Mother of special needs girls responds to anonymous note on her car (sensitive, disabilities)

[no kudzu]

Why do people need to it their business to interfere. This woman had the proper handicap permit yet somebody ignorant of invisible disabilities thought she should not be using the handicap parking space.

Mother of a special needs child responds to an insensitive anonymous note to raise awareness ‹ Beauty Exists

[twoincomes]

The mom should be happy the note was left. While it was annoying for her, the fact that people take the time to write nasty notes to those who abuse handicapped parking spots protects those spots and keepts them open to those who are disabled.

The abuse of handicapped parking spots - including by using decals issued to people who are not actually in the car at the time the car is parked - is unfortunate and virtually impossible to police.

One of the most effective methods at preventing abuse is peer pressure - like the note that was left on the car. Yet by going public with this and trying to gain support and awareness for her, she is actually trying to minimize the effect of peer pressure, which will cause handicapped parking spot abuse to increase.

At my corporation where I work, handicapped abuse is high enough that simply displaying a handicapped decal is not sufficient to warrant a handicapped spot. You also are required to get a company-issued handicapped decal to ensure that you're not using someone elses handcapped decal.

[no kudzu]

You missed the whole point. She DID have the handicap permit. It was in plain view but because she or her girls did not APPEAR to be handicapped, the idiot and insensitive busybody thought it her/his place to leave a nasty note. Not all handicaps are obvious. Did you bother to read the article? It was about invisible handicaps.
I'm the first one to complain when somebody without a permit parks in a handicap space. Someone may think they are handicapped but without that sticker they are illegally parking.

I was once with a young man who had a severe liver illness. he was skin and bones but he could walk and was with his parents and had the proper parking permit. When we stood in line at the restaurant, an older gentleman (and I use the word facetiously) approached my friend and said to him."You don't look handicapped to me" and turned to walk away. His father grabbed the fool, turned him around and said "and you don't look like you have x ray vision to me, Now apologize to my terminally ill son this minute and get out of my sight."
The guy stammered about "I didn't mean anything by it" and left.

This woman did not abuse handicap parking and it is very obvious she was not happy somebody wrote her a nasty note.

[Lizita]

Originally Posted by no kudzu

You missed the whole point. She DID have the handicap permit. It was in plain view but because she or her girls did not APPEAR to be handicapped, the idiot and insensitive busybody thought it her/his place to leave a nasty note. Not all handicaps are obvious. Did you bother to read the article? It was about invisible handicaps.
I'm the first one to complain when somebody without a permit parks in a handicap space. Someone may think they are handicapped but without that sticker they are illegally parking.

My SIL has a handicap permit too. She's not a least bit handicapped, though. Her mother is and she uses the permit so that she can park conveniently. I bet she has taken a spot from someone who actually needed it at least a couple of times. She could use having someone call her out on it.
I get that one shouldn't assume that someone isn't disabled because it doesn't show and people certainly should be educated about it but at the same time abusers of the privilege afforded someone else have to be dealt with as well. It's a tough one, but all in all I think the author of the note had good intentions and was trying to protect the disabled from people like my SIL.

[twoincomes]

You missed the whole point. She DID have the handicap permit.

This woman did not abuse handicap parking and it is very obvious she was not happy somebody wrote her a nasty note.

I read the whole article and did not miss the point.

What I believe is that many people abuse handicapped decals. That is, they continue to use them even if they no longer have a condition that requires the use of a handicapped spot, or the use one of another relatives, or whatever.

That's why my company no longer accepst the use of a handicapped decal without the company independently verifying that the card is issued to the employee and the employee actually needs to use the card.

It would have been preferred if the person leaving the nasty note would have put something at the end, apologizing if indeed the note is left in error.