Aw, Pet Peeves. I love it. Mine are both about services designated for disabled people, that are regularly used by able bodied people.

I have two major ones! A few years ago I broke my left ankle in a car accident. Now, I know that people break bones every day, but the car accident was very tramatic for me (head on, on a major highway at a high rate of speed) and this was the first time I had broken any bones. That only assisted my state of mind with this pet peeve. Anyway, I shop at the big box warehouse stores for groceries. I had to use a wheelchair to get around. (I used one of the manual wheelchairs, as this store didn't have the motorized ones back in 1999. Talk about exercise.) Pet Peeve #1 is people who walk in front of people in wheelchairs because they are going slow or because they know that they can get in front of them. It's the disabled version of being cut off. Especially now with motorized carts, why should someone using a motorized cart have to slow down because you decided to step in front of them or stepped out to get around them. It's not something that you think about unless you've had to use them. My Mom had knee replacement surgery and had to use the carts to get around at the grocery store and people did this all the time.

As an add-on to this pet peeve, my accident was the day after the Columbine shooting and there were a lot of fake bomb threats being called in to office buildings. I worked for a very large company that had a bomb threat. We had to evacuate the building. I had to hop down the stairs with a broken ankle to get out as I was restricted from using the elevator and then there was no place to sit down once I got outside. Ever been a fat girl on crutches? I was about 235 at the time. What a pain!

Pet Peeve #2 - Perfectly healthy and able bodied people who use the handicap stall in public restrooms. There's a reason that these are designated for the disabled. There's no worst feeling that having to use the smaller stalls and be afraid of not being able to stand up without assistance.

I actually know someone who ran over his elderly and overweight dog walking her this way. A tradgedy that should never have happened!

Got a lot of people with the lazies at my work. I will say this though, even the thin women can BARELY fit in the regular stalls at my work.. I HAVE to use the handicapped stall otherwise I'll scrape my leg on the little sani-bin and have to step in the toilet to open the door which swings IN... Nothing like making me feel that fat is a handicap.

I can't stand people that don't put away the cart. It's lazy and rude. We always park the farthest away so we can walk. I hate it when I'm with someone who circles the lot looking for the best spot. ugh.

Another parking lot peeve - when the lot is completely empty and somebody parks right next to our car and so closely that I can't get in until hubby backs the car out. RUDE!

I used to have a pet peeve about able-bodied-looking people parking in handicapped spots. Then my mom got (and desperately needed) a handicap tag. We were going to a department store and, as always happens, all those handicap spots that are always empty when you're alone, were filled when I had a handicapper in my car.

So I dropped her off at the entrance and went to go park in a regular spot, planning to go get the car again after we were done. At that moment three of the handicap spots opened up, so I parked in one, because it would be more dignified for her to be able to walk back out to the car rather than be picked up.

So I parked, popped the trunk, and pulled my exchange out—a 30 pound mixer—and carried it into the store. It wasn't until I got back to the returns area that it crossed my mind to wonder what anyone who saw me park might have been thinking!

LOL I rarely use those buttons when I'm trying to push a cart or stroller through the door with the baby. It's really not that hard to maneuver a cart or stroller through the regular door. But if the handicapped entrance is close, I will opt for it to save the extra finagling to get through.

But I wonder, IS it laziness? I mean, they're taking the extra time to stand and wait on it. I guess patience isn't such a virtue. LOL

::sigh:: I used to be one of those people. I've found that by parking farther away, I've reduced my stress levels tremendously. I used to get so upset waiting and circling trying to find a parking spot. Now I grab the first one in the back. And even with a baby, I take the cart back, scoop the baby out and carry him back to the car.

I used to be one of those too. I worked on the third floor and wouldn't take the stairs because my knees bothered me so bad. Haven't had any problems in that area since losing the weight. I just strapped on some knee supports and forced myself to take the stairs everyday and never used the elevator again. Kinda miss the stairs now. Strollers don't work well on stairs and I'm once again using that pesky elevator.

I found that one out the hard way. When I'd just started working for a company that was on two floors. I had to go down to the second floor and the doors hadn't been unlocked yet. I didn't realize they ever were locked. I tried every door in that place, went up, went down. Ended up all the way to the street before I could get out to go back inside and take the elevator up. They thought I'd disappeared. LOL

I was all proud of being able to fit into a regular stall. I used to bang everything on the toilet paper holder and trash can...I'd come out black and blue. So once I'd lost weight, I could use the regular stall again. Now, having the baby in a cart or stroller with me, I'm back to the handicapped stalls so I can wheel him in with me. Otherwise, I go for the stall at the very back and leave him just at the stall door and keep the stall door open.

Get some signs to leave on their windshield that read: Thank you for parking so close to my car. Next time, please leave a can opener so I can get out.

Around these parts....door that have the buttons are very heavy....and there are signs encouraging people to use the button. There is one at work and if a person repeatedly manually opened it, an injury would be quite possible.

As far as where people want to park even if it means waiting until I back up, take the elevator instead of stairs and not putting their cart away.....I learned a long time ago to give people the benefit of the doubt...I don't know their story....I don't know their issues and I have enough to worry about with my own thoughts and actions.

My husband used to get so angry when some one cut him off or maybe changed lanes at the last minute etc....I told him to try and imagine that the person is on their way to the hospital to see a loved one, or is distracted because they have an ill child.....it has worked for both of us to try and view the world this way.

Just my 2 cents.

Liz

As far as seeing what appears as able-bodied people parking in a handicapped spot. That doesn't bother me and I try not to judge. I am considered totally disabled due to my liver disease, I have a handicapped sticker. There was a time when I used the handicapped spot, but now I am thankful that I don't need it. Looking at my pic. most people wouldn't think I have anything wrong with me, but I certainly do.

My question is...how many times has a person gone to the rest room and seen anyone using the handicapped stalls? Me personally...never. I have used them before because they have more room than the others, and if all the other stalls are full.

The able bodied, or what looks like able bodied people to me, parking in the handicapped parking spaces doesn't bother me either. I figure if they have the placard to park there then they have a legitmate reason for parking there. Besides I don't always look for the closest parking space.

Lizzie...that has happened to me several times. I will park far away where no one is. And it never fails someone always parks next to me, cracks me up.

Liz...I am a very irritable driver at times. I too hate when people cut me off, pull out in front of me and don't even try to speed up to get out of the way, and people who slow down to talk on their cell phones! UGH! Wish I could try your little trick but most of the time when someone cuts me off they are alone in the car...just stupid drivers. This guy cut me off once doing about 90/95 or more and almost took the front of my car with him. He was not headed in the direction of any hospital, just a young kid being foolish. Honestly, I don't care how they drive or what they do. But when it comes to possibly causing me to get in an accident or hurt because of their stupidity, then I get angry. It kills me too that so many people are always in a hurry like their time is more valuable than mine.

The best part about those people that are in such a hurry is that they always wind up sitting at the red light right next to me. I can't stand it when people dart in and out of traffic like they are playing Frogger or something. This isn't a game, there is safety to consider, both mine and theirs!

Hubby started in with some road rage the other day and I just went nuts. If he wants to drive like a jackass when he's in the car by himself - well whatever.. but when he's risking my safety too - I'd rather take the bus.

I've had this happen twice, once in texas 2 suburbans parked next to me in COMPACT spaces and I had to go in through my hatch because there were less than 6 inches on each side ( that wasnt me who toothpicked their locks...honest)

And shortly after dd was born I intentionally parked close to the wall on the drivers side to give me extra room to get the infant carrier on the other side. Well when I got back some one had parked me so close the carrier would not fit through any door. I had to leave her sitting in the parking garage while I backed out, terrified that someone would come along and hit her or take her.


I use the handicapped stalls if the others are taken or I have the stroller-they dont usually fit in a normal stall. Thats also usually where the changing tables are.

Handicapped stalls in bathrooms are handicapped accessible due to their size and how they're equipped. But they're not reserved solely for the use of handicapped people. Handicapped parking spaces ARE reserved solely for the use of handicapped people due to their proximity to a building.

When you use a bathroom stall, you're in and out in a jiffy. You're not hogging it up for several hours the way you might with a parking space. If all the others stalls were occupied, why wouldn't someone use the handicapped one? Or if you just need a little extra room and there isn't a handicapped person waiting to use it?

The instances of which I speak about handicap stalls are when there are numerous empty regular stalls but the person goes for the handicap stall. Sure they are like the deluxe stall. Plenty of room to put packages if you're shopping, plenty of room if you are slightly larger than a pogo stick to get in and out. We were at a resturant a few days ago. My mother is completely disabled due to arthritis. She walks with a cane. She gets around, but it's certainly not easy for her to stand around for any length of time. Went into the bathroom, all regular stalls are open, there's someone who appears to have taken residence in the handicap stall. She waited for the person to come out because yes, it should have only been a few minutes, not like a parking space, you're right meg. She finally got sick of waiting and went in to use a regular size stall, which was not an easy task, you'll have to take my word for it. The person was still in the stall when she came out of the bathroom.

Maybe I should have clarified my statement about that pet peeve, but regardless. It's not about looking for special treatment. It's about being able to function as normally as possible, so you can be independent. Like I said, it's hard to appreciate the situation unless you've been there or have someone that you love experience it. It's something that you really don't think about unless you're in that place.

I completely agree, if the person in the handicapped stall wasn't handicapped, then that's total abuse and beyond rude. I guess the problem is that it's hard to know who's in there and why. It may have been a handicapped person who was ill ... or a drunk asleep on the toilet.

Having been handicapped myself for a time last year after surgery, I really understand what you're saying about having to live it to appreciate it.

As has been mentioned before . . . don't forget that sometimes looks can be very deceiving. I have a nephew who has a sticker for handicapped parking and he hardly ever uses if because he gets such dirty looks sometimes. He is 29 years old and looks as healthy as the proverbial horse . . . but . . . he has a very severe allergy to the sun and needs to spend as little time in it as possible. Not every handicap is instantly visible.

When I moved to Colorado from California, I couldn't believe how normal it seemed for people to just pull out in front of you, Didn't matter that you had to slow down a lot or change lanes to avoid hitting them. I was really appalled at how many times someone would pull out of a driveway onto a fast road while there was traffic coming.