Handicap Saga Continues

When I originally started this topic on the old board it was about how "Normal" people stare or make comments to us with these invisible disease...I have made a change in my attitude here goes:

I went to the Chinese place to pickup my order, it is located in a small strip shopping center with only about 10 stores make, they have two handicap spots one right out side the Chinese place one at the other end at the convienent store.  Well tonight I go with my daughter and son's girlfriend (you can see her next too me on the video on the home page!!! cute girl).  The parking lot is jammed packed with car's, both handicap spots are taken, to my surprise the one outside the Chinese place is taken by a car with no Handicap Tag or Plaquard, interesting isn't it!  Well my daughter and son's girlfriend said aren't you going to write a note, at first I wasn't going too, but I thought of you guys and said heck yes I am!!

Well I did and it read:  NICE JOB!! No Handicap Tag's this could be a 250.00 fine, or you could be more considerate for those of us that ARE HANDICAPPED!!!  I proceeded to go into the Chinese place and we were still discussing it and apparently the women that parked there was in front of us, she looked at me in shock and ran out of the store and moved her car!!  ONE FOR US GAL'S FINALLY!!!

Thanks for just listening to me being proud for standing up for us, in a shy kind of way!

I wish I had your you know whats!  I would never have enough to do that no matter how much I was ticked.  Way to go.  I bet that made you feel so good.  My piece that I sent you got published in our staff newletter and boy did it set of a nerve in a good way.  It is amazing how many people didn't realise how much I held it together to just be able to go to work.  If I never a get a donation for the Joints in Motion it was still worth every inch of ink to have it published.

bigted

Bigted, That is great! I am SO PROUD of you and the story you sent is perfect it is a real story of a real person with this disease, I can write on these boards about our disease and talk to people about what I go through but never have I ever been able to write it the way you have.

On the 18th of October I am suppose to host the Arthritis Foundation Table at a healthfair wish me luck..I have to be up and moving by 7:30 in the morning ONSITE, mind you! 

I am so glad you got it published and it was accepted well and you are receiving positive feed back.  Thanks for sharing

good for you! I bet that is the last time she does that!

Kate,

I hope so, next time I think I would call the cops and let them get the fine!  Not sure if i can be that way though, it took enough nerve to right the note. 

Cool check out  you can edit the fonts!!!

you know, I bet that seeing the actual person she caused problems for made a bigger impact on her than a generic ticket, you know?

(woah, we can also change the background color!)

Kate, I think your right she seemed really embarrassed so I think I got the point across. I hope she has learned. Even as a valid handicap plaquard holder, I still only park in the handicap spots when i really NEED too. 

Thanks everyone for your support!

Here's a new one. We as a family went to dinner tonight!  I was actually feeling well enough to walk so we decided not to use a handicap spot.  On our way out from dinner once again there was someone parked in the handicap spot with no proper plaquard or licenses plate, get this they did however have their FOP tag on it. Does that give them the privledge of parking their personal car in the Handicap Spot without the proper documentation? Especially since the lot was packed!! 

Just my opinion, since I watched an elderly lady with a walker trying to make it to her car that was parked out by us and her husband was upset that the car was parked there. My son went with the Husband to get the car and the rest of us stayed with the women.  This isn't right.  Guess calling the police wouldn't have helped in this situation!

There are a lot of people still out there that think that handi-spaces are just for convenience until they know someone who actually needs them.  My family nearly threw a party when I got mine in college, and I had to explain to them that it wasn't a booby prize for loosing the ability to walk 100 feet. 

I only took one when my orhto put it this way, "You live on campus, and it's HUGE.  You aren't stealing spaces from people at burger king, so much as getting a closer space to your dorm- you're stealing it from a drunken frat kid who can fall on his (bum) for all we care."  So, I used to call out the untagged parkers, and even got campus temp tags for people who were laid up.  I don't use a tag anymore, but I'm still hyper-vigilant.  That sort of stuff just grinds my grit!  It is MUCH more effective to teach a lesson rather than inconvenience them with just a ticket.

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to make sure you saw this story we found:

KABC-TV:  New Web site exposes parking cheaters

Eyewitness News heard about a Web site called handicappedfraud.org, where people anonymously report suspected handicap parking placard violators.

Click here to read on abc.com.

Wishing you good health,

Joey

CreakyJoints.org Team

this is great! (and kind of hilarious)

thanks, Joey!

Thanks, Joey!!

It is a really appreciated for the research the Creaky Staff has done for this. 

Folks,

The site Joey has posted has a lot more than just reporting Handicap parking violations, there is a list of websites for Handicap assistances, including computing for the disabled. 

Not that we are disabled per se, though we do have our challenges with gripping things and typing etc.  check it out..pretty cool.

Here's a question for you guys: It has to do with having the "invisible disease," but not parking tags...

How many of you took advantage of the disabled voting line and got horrid stares for it?

My husband called me voting morning and said, "Kati, go to the voting man and explain that you can't stand that long.  You can get a proxy to stand in your place and sit and wait instead of stand."

I wasn't going to do it, but I get there and the line is like 3 hours long.  It turns out they didn't have proxies, but just told me to get in line with the other disabled voters.  The other 4 people were all about 80 and either in wheelcharis or using a cane.  Imagine the stairs my 33 year old blonde self got when I stood with them.

I totally got what you guys have been saying about the handicap tag stares!

- Kati

Thats really interesting- I didn't even know about the disabled voting. I'm fortunate that this year I was able to do it without too much pain, but there have been a lot of times when that would do me in!

I hate that look people give though- its the same one you get when you take the elevator only a floor. People assume so much!

Kati and Kate,

They didn't have disabled voting at where I went but I went at 7AM and there was only a 5 minute wait, and not to mention the person running the poles by our house knows my condition and she was going to make arrangements for me so I didnt get any stares (for once).

I do know that we all get the "invisible disease" stares for many different reasons, I am waiting for the preboarding in December, though I will most likely have my cane with me anyway, but who knows.

I checked out the website about the handicap tags and read through some of the blogs and I have to be honest by the time I got done reading some of the nasty comments to the folks with RA and Lupus I was very very discouraged.  There was a DOCTOR stating that Handicap tags for those that have VISABLE disabilities, so that really struck me the wrong way and there was no one collaborating on the site.  THANK GOD FOR CREAKYJOINTS!!!

I am still thinking about going to the rescue to the poor women with lupus that they were attacking because she can still walk and isn't wheelchair bound at all times.  Though it will take a lot of courage and research of the actual state laws for handicap parking.

Kati, I am sorry you had to experience the stares yet one more time by those that are ignorant of facts, understanding and/or compassion. Keep your head up high and just remember life is like a wheel and it all comes around!!!

I have to believe that and not wish harm or bad upon anyone just that it will be taken care of in it's on time and way.

Hi Tessa,

I caught your comment about pre-boarding - I just called not long ago to set up wheelchair for when I connect in Toronto (TO) and arrive in Montego Bay.  My walker will be given up at check in and I cannot guarantee I can walk when I get off the plane - for TO - it's a huge airport and connecting can be quite interesting.  By requesting a wheelchair I get whisked through the airport at light speed - I get to go to the front of the line for security checks and customs/immigration because without it I would need to stand with everyone else and that I cannot do.  I always announce my need for pre-boarding at the counter if I walked there as sometimes they think they don't need it - no visible young kids or visible disabilities - I only needed to be caught once to find I don't get enought time to get to my seat and be confortable -  a hard thing to do able bodied least alone with the problems I have.

When I are you in TO?  I fly through on the 4th Dec and back through on the 9th.

bigted

Amazing, I will be in the Toronto Airport on Dec 4th arriving and leaving on the 9th. Now this is strange, I will  have to dig up my flight arrangements to let you know the times and flights. 

Thanks for the tips I think I will do the notifications at the counter upon arrival also for both outbound and inbound flights.