I haven't dealt with the parking spot issue as my pain is in my upper body and even though I have been told by multiple people that I should get one as carrying my backpack from student parking to class (about 4 blocks) is a struggle, but I too have put it off, denying that I am disabled and all that.. but I did have an incident at Wal*Mart once, I was there with my hubby doing the grocery shopping (another draw back to my condition as I HATE taking him grocery shopping with me). anyway we have 4 kids (3 are boys so they eat ALOT!) so you can imagine our cart, it was overflowing.
So my hubby is unloading the groceries at check out and he hadn't gotten them completely unloaded by the time the turn table with bags were filled my the cashier, she had gotten an empty cart when she saw how full ours was.
The cashier looked at me and in the most hateful voice said "you could help out and instead of standing around load the cart with the rung up items"
I was so shocked that I just looked at her for a second, my husband on the other hand (oh do I love him so!) turned to the cashier and blasted her, telling her that I was unable to load the grocery's do to a medical condition that keeps me from lifting things and while my condition was medical, she had no excuse for being a B***H, that was a choice, he was yelling at her so loud the manager came over.
when the manager found out what had happened she told my hubby that not only was the cashier going to apologize, she was also going to follow us to our car and help my hubby load the groceries into it, the manager followed to make sure she did even though my hubby said he could do it, the manager felt that the cashier should do it, to teach her that she should never make judgments of anyone if she didn't know the facts, and even if I didn't have a medical condition, and I just didn't WANT to help him load groceries, it was not her place to comment, her job was to ring up customers not insult them.
I was very sure that the cashier got chewed out good after we left, I got the feeling she knows someone that has gone though something like that and she wasn't going to let one of her employees treat someone like that.

lovebaby, yeah, i know around here there like that b/c they think you have to be old and have problems that not true, both my grandma had heart and back problems beofore the age of 30, and my mom had back and things some where in there but she didnt raised me, so i dont know much about her time.

Im 47 and things really started doing number 20 yrs ago that made me 27 then, but progress over the yrs... again they think if you look young or you not 60 or older then you not that bad...... so i know what you mean....

i even use the cart to ride but do it at nite so i dont get the looks i tired of them... but when you hurt, long walks makes it worst on me...

hope you the best

Hey gitl! I had the same thing happen when my mom was here.. she put a handicapped sign on my window, she has lupus and rheumotoid arthritis.. we came out of the store and someone had left the meanest note on my door!! Just cuz we were laughing when we were walking.. I guess your not allowed to laugh when your handicapped or in pain huh?? Dont sweat it sweety!! Kimmy

I have a window placard and have it renewed every time I have to have my license renewed. I usually use handicap parking as I know I'm just as disabled if not more than some people I see using them and what really gets me is when someone that has NO handicap sticker/sign using them.
I've had to have one since 1999 when I was only 31 yet I still look much younger than my age now. Nobody has challenged me yet.
I always look inside their car to see if maybe they just forgot to put it up but if I don't see one, I always leave a note saying how bad these spots are needed for the handicap.
I will take a farther spot if there are closer ones available realizing some people need the bigger spots for vans, etc or that maybe someone is more disabled than I am in a wheelchair vs a cane but I do use the spots anytime I can get one as I need it also.
Glad you have a good way of looking at it as many of us would have gotten extremely upset by being attacked.

Hello folks, I just found this site today and am happy to find others dealing with similar challenges and willing to listen. I've had to fuss at my own family for using a parking permit when they were running errands when the person it was issued to wasn't with them. I figure many people have worse problems than mine. I gave up even bothering to get a permit a number of years ago. Since I can walk ok at times I tried not to use the parking spaces unless I had to. I've always been a bit self-conscious anyway, but since I never had any obvious outward problems, I just quit asking my Dr since he'd only give me temp 6 month permits (been about 13 years now). Guess I was too young to think all my maladies could be long term even when all the specialists said the same things. Consequently, I drive to my office in the morning which is in a rural area and back home at night and very rarely go anywhere else. I think my daughter's HS graduation last year was the last time I went anywhere else. I guess partly because I live in the South and partly because I'm getting a little older and slower now, most of the people I run into try to at least be patient til I get out of the way.

Cristata -- the state I live in (SC) is fixing the problem of people using their handicapped placards when the person it is intended for is not in the vehicle and I for one thought it was brilliant and wonder why no one came up with it before..
Starting Jan 1 of this year your handicapped placard will have you picture on it and if the person whose picture is on the placard is NOT in the vehicle then a ticket will be issued. They are doing this in an effort to cut back on people using the parking if they either are not the one the placard is issued for and/or they do not the person with them that the placard was intended for.

Maybe a quip like .... "you dont reeeeally waaannnnaa know why I have to park in these spaces ... do you???? If you DOOO....wanna know ... I would be happy to tell you all about it... It will only take a moment.


Well, its because I have this anger disorder and can flip out in a moments notice if asked stupid questions so ... I need to get in and out FAST before someone pisses me off! Parkin' REEEAAL close lets me do just that.

Twigg,

I love it! I wish they would do that down here in Florida!

Twigg,
Your Walmart story is hysterical!!!! I also get to take my awesome husband grocery shopping because I need his assistance too. So, it becomes a family event. I always feel like I am getting dirty looks from the cashiers for not helping out...now I don't feel so paranoid:-)
-Jennifer