Special Privileges
by What special privileges do people in wheelchairs really demand?
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES? WHAT SPECIAL PRIVILEGES?
Shopping in a Wheelchair
One day my brother Mark came in and started to chew on me about how because I was in a wheelchair. I expected special privileges, and it was unfair to people like him. I asked him what was talking about and our conversation went something like this.
“I just went to Fed Mart and couldn’t find a parking space, and they were maybe 20 empty ones right by the door for the handicapped. So I parked there. I was only a few minutes, but I got a warning ticket. And they are always mostly empty.”
“Mark, do you know why we have special parking areas? If you look you’ll see that they’re wider than yours. We need that extra room to get our chairs out. They are located by the door for your protection as well as ours.”
“Huh, What do you mean?”
“You cannot see us coming across a parking lot and YOU can hurt US! And the reason there are so many is because people like you use them. Don’t you see, we can’t use your spaces, and if you’re going to use ours, well we’ll just have to have enough spaces for you and us. As long as we’re discussing this let me ask you a question. What do you expect when you get to the store?”
“What you mean?”
“Well, you expect to park your car and go in the store right?
“Well, yes.”
“Were you aware that at that particular store, the doors are so heavy and narrow, I have to have kindest soul open the doors and hold them open so I can get in? Okay, now you’re in the store, what do you do then?”
“Well, I go in to shop.”
“Okay, how?”
“What do you mean?”
“How do you get to the merchandise?”
“I just walk in. What do you mean?”
“First, there is a turnstile. I can’t use a turnstile? I could go through the cash register isles
but they’re too narrow.” Now I had his interest.
“What do you do?
“When I go in that store. I have to find some kind store person to move the shopping carts so I can go under the shopping cart bar to get to the merchandise. Okay, now you’re inside the store, and you’ve gotten to the merchandise, what next?”
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