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From: Gary.Bewell@f34.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Gary Bewell)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Angry
Message-ID: <15246@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 30 Oct 90 04:15:37 GMT
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Index Number: 11364

On 90-Oct-17, Aaron Feldman wrote to All:

 AF> wanted to. I felt outraged. Can someone help me I can't 
 AF> really understand my feelings. I felt so powerless to 
 AF> protect myself and somehow violated.

I think most of us who use disabled parking stalls have hadsimilar
experiences.  Some of the self-appointed enforcers can be very
vicious in their words and acts.  You don't have to justify
yourself to them.  Just write the situation off.  You run into
these types of people in all types of situations, not just parking
stalls.  It's just that we feel particularly vulnerable when are
parking.  At first we become defensive about our invisible
disability and then want to lash out at them.

I can remember vividly the 6 worst ones I've experienced, but at
the same time, I remember the best one and it returned my faith in
people.  My parking placard had been stolen.  I went to the motor
vehicle division to get a replacement.  I was feeling so lousy I
didn't know if I would be able to walk in and wait in line.  I
couldn't find a parking stall except the disabled parking stall.

Getting out of my van, I saw a man staring at me.  I thought "Well
here it comes."  But the man walked passed me.  He then turned and
approached me.  He told me that it was a real mad house inside the
office with about 150 people waiting.  He had taken a ticket and
waited for 2 hours, but just didn't have the time to wait any
longer.  He gave me his ticket and said I would probably see a
clerk within 15 minutes.  I thanked him.

He didn't know how much I appreciated his generosity.  I was in a
Catch-22 situation.  If I waited in line for 2 hours, I wouldn't be
functioning for the rest of the week.  There was no way to get a
replacement placard except to wait in line and I needed the
placard.

I hope you will have a positive experience so that you can remember
that you don't feel that every person who looks at you when you get
out of your vehicle in a disabled parking stall is an enemy.

    Gary

 # Origin: T.P.V. - Calgary, Alberta, Canada (8:7500/198)

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