How should I handle this situation if it ever happens again?

[Grog]

--"Hey--no hang tag--move it"

What a moron!!!

 

[mhopset]

Liz, I know it is hard. I have had people look at me, give me dirty looks, even laugh at me while getting up out of a chair in a restuarant. Most of the time I don't say anything, but once in a while I will show them one of my fingers I know, I know bad Tony!

Most of the time I don't have to say anything becasue my family sticks up for me They will say something.

I think in your case I would have approached them and asked them if they were talking about where you were parked and then told them the whole story right there in the Wal-mart parking lot. Then maybe they would learn to keep their mouth shut.

You hang in there!

 

[kejoda]

Since Liz is the one that needs to use the hang tag it should be up to her whether you say anything.

Someone said something to my Mom and I walked up to them and said "My Mom has breast cancer whats wrong with you?" They didn't have an answer.

 

[janette]

{{{HUGS}}}

Some people just don't think, if anyone deserves a break it's Laura and you should never feel like you have to justify it. As long as the tag is there they should not question it.

The only time I remember saying anything to someone was when I was a hostess at a restaurant many years ago. I saw a car pull into the handicapped and 4 people get out who did not look like they needed it. After checking the car I loudly said to another hostess that we needed a tow truck for a car parked illegally in a handicapped spot. It was moved pretty quickly

 

[mamajoan]

Liz.. I get THAT LOOK everytime we pull into a Handi parking place... UNTIL they see the kids unloading the w/c from the back of the van or see me try to hobble a short distance.. then they just get this look like "oh".... and SOMETIMES people are just curious.. and that is ok....because I am curious sometimes too.. just hopefully not rude.

Sweetie .. all you can do is kill 'em with kindness....

next time just WAVE and Say.."Is there SOMETHING I can HELP you with?"

Liz your dd works very hard everyday to manage her mobility to the best of her ability! She is a tough cookie! and you her mom/protector.. who is doing a great job..
Please excuse the next part of my post .. but this is a great thread to expound the whys/wherefores of handicap parking.

I know alot of you think that there are TONS of handicapped parking spaces available.... but in reality most of the time there are not enough. I realize that at any given time there may be several open handi spaces... but for most of us it is a rare occasion to find the type of space we need to use.

I have heard all kinds of comments.. "GEEZ do you think these people really NEED ALL OF THESE SPACES"..
"I'll just be a minute really" ( as they park in the handi space while going to the ATM etc..)
"Just put the cart over there honey"...while indicating the hash marks in the handi space
I realize most handi people can not push the cart back to the corral.. but this is done by mostly the abled bodies..
WE NEED THE HASH MARK SPACE TO MANUEVER >>>>>
Please give us room to park in the handispaces.. it helps alot!


Those of you who know me know that this is my soap box subject.. Thanks for listening!

And LIZ.. GIRL YOU ROCK!

 

[Liz]

Gosh, thanks guys, for all your support. When I have a problem I often feel like I have the strength of the DIS standing right there with me!

Mamajoan, maybe you can answer this for me. I often wonder if its okay for me to park in a handi spot that says "van accessible" (we don't have a van).

Thanks again everyone!

 

[mamajoan]

Liz this is my opinion on your ?, I suggest if you have a choice btwn van parking and non van.. take the non van.. but if there is just van parking available.. TAKE IT.. and don't worry.
There is no "who needs it more" system with handicap tags.. everybody is created equal. Some states have provisions in their handicap parking laws which require that no one can sit in the car in the handicap space while waiting for another passenger. I understand the reasoning behind the provision but don't necessarily agree with it. I think if the car has clearly displayed handcap placard or plates and the disabled person is using the vehicle at the time of parking.. the vehicle gets the space. JMHO

I have a rear lift for my w/c.... some vans have rear lifts some have side lifts... Sometimes If I am driving I will park a little bit into the hash marks to give me room to get the w/c from the rear of the van up to the drivers door. Most Van spaces have the hashmarks on the passengers side

Hope you can wave and smile at the next "parking monitor" you come across!

 

[KimRaye]

I have an honest question ~~ Is it OK to glare at a car/people that Don't have a placard OR the plates or, is that rude, too?

I thought that without either, you get a ticket? So, why not a glare, too?!

 

[Sharby]

Originally posted by mamajoan
. . . .Sweetie .. all you can do is kill 'em with kindness....
next time just WAVE and Say.."Is there SOMETHING I can HELP you with?" . . . .

I like this answer

What about this one though: Several months ago, I had taken my neighbour, who does not drive, shopping. She has a hang tag, which she gives to friends who help her with errands. So, the hang tag was on my car and I had just helped my friend into my car. (My friend still uses a walker, but needs an ECV or electric wheelchair now, but she is not ready in her head to make the transition yet ).

I had just finished putting her walker in my trunk, when an older man, in an ECV, goes zipping by me and screams out at me, "You don't look very handicapped to me! ! "

 

[Serena]

My grandma had a hanging tag and we used it. I am in no way handicapped and my grandma didn't look it unless she was tired. But I chose to ignore everyone that gave us dirty looks, we had the tag, that's all that was neccessary.

 

[cgcw]

I get angry with people who park in a handicapped spot when they don't really need one (I have an "friend" who would do this when in a hurry and use to use her moms tag). I agree with what most have said here, often disabilities are not always noticable.

Just a word of caution about those hang tags. Before my mom got her handicapped plates, she used to use a hang tag. On two separate occassions, they were stolen when her car was left unlocked -- once off of her own driveway by someone who had to know it was there (not hanging). Apparently, some low lives will go to all sorts of measures to justify their parking in a handicapped spot. I hope I'm never as lazy as they are!

Best of luck to your DD, Liz.