For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for March 08, 2015

Well, at least the pea-brained idiot helped.

That was rude of Elly…

Not to mention that is probably also in a fire lane.

This is a great example of why I like to read the comics here. My local paper has a very small Sunday comics section, and omitted the first three panels of this strip, which really reduced the full impact of the story.

Frustrating to many of the artists, I’m sure.

Open mouth and insert foot for Elly.But the guy who parked there is still a jerk for parking where he’s not suppose to.

Do not be embarrassed, Elly, for he needed to hear that. He was an idiot for parking there. That is also the wheelchair & cart access.

But why are all of the good spots marked for handicapped parking? It’s especially frustrating in bad weather to see bunches of handicapped spots open and the rest of us have to get soaked getting into the store. I thought (maybe) that when they passed the law for equal access for handicapped that meant they got to walk from the back of the lot in the rain. (Just kidding of course).

I’ve never parked in Senior Parking ever – there are people WAY worse off than I am, and I am VERY grateful I can walk. BUT: a few times this winter with howling, blasting, ‘tip-you-over’ Artic cold winds – I was tempted… (I wish I had a few more really great adjectives to describe just how cold some of those days were.)

I say hurray for Elly! I would have said the same in her place and when the jerk passed me in the car I would have smiled and waved!

@RWJames…you make valid points and I used to think that way but now I have early stages of MS. I don’t have wheelchair or canes YET, but my muscle weakness in my legs is bad. If the ramp is blocked I have to worry if I can make it up the curb. I know I get “the look” when I use my card as I’m in early 50’s but I try not to use it if the walk is not too far.

Ooops!

Justice.

My Mother may look young, and a jerk called my Mother out on parking in a handicap spot and called the police on her of all the places a doctor’s office. I went in and got her physician out to talk to the policeman. My Mother has Lupus, a back injury and a bad heart and the doctor showed the policeman the paperwork (novel) The policeman told the jerk to take a hike before he write him up. Things aren’t always what they appear to be.

My, my, my. Aren’t we a bit judgmental? Let me see. My grandmother, who had congestive heart failure for many years, didn’t use a “device” to get around. Did that make her any less sick? Did that not entitle her to a parking space a bit closer to the store? Before you condemn ANYONE for having an “undeserved” parking pass, walk a mile in their shoes. And quit judging people for things you obviously know nothing about.

I see a lot of abuse as far as misuse of placards and plates, but there is NO excuse for blocking a ramp or curb cut! “Just a minute” is 60 seconds too long!

Lynn’s Notes:

I am a militant shopper sometimes. I sneer at able-bodied folks who park in the handicap zone, grumble when they squeeze all the tomatoes, and will audibly sigh if there’s a long checkout line and some bozo decides to redeem a wad of coupons. On a busy weekend outside my favourite grocery store, someone had parked across the ramp. Shoppers couldn’t get to the parking lot without heaving their carts over the curb. The situation I drew in this strip was based on this incident, but it has a different ending.

ditto that -my Mom had terrible pain in her knees, lived alone and had to do all her own shopping etc. She would use the cart to help her along too. Even if the elderly are not outwardly handicapped they can be a target for less desirable that lurk in big parking lots etc.

Saw that one coming.

if you complain to the city they’ll send some one out

I had closely related to this issue. Checking out in fast lane paying for two items a man with a child got angry with me not moving fast enough and pay back came when he was parked by me and I said not hurry.

“… self-centered, entitled a-holes”? Fits someone I’m replying to. Don’t judge before you have walked a mile in their shoes. Oh wait, you couldn’t, they can’t walk a mile.

Come on! I’ve eased my loaded cart down over a curb many times. It doesn’t require great muscles or a big brain!

Having worked as a sheriff’s deputy, I was usually lenient with ticketing, partly because most citizens do their best to keep the law and also because law enforcement is meant to enforce law, not be another version of tax collectors for money-hungry governments. However, one thing I would cite with no qualms was abuse of handicapped spaces. If I saw a car parked, it had damn well have that sticker or tag, or else pay an expensive ticket. For those who are handicapped, it is their responsibility to apply for the decal, and within the rights of law enforcement to request proof. Fortunately, people who were actually disabled were always cooperative, and politely complied in showing proof through tags, papers, et cetera. Needless to say, there was little abuse of handicapped parking in my community.

FYI-My husband is diagnosed with stage 4 CHF (Congestive Heart Failure). He is not “stumbling about as a walking corpse” as you describe someone with that malady. Most people with this malady are either on oxygen, in wheelchairs or barely shuffling along. My husband is extremely lucky to get around as he does. He also is considered handicapped as he can’t walk too far of a distance.

Last week my handicapped husband and I were shopping. There was one handicapped space available and a van pulled into it just before we got there. The man sat in the car while his very able bodied wife hopped out and ran into the store. We parked quite a ways away, and my husband had to walk in from out in the lot.

As we were leaving, I happened to be right behind the woman who had got out of the car. I politely asked them not to park in the handicapped spaces if they didn’t need to. He angrily replied that he had a handicapped sticker. I said, yes, but you didn’t need it for this trip. He said ‘I wouldn’t have it if I didn’t need it!" I replied But YOU didn’t go into the store….SHE did!" At which point she looked very embarrassed and apologized for her husband’s lack of consideration. Maybe they will think twice before doing that again….hope so.

Been there, seen it! I love the comment: “Oh, I’ll only be a few minutes’”

Been there, seen it! I love the comment: “Oh, I’ll only be a few minutes’”

@RWJAMES

I am glad that, although you have COPD and sometimes need a cane to get around, that you decided not get handicap parking stalls. And I do agree with you that handicap parking stalls are modified for those individuals who use mechanical mobility aids, but disagree that they should be restricted to them.

Disabled parking stalls are for individuals who do meet the qualifications under the their state guidelines. Sometimes there are individuals have an invisible illness or don’t have a mechanical mobility aid, but still meet the guidelines and need closer parking spaces. This include children or adult who have a disability that require another person to guide them, and who have a higher risk of getting injured the longer they are in the parking area. Also, individuals who need to stop and rest every 200 hundred feet, these people can walk down the aisle of a store but only because they are able to stop and rest. Stopping and resting in a parking lot can be dangerous, especially if they do not have the ability to move fast in case a car loses control. Others have a disability that restricts their time outside in certain weather conditions, such as too much sun, heat or cold. Inside they are fine because of the temperature control of the building and inside a car but outside in the environment can cause problems.

I realize I have written a lot but what I mean to say is that I am happy that you decided not to take a handicap parking permit because you knew you could handle the extra walk, but there are circumstances that we may not know about someone who doesn’t not have a wheelchair but does have a disability , and needs/uses handicap parking spots. This is not to say that it is not taken advantage by some but we don’t always know the full story.

A friend of mine refused to use handicapped spots, claiming “I not handicapped, I’m crippled.” Nickname: “Hot Wheels”

ENOUGH ALREADY! I realize there are some people out there who have persuaded doctors to help them acquire handicap parking permits they don’t really need. However, I am thoroughly convinced that most people with handicapped placards do need them, regardless of whether or not they happen to be in a wheelchair or using a cane. Seriously, you should check out the etiquette hell website for some of the stories. Like the teenager with severe scoliosis who had some jerk at the grocery store parking lot kick a dent in the side of his mother’s car because he didn’t believe a teenager with a placard on display was using the space legitimately. Or the mother of a wheelchair bound child who sometimes gets screamed at in the time it takes her to walk around the van and lower the ramp so her kid can wheel out. She needs the handicapped space just to have room for her kid to get out and some moron once tried to tell her she didn’t need to use the handicapped parking because her son wasn’t driving. Or another Mom who had a jerk run over her kids walker because he didn’t think she had a right to use the handicapped space, even with one kid using a walker, the other using a wheelchair and two placards on display. Or the fibromyalgia sufferer who had an employee in Target threaten to kick her out for using one of their scooters. She asked for the manager and told him if Target wanted to pass judgement on the legitimacy of people’s handicaps they should hire people with medical degrees.

If you don’t want to be called a ‘pea-brained idiot’, use your brain and don’t block the ramp. Also, shoppers, return your cart to the store or the convenient cart rack in the parking lot. Loose carts are hazards.

FlorryDUH! has tightened the rules on the handicapped placards. Thank goodness.

Not sure where you live, but my local grocery store has people who have self-assigned themselves to follow me through the store where I may need hero getting something from a bottom or top shelf. They see me in there every few days and have often engaged me in ’what do you (I) need today", then disappearing and returning with my usual items from the far side of the store, sometimes also with a BOGO if a brand name is on sale. This is not a mom & pop store. This is a major chain (Publix) but I feel like the people really care about the regulars.

I worked at an orthopedic office for years. The surgeon I worked for was pretty tight with the handicapped tags. I remember one patient in particular who had had shoulder surgery and wanted a handicap tag, since the support pillow she had to keep strapped to her body was pretty bulky, she had to open her door all way way to get out of the car. She argues with him until he finally told her your legs are fine – park farther out where you have room and WALK. I saw first hand the absolutely silly reasons people would think they deserved a better parking spot. Walking is good for you folks! DO it if you can! Same goes with the motorized carts – most of the people I see in those are people that would probably benefit from a lap or two around the store.

His helping her does not negate the fact that he is a world class jek who was doing something illegal.

While I don’t condone blocking the ramp, I do have to say, “seriously???? She’s such a pus-arms that she can’t get her cart down off the sidewalk without help?” Mercy! I’m pushing 60 years old and can not only get a full cart of groceries down off the sidewalk but back up over the curb, too.