2day]

I honestly don't understand why the guy threatened to block you inside the legal parking space in the first place, whether disabled or not. The matter of being disabled shouldn't have even been an issue. There's no excuse for rudeness.

You were a customer and you were in compliance with the law.

 

[I'ddie4him]

I just recently got a ticket for parking in a handicapped spot, Which is legal for me since I have a placard, I did not have it hanging on my rearview mirror. But, It was on my dashboard IN PLAIN view and I still got a ticket. So, I went to the Police station and complained about it. I showed the officer where the placard was sitting in plain view and he was kind enough to rip it up for me. He told me that the parking control person had done this several times in the last month or so. According to the law, The placard has to be in plain view either hanging or sitting on the dash. I guess I will be getting my handicapped plate for my truck soon. That way, When I do go somewhere on my own, I will be covered. Most of the time my wife does the driving, So, The placard is in her car the biggest share of the time. I still see this as rude for someone to even say anything when it's not their concern.

 

[Flopsy Rabbit]

Sometimes you just feel tired of people thinking and making it obvious or not that you are a bother or in the way because you are handicapped, and you get tired of having to explain yourself or your disability, not that the guy did anything wrong but a non handicapped person could have parked on the other side and wouldnt have had to explain
"I'm handicapped" Not a nasty confrontation, but still she had to explain herself where others would not.

 

[Nossa-the-Lame]

I think this society has become so decietful and filled with lies that now people take every action we do as some type of ulterior motive for personal gain. I am from now on not asking any questions to anyones actions what-so-ever from now on. Unless I see a pattern that looks to be not truthful, I will use that one rule from golf: "Play it as it lies."

Game on!
NTL

PS: This hasn't happened to me yet ANd I don't want it too!

 

[makkulu]

I agree with Flopsy Rabbit (love your nick btw) - I am not a fan of how so often we feel as though people expect an explanation from us for things which are really not an issue, or are not their business. Sometimes I give an explanation if I am trying to "educate" someone who clearly doesn't get it - that can go a long way later towards dispelling the common misunderstandings about disability. But mostly I get stubborn and don't give explanations even when people ask for them outright (which is hard to do because at heart I am a people pleaser). This may be a whole new topic in itself but I also try to educate people by letting them know politely that my circumstances are, on the whole, a private matter and that "so what is wrong with you then?" is actually a very personal question even if it is asked politely - bit like asking about someone's sex life. Those questions are appropriate only with a very good legitimate reason to ask about them! To that question (what is wrong with you?) I would answer, "well, I have a short temper, I drink too much coffee, and I tend to procrastinate". (And they would then say "oh no, that's not what I meant" and I would answer- I know what you meant). And if they can't work out why I reply that way, bad luck, go think it over.

I guess the thing is, I don't define myself by my abilities nor by the things I can't do, and certainly not by my disability, so it bugs me when it is the first thing people want to know about, or when at the supermarket, when they see me get out of the car without a wheelchair, they stare like the parking police and expect me to give an explanation..... I have a permit, I don't need to give an explanation. I gave it already to the motor rego department, and it was good enough for them!! There is actually a bumper sticker over here which has the disabled parking logo on one side and it reads "check out the parking permit, not the person". Maybe that will be my new answer to questions. It is a fine line to walk sometimes, between wanting to demystify things a bit and combat some of the ignorance and uncaring attitudes that are around, and yet not wanting to make my life everyone's business in order to do so. I try to get a feel for whether people are ignorant, or just plain uncaring, and refuse to answer the latter. Mostly it is about my own attitude to myself though, and not wanting to let others put me in a box when I refuse to put myself in one (especially since it is easier to go with the flow and let myself be put in that box).

Makk

 

[night2day]

...not that the guy did anything wrong but a non handicapped person could have parked on the other side and wouldnt have had to explain.

My concern is why the guy even threatened to block someone into a legal parking space. Sure he backed down when she told him she was disabled. But why should it even matter if the person was disabled or not? It was a legal parking space. If the guy wanted the car moved he could have simply asked politely or otherwise wait.

Had it been someone who had not been disabled more than likely he wouldn't have backed off.

Either way, the incident strikes me as just plain wrong.

 

[growingupinhim]

In a way I agree with this statement. There wasn't really a confrontation. He didn't know you were either handicapped or that you had handicapped plates, and when he realized this is apologied and then went as far as to wait until you got out of the store and told you to have a good day!
Thats not a confrontation IMO

I agree seems guy was nice enough..perhaps all we know from what you said a Chrisitan!

 

[Kira Faye]

maybe it he needed that area for the filling and unfortunatly that was the only place he could go to...........I was not there so can't say much to how he said it but it seemed pretty good cause as soon as u said u were disabled he made sure he helped u.....

As someone above was mentioning I hate explaining myself..I wear a wrist band at work on checkouts and u woudl think somethign simple liek that woudl go un noticed! but no every third customer asks what is wrong with my arm. I tend to just agree with people now no matter what they say.someone asked if I was slashing my wrists again and I looked him straight in the eyes and said yes and then went back to work.he was very quiet after that hehehe. I don't really mind kids asking, I remember we have a trolley guy who has one leg and a peg for the other one and a kid asked him about and he was SOOO nice about it and expplained to the kid then reassured the mother he didn't mind because kids are curious and its better they know the truth and dont; think its a bad thing.

 

[night2day]

As someone above was mentioning I hate explaining myself..I wear a wrist band at work on checkouts and u woudl think somethign simple liek that woudl go un noticed! but no every third customer asks what is wrong with my arm. I tend to just agree with people now no matter what they say.someone asked if I was slashing my wrists again and I looked him straight in the eyes and said yes and then went back to work.he was very quiet after that hehehe...

Due two my wrist braces I wear I'm sometimes asked by strangers when I do make it out "What happened? Did you slug your boyfriend?"

Yeesh, good thing they can't see my other braces/supports.

As you seemed to infer above, when someone asks a stupid question, give a stupid answer.