Rude People

[faeflora]

D and Ls Mom.....I love the way your DD handled the rude grown up that was great.....way to go....


Handicap Parking....here in Raleigh the fine for parking without a handicap permit was just recently raised from $100.00 to $250.00 and in I believe it is Greensboro disabled people using a polaroid camera and a ticket book are trained to issue violations for individuals who illegally park in the handicap places. I would love to hand out some tickets would definitely relieve my stress level....

As for rude people at WDW, in 2000 we visited the parks for my birthday. We were in Epcot and were trying to make our way to a seating area for Tapestry of Nations. The first performance had let out and the CM's were trying to keep two distinct traffic patterns one for people heading out of World Showcase and one for people heading into World Showcase. Well a teenager decided he would just cut into my lane of course my powerchair had no room to stop so the young man bounced from my lap to the floor where my chair hit him. This young man stood up and gave me a look like he was waiting for me to apologize before I could do anything the CM who witnessed this started scolding the young man for not following their directions. I only wish I had gotten this CM's name.




17 days till we head out for WDW....

 

[Amgrease]

My mom is in a wheelchair and we go to Disney about twice a month so we hear lots of stories. One time my mom asked to be parked to watch the parade while a friend and I went to ride Space Mountain. We parked her where she asked(not in a handicapped viewing area) and we went to SM. When we came back we pushed our way through the crowd to my mother. Just as we reached there we saw a lady in an EVC come through the crowd and hook the corner of my mom's chair and pull her half way down the sidewalk without stopping. I ran for my mom and my friend went after the lady to yell at her. The worst part is that later we saw her playing at our hotel (Coronado) with children running after them on the grassy area and picking them up etc. I also had an experience when I was at Disneyland this summer. I have a bad knee and wasn't able to walk on the last day so I had to rent a wheelchair. We were at California Adventure, in line for California Screamin' (the rollercoaster). We had just gotten in line as a pair of adults with two small boys squeezed around me and my friend and just stood there. The boys were rowdy and started bumping into me immediatly. So I tapped the woman and asked if they were with the people in front of them and she said no. I then told her that the line was behind me, not in front of me. She made a rude comment about rides being wasted on handicapped people and pulled her family behind me. People like that make me sick and I am glad that it was me and not my mom that was exposed to that.

 

[sha_lyn]

I once accidentally lokc DS in the car when he was still in a booster seat. I saw an officer a few rows away ticketing car that were parked in HC spaces. I flagged him down. The pollice around here are not allowed to carry slim jims anymore (because they were taking business away from the lock smiths) but we were able to encourage DS to unfasten his seat belt and unlock the door. I had a great conversation with hte offier and found out he took the time to check the parking lots because he has a brother in a wheel chair.
I also have a friend that works at Walmart that is particially paralized(and deaf and blind on that side). He does't want a HC permit becasue he feels very storng about leavign the spaces for those who need them more. He and some of his friends create a few macco moments for the cars they find parked in HC spots without permits also.
What really ticks me is the people who borrow a realitives car or permit so they can park in a HC space. I made sure my grandmothers permit was destroyed so no one would use it.

 

[Wheelsie]

Tig-this happened so loing ago I doubt this woman is even on the force anymore...but it really burned our butts!! LOL

Sue- likely she would have thought a busted headlight was more worth her time that a handi spot LOL
And yes I agree this world is going to pot when you either decide to joyride in a lift van or dump your stolen vehicle in a handi spot! LOL

 

[DiSnEyGuRl276]

I dont have any disabilities but I go on this board to see what people have to go through when they are in Disney!! I cant beleive what people do to people with disabilities the problem nobody has any respect at all!! How could sombody be so rude to someone who has a disability?? I couldnt imagine being so rude to someone! If someone got in my way to try to see if I could stop #1 I would keep going and run them over I wouldnt careee and #2 One of my family members would do somthing about it! I dont understand why some people have to be soooooooo rude and not have any RESPECT!!!

 

[BuckeyeBelle]

I may be in the minority, but it disturbs me to read about cars being vandalized for being parked where they shouldn't. To me that's just as judgmental and wrong as when other people sneer and make comments about people using wheelchairs when their disability isn't obvious. Sure, it is wrong to park in a handi spot without a permit, and abuse burns me as much as the next person. But you never know for sure what the story is with the driver of that car. Maybe they were just injured, or they misplaced thier tag, or maybe it fell under the seat without them knowing it (that's happened to my parents), or maybe they didn't know a permit was required (believe it or not, there are some people who fall into that category), or maybe they had a handicapped passenger who forgot their tag. You can't just assume the driver is an able-bodied abusing jerk who deserves to have their car ruined.

My Grandmother was in her late 80s and could hardly walk when she began using the handi spots. For some reason (don't ask me why) she didn't get herself a permit. Eventually she got ticketed, and when whe went in to pay the ticket, they took one look at her and reduced her fine to $1, then told her to go get a placard, which she did at that point. Now, I don't condone or agree with what she did, but I think it would have been ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE if someone had slashed her tires or damaged her paint while she was in the store because of it!

Leave a note or confront the person if you must, but be prepared to be embarrassed if you are wrong. (This has also happened to people I know.) But no matter how tempting, please please do not go around destroying property - you never know who you are hurting!!!

P.S. I LOVE the idea of giving tickets with a Polariod. Haha -- Now there's a real solution!!!

 

[lisapooh]

I do not condone vandalizing cars in retaliation for parking improperly in a handicapped space. That is wrong. I do advocate calling the police and having them ticketed. Your grandmother was lucky. What she was doing was wrong. She didn't have a placard and should not have parked in a handicapped spot period. It was her choice not to get that placard. Actually IMHO she should have been hit with the full cost of the ticket.
Simply if you do not have the handicapped permit you should not be parking there. If you have forgotten it or it is misplaced you should not be parking there. Place it where it cannot be forgotten or misplaced. I know this sounds mean but the only way the police can enforce handicapped parking is to ticket those without it and have a no excuses policy. And the fine needs to be substantial enough that it is not worth it to park in a handicapped spot without a permit. I can't tell you how often my husband ends up dropping me and then parking the car and later picking up the car and then picking me up because there is someone using the handicapped spots without a permit at the grocery store.

 

[LindaDVC]

Yesterday we went to Mcdonalds.

After not parking in the handicapped spaces
1.) since they were full and 2.) not big enough anyway

We proceeded to the one ramped door.
It was locked so I went in to get it unlocked.
While I was trying to get the manager to unlock it several nice people tried to open the door for Dan assuming he just couldn't open it. Each time he explained it was locked and his wife was inside requesting that they unlock it.
Finally the manager tells me that they keep that door locked for security reasons.
I of course ask how is someone in a wheelchair suppose to come in---
They offer to unlock it and assured us they will be happy to unlock it for us anytime we come!
Eating at McDoanlds is definetly not worth the hastle!!!

Linda

 

[lisapooh]

So someone in a wheelchair unaccompanied would have to get to the regular door and bang on it to get attention for them to open the accessible door then go back to the accessible door to get in. Definately not worth the trouble and I would write them and let them know why you will no longer be patronizing their business.

 

[Wheelsie]

You want another "funny" McDonalds story?

Back a few yrs...DH and I were driving round town....went into a McD that we usually drive thru but this day it was like in the 90's and so we decided to go in...

We stand in line....order our food..

While waiting for our food...we turn around and see THERE IS NO PLACE FOR ME TOL STEP DOWN TO THE EATTING AREA So we ask to speak w the Manager...he tells us there is no access... We were like "so what are we supposed to do we're handi and we're hungry? HE SUGGESTS WE EAT AT THE COUNTER OR GET IT TO GO

So,sweating,thirsty, and hungry we decide to go.....He says "Dont forget your food" We said well if we can't eat it here we are going somewhere that will make it accessible for us to eat INSIDE and with that....We left.

 

[faeflora]

Regarding McDonalds I have had boycotted them since the 1996 paralympic games in Atlanta where they chose not to sponsor the paralympic games but also refused to be released from the endorsement list so that the International Paralympic Organization could court other food chain sponsors such as Chick Fil A or Burger King......



9 days till WDW....and the Disney Institute

 

[sha_lyn]

I don't condone the valdalism. I just that there is agroup that does (or did ) do it. I am guilty of doing it once with taco sauce at a taoc bell when I was 15. The guy we we double dating drives a van with a wheel chair lift and the only HC space was taken with a car with no permit. We were able to park but had to double park so he could get out. We squirted taco sauce all over the tires of the car in the space.

 

[lisapooh]

While I wouldn't condone that at least it did no permanent damage. Actually the thought of it is a bit funny.

 

[Wheelsie]

The concept of the taco sauce makes me want to carry around some honey....or maybe maple syrup??

 

[LindaDVC]

Recently we were in one of those narrow handicapped spaces so I had to pull out to use the lift. While loading a man who I admit was temprarily blocked started beeping. He just got on the horn and blared it for being momentarily delayed.
I was afraid of road rage he was so mad so didn't say anything -- infact the way he passed me later made he glad I hadn't gotten involved with him! He was ANGRY!!

However I assume he has no idea how much extra time we spend each and every time we go somewhere or how oftern the handicapped spots are not accessible.

When we lived in Philadelphia(pre-ADA) they used to have gates so people couldn't take the grocery carts to the parking lot! As you all know a wheelchair can't hop over gates either. So we would have to find the manager with the key! Sometimes after letting us in he would go to lunch and we couldn't leave. One employee told me accept life! I have to admit I blaster her and said we accespt the disability and the chair and we do the best we can BUT LEAVING A GROCERY STORE SHOULD BE A RIGHT NOT A PRIVLEDGE!!
Same thing happened at a public llibrary - you could only use the elevator when the guard assisted you! Well- he too went to lunch and we had to wait for his return!

I am sure we have all had these moments!

 

[BuckeyeBelle]

That bit about the taco sauce was kind of funny!

I still think a big fat ticket would be better, but at least taco sauce is realtively harmless (and it doesn't prevent the car from being moved the way tire damage does.)

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Here in the UK, handicap parking spaces are often separated with a wide zone of striped yellow paint, indicating the no parking zone between cars that is necessary to det a wheelchair down the side of the car to the door.

Someone drives up and spots such a gap between two cars, just wide enough to squeeze into, which she does. She puts her handicap sticker in the windshield then opens her door just a crack and just manages to squeeze out, then starts to walk off on crutches.

As I approach in my chair, I shout to her, and ask how she expects me to get into my own car, next to her.

Its not just the fit and able that don't think!!

Another off topic (non Disney) point of irritation. I live close to a subway station, and all the streets fill up with commuters going into central London. I am riding along the sidewalk and find the way ahead blocked by a car that is parked at the junction of a side road, right across the drop kerb. I have no choice but turn left and head up the block to the nexxt junction which is similarly blocked. I turn left again, and now backtracking, eventually find a gap between two cars big enough to get into the highway. I complete the remainder of my trip, riding along the highway, not the sidewalk, not the safest thing to do in London!!!

Andrew

 

[Wheelsie]

Adam we in the US have those lines (not always but somet places) and you have NO IDEA how many times I park in a spot and when I come out someone is parked IN THE LINED AREA!! It just irks me!!

 

[FergieTCat]

According to my parents, there is a stiff fine in Florida if you are caught parking in a handicapped spot without identification. They live in Delray Beach and are fanatical about making sure theirs is displayed whenever they park in a handicapped spot.

Also, and strangely enough, sometimes the handicapped spots aren't the closest ones. My parents just aim for the closest spot possible and only use the handicapped spots if they absolutely have to.

Just a thought if you are parking outside of Disney ...

Donna

 

[s&k'smom]

I can't tell you how fasinated I am with this posting. As for the Mcdonald's did they really say they keep it locked for security reasons? Isn't that illegal according to the ADA? Funny is the front door kept locked for the same reason? Not that this is even close to what others have gone through but I took my PDD diagnosed son to a birthday party last year. I was the only parent who actually kept an eye on their kid. All the others dropped them off at the party and proceeded to socialize not even looking at their kids at times, kids were wondering all over the place and some of them were very young. Of course one kid had an outburst and I had to reply that wasn't my kid (they assumed it was him). He was the best behaved! Silly but it made me a little sad.