The following was posted by an acquaintance who I am now ashamed to admit even knowing.
She posted it on Facebook and had the nerve to hashtag it to a real cause. The whole thing pisses me off so bad I now have to rant about it in order to get it off my brain. I am posting it as-is and inserting my thoughts in an alternate color to differentiate my comments from hers.
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#Invisibleillnessawareness
Today I had an experience at FedEx that I've never had before. It left me shaking, and in tears. We have a handicap license plate. You have a disabled veteran plate. Disabled veteran, which is not the same as "handicapped" for my husband but not for you. When I'm by myself, I never park in a handicapped spot. Oh but you did! Hence the whole point of this post! Shannon her husband does, because he has chronic knee pain , And back pain from serving in the military. but he shouldn't because you guys do not have a handicapped tag He's often told me that people give him dirty looks if he takes up a front parking spot and leaves the handicap spot, since they see his plate declaring bullshit on this. Why on earth would anyone do that? And unless they state why they are giving you dirty looks, you are only assuming.
When I drove up to FedEx, most of the front spots were taken but not all of them and there were two handicap spots available. After the week that I have had with barely being able to walk, being nauseous 24/7, being dizzy, and in pain, I decided to park in a handicapped spot which is illegal since you have no credentials and leave the open spot next to me available for somebody else. wow aren't you considerate. but this still makes no sense. What did you save yourself?
When I walked into FedEx, the manager looked at me and said "you know, if you're not really handicapped, you need to move your car. The police come around here a lot and ticket people." this guy was doing you a favor. Fines for this infraction range from 250 to 500 dollars in New Mexico where this took place. I was so stunned that I just looked at him and said OK I'll move the car. Because you knew you were wrong. And, if you actually had a handicapped plate, why not just say so? Instead, you sheepishly followed orders, which weren't even orders, despite telling everyone that you are a "type A" personality. Laughable.
When I walked back in, I became angry. I think you were just embarrassed. I was thinking of all of my friends with chronic fatigue syndrome, POTS, and other invisible illnesses. Sure you were. But they, and those illnesses, have nothing to do with the situation at hand, do they? It made me so angry that he had arrogance to think that just because somebody isn't in a wheelchair or using a cane, that they don't have a disability. That's what the DMV would have told you, had you not been too lazy to apply for a handicap placard. He was nice about it, but should've taken me to the side, instead of saying that in front of everybody. That's not required. But displaying a handicapped placard is. I'm not going to sit there and try to explain to somebody how mold not a qualifying condition screwed me up, in front of everyone. Such as, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibro, Dizziness, Pain, Brain Fog, etc. None of these are mobility impairments, none of these are qualifying conditions, and you still don't have the credentials to park in a reserved spot.
Even if my husband who also has no qualifying conditions would have been with me, you can't tell the amount of pain that he's and just from watching him walk. He's had times where his leg gives out on him and he falls to the ground. He's earned his spot, serving our country. I, too, am a veteran. A disabled one at that and I did not earn the right to park in a reserved space without having or displaying qualifying credentials. Apparently, he didn't plead his case to the DMV or we'd have nothing to rant about. Perhaps he didn't plead his case because he doesn't have one to plead. This guy just spent 5 days in 95+ degree heat pulling weeds in my yard under the New Mexico sun. I know, first hand, that he isn't too disabled to walk an extra 15 feet. No matter how his legs or knees feel, his disability is PTSD based which...is NOT a mobility impairment.
I got in the car and I called my husband and told him what happened and asked him if I was overreacting. He said no. He only heard YOUR version of the facts.
My heart broke for all of my friends who have handicap tags and can walk, what?? but people don't understand that they have trouble walking, or trouble breathing, or taking 20 steps might be too much for them. this paragraph was thrown-in to make the writer look like a martyr or a saint or whatever. Has not one thing to do with the situation.
Next time you see somebody getting out of the car with the handicap tag, and they appear to be fine, try not to assume that they don't have something that they're dealing with. . You DO NOT HAVE a handicapped tag. You DO NOT HAVE a handicapped placard.
Shannon called and spoke to the manager. Why? You were wrong, wrong, wrong. He felt bad. This is the guy who said that stuff to me. Super nice guy. I've been going to the same fedex for months. and he probably has been holding his tongue about this for a while since I doubt its the first time you've parked there. So I know he's a nice guy. He told him that he wasn't happy that he embarrassed his wife.
Anyone who knows me, knows I hate to have attention drawn to me. Which is why you LIVE on social media and couldn't wait to rant about this to get all of your sympathy messages for it. Thank god at least one person had the nuts to tell you that you were wrong. The manager didn't even look to see if we had a handicap tag. He just didn't see the placard hanging from the rearview mirror like most people have here. Is that because there isn't one? You still don't get it: a disabled veteran plate is not the same as a handicap plate.
My husband told him that it was important to not judge people based on what he thought a disability should look like. YOU do NOT have a QUALIFYING disability. No matter how injured or disabled your husband is. The law is very clear on this. The person to whom the handicapped placard was issued must be in the vehicle when it is parked in a reserved space. It also states that the placard MUST be visible through the front windshield. And he also told him that I'll be taking my business to UPS. So you're punishing the guy when YOU were the one in the wrong even though he may have just saved you $500. That's two wrongs and you're still not right.
Maybe I was wrong for using that spot today, yes you were after the week of horrific struggling. irrelevant I typically don't do that. how many times do you get to speed before you may be cited? Just seeing that whole scene and action was upsetting. People need to think before they speak. People need to think before they post.
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As I said before, I know these people so I have some insider knowledge which I drew upon for my commentary.
Bottom line: she was not eligible to park there. A military disability, belonging to someone else, and not attributed to a mobility impairment is not authorization to disregard the law. Having a headache, a bad day, a bad hair day, or PMS do not grant you the right to utilize reserved parking spaces. You must be incredibly self-centered to publicize something like this. You really should take down your Facebook post as it makes you look really bad.
She posted it on Facebook and had the nerve to hashtag it to a real cause. The whole thing pisses me off so bad I now have to rant about it in order to get it off my brain. I am posting it as-is and inserting my thoughts in an alternate color to differentiate my comments from hers.
-------------------------------------------------------------
#Invisibleillnessawareness
Today I had an experience at FedEx that I've never had before. It left me shaking, and in tears. We have a handicap license plate. You have a disabled veteran plate. Disabled veteran, which is not the same as "handicapped" for my husband but not for you. When I'm by myself, I never park in a handicapped spot. Oh but you did! Hence the whole point of this post! Shannon her husband does, because he has chronic knee pain , And back pain from serving in the military. but he shouldn't because you guys do not have a handicapped tag He's often told me that people give him dirty looks if he takes up a front parking spot and leaves the handicap spot, since they see his plate declaring bullshit on this. Why on earth would anyone do that? And unless they state why they are giving you dirty looks, you are only assuming.
When I drove up to FedEx, most of the front spots were taken but not all of them and there were two handicap spots available. After the week that I have had with barely being able to walk, being nauseous 24/7, being dizzy, and in pain, I decided to park in a handicapped spot which is illegal since you have no credentials and leave the open spot next to me available for somebody else. wow aren't you considerate. but this still makes no sense. What did you save yourself?
When I walked into FedEx, the manager looked at me and said "you know, if you're not really handicapped, you need to move your car. The police come around here a lot and ticket people." this guy was doing you a favor. Fines for this infraction range from 250 to 500 dollars in New Mexico where this took place. I was so stunned that I just looked at him and said OK I'll move the car. Because you knew you were wrong. And, if you actually had a handicapped plate, why not just say so? Instead, you sheepishly followed orders, which weren't even orders, despite telling everyone that you are a "type A" personality. Laughable.
When I walked back in, I became angry. I think you were just embarrassed. I was thinking of all of my friends with chronic fatigue syndrome, POTS, and other invisible illnesses. Sure you were. But they, and those illnesses, have nothing to do with the situation at hand, do they? It made me so angry that he had arrogance to think that just because somebody isn't in a wheelchair or using a cane, that they don't have a disability. That's what the DMV would have told you, had you not been too lazy to apply for a handicap placard. He was nice about it, but should've taken me to the side, instead of saying that in front of everybody. That's not required. But displaying a handicapped placard is. I'm not going to sit there and try to explain to somebody how mold not a qualifying condition screwed me up, in front of everyone. Such as, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibro, Dizziness, Pain, Brain Fog, etc. None of these are mobility impairments, none of these are qualifying conditions, and you still don't have the credentials to park in a reserved spot.
Even if my husband who also has no qualifying conditions would have been with me, you can't tell the amount of pain that he's and just from watching him walk. He's had times where his leg gives out on him and he falls to the ground. He's earned his spot, serving our country. I, too, am a veteran. A disabled one at that and I did not earn the right to park in a reserved space without having or displaying qualifying credentials. Apparently, he didn't plead his case to the DMV or we'd have nothing to rant about. Perhaps he didn't plead his case because he doesn't have one to plead. This guy just spent 5 days in 95+ degree heat pulling weeds in my yard under the New Mexico sun. I know, first hand, that he isn't too disabled to walk an extra 15 feet. No matter how his legs or knees feel, his disability is PTSD based which...is NOT a mobility impairment.
I got in the car and I called my husband and told him what happened and asked him if I was overreacting. He said no. He only heard YOUR version of the facts.
My heart broke for all of my friends who have handicap tags and can walk, what?? but people don't understand that they have trouble walking, or trouble breathing, or taking 20 steps might be too much for them. this paragraph was thrown-in to make the writer look like a martyr or a saint or whatever. Has not one thing to do with the situation.
Next time you see somebody getting out of the car with the handicap tag, and they appear to be fine, try not to assume that they don't have something that they're dealing with. . You DO NOT HAVE a handicapped tag. You DO NOT HAVE a handicapped placard.
Shannon called and spoke to the manager. Why? You were wrong, wrong, wrong. He felt bad. This is the guy who said that stuff to me. Super nice guy. I've been going to the same fedex for months. and he probably has been holding his tongue about this for a while since I doubt its the first time you've parked there. So I know he's a nice guy. He told him that he wasn't happy that he embarrassed his wife.
Anyone who knows me, knows I hate to have attention drawn to me. Which is why you LIVE on social media and couldn't wait to rant about this to get all of your sympathy messages for it. Thank god at least one person had the nuts to tell you that you were wrong. The manager didn't even look to see if we had a handicap tag. He just didn't see the placard hanging from the rearview mirror like most people have here. Is that because there isn't one? You still don't get it: a disabled veteran plate is not the same as a handicap plate.
My husband told him that it was important to not judge people based on what he thought a disability should look like. YOU do NOT have a QUALIFYING disability. No matter how injured or disabled your husband is. The law is very clear on this. The person to whom the handicapped placard was issued must be in the vehicle when it is parked in a reserved space. It also states that the placard MUST be visible through the front windshield. And he also told him that I'll be taking my business to UPS. So you're punishing the guy when YOU were the one in the wrong even though he may have just saved you $500. That's two wrongs and you're still not right.
Maybe I was wrong for using that spot today, yes you were after the week of horrific struggling. irrelevant I typically don't do that. how many times do you get to speed before you may be cited? Just seeing that whole scene and action was upsetting. People need to think before they speak. People need to think before they post.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I said before, I know these people so I have some insider knowledge which I drew upon for my commentary.
Bottom line: she was not eligible to park there. A military disability, belonging to someone else, and not attributed to a mobility impairment is not authorization to disregard the law. Having a headache, a bad day, a bad hair day, or PMS do not grant you the right to utilize reserved parking spaces. You must be incredibly self-centered to publicize something like this. You really should take down your Facebook post as it makes you look really bad.
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