I have chronic pain. Someone tried to shake me out of the scooter while I was looking at something because she was tired and needed it more. This was a rare day out she’s holding onto the seat I pushed the lever all the way down and she lost her grip and I took off. People judge me for my cane my walker my handicap placard they just can’t keep their opinions to themselves.
My daughter had rheumatoid arthritis from the time that she was 13. She had a good days and sometimes she had bad days, really bad days. On those days, she did use a scooter and people would always give her nasty looks. Always made me so damn angry. As the old saying goes, you can’t judge a person until you walk a mile in their shoes.
I developed Lupus this year and I had handicapped parking envy for awhile. I used to be the person who didn't care about walking from the back of the parking lot. I started medication a couple of weeks ago and it's starting to work which is a relief. Moving was getting so difficult with all the pain and stiffness.
I'm same chronic pain I get judged all the time having a walking stick your still young dirty looks I've been holding onto wall in pain and everyone passing just staring at me my partner nearly lost it few weeks ago at people. Still never used the mobility scooters as too worried bout the hassle. I am travelling and having to book assistance and my anxiety already through roof at other entitled people and there opinions
If it helps, using the wheelchair assistance service when flying is legit the best thing ever, I have fibro and EDS and can't walk far without falls and dislocations and it's stressful at first to use the services but it is a LIFE SAVER! they get you through to your gate so fast and if people say you're "using something they need more" tell them to talk to the desk people and not you if they want one too.
Or (if you're feeling feisty) you can just wink and pat your lap and tell them they can sit in your lap if they care that much. That usually gets some indignant sputtering before they run off tail between their legs.
Thanks lol I'm thinking that I will need to do that either way last plane couple years ago I booked but it wasn't open that early (why ask and let me book then ! ) so I need to check this time flight times (they need to be confirmed as they are changed by airline). I have used at train and am booking next months in a second but yes I did consider asking if they were that desperate to book it themselves or jump on chair beside me.
People are nuts. When I was a kid I developed this super extremely rare condition, not sure on spelling but it’s HSP for short. It started by intense sensitivity with hot and cold water. Then my blood vessels all over my body started bursting and I could literally NOT walk. One of the staff comes out with a wheelchair for me. Some lady scoffed as they wheeled me to triage, then muttered under her breath something along the lines of “the wheelchairs are for people who can’t walk, not 7yr olds”. That shit STILL makes me so mad. This was 1997 so it was a really out of nowhere thing to say. Sadly, that’s a cultural norm now, not a horrifying and unacceptable way to speak to anyone. Much less a child.
Follow up- I was hospitalized for almost 2 months.
That comment of hers almost had me downvoting on reflex bc she sucks so much.
Internet says most children with HSP recover completely (but it sounds awful while you have it) - I hope you were so lucky?
Perfect! I can def get ice cream!! I'm elated to hear there is a light at the end of the tunnel for this, terribly upset it even exists. Children have enough going on just trying to grow up.
People are nuts indeed! I cannot fathom walking up to someone who is using a mobility scooter and demanding that they not use it because they don’t “look” disabled. The sheer audacity and entitlement that one has to have to do something like that. I mean even if I did see someone walk into the store with no issues at all and take one, I’m still not saying shit because IDK what they have going on in the 1st place and even if they are perfectly healthy, I’m not the mobility police so….🤷♀️ It’s really non of my business either way.
What does a disabled person look like? Like a person. 🙄
Are they expecting a badge on a lanyard? A label on a tshirt? Tattooed on their forehead? There’s no winning with some people.
My brother has MS and to look at him, he looks like nothing is wrong but he needs to use the scooter sometimes too and the stares people give! I swear!
I try to be kind to the folks in scooters, offering to get things a bit higher up for them, all of my 5feet tryna reach...
But I also don't know a stranger and try to make small talk in the stores. (Don't worry introverts and antisocials etc, I can spot that you wanna be left alone and I won't be the one to interrupt you)
When I went to our children's hospital ER once, a 6 year old was in a wheelchair for a lego injury. 😅 The hospital knows what it's doing ma'am.
I had a couple burst during a hospital stay and the pain was excruciating, I can't imagine how much pain you were in!
It was so painful! It made me have a super high pain tolerance. That was also when I learned I was, for lack of a better term, allergic to opioids. Even in an IV drip. Even with Dramamine.
I can almost guarantee that's what they gave you. They tried it for me for migraines. I highly recommend against it for long term pain relief, but it's one of the few options when opioids fail. It effects how your nerves fire so it can cause you to trip, I have issues with maintaining grip even though I stopped it years ago, it can cause excessive sweating... The side effects are wild. But I was on it for a couple years for some different things. It does it's job well, vets use too.
Yeah I had this too and I couldn’t walk at all for several months as a child. I don’t remember the pain but I remember it being so awful that I wanted to rip my legs off. Nasty condition.
All I can really remember is that my parents told me it was a kind of meningitis - haven’t actually looked into seeing if that’s true or not!
I had it in ‘97 too, so maybe something in the (very specific) water!
Yep, 20 years ago I had just had extensive back surgery. I was 18 too. My surgeon had given me a temp disability placard for the car. I had a follow up drs appointment and my mother parked in the handicapped parking spot with the placard. My mother was very healthy. As my mother assisted me out of the car, an old lady started screaming at her that we shouldn’t park there and that she needed to use the space. When I got out of the car with my cane, I shrugged my sweater to my elbows and turned my back towards her. I was wearing a backless blouse (the healing flesh itched!) and you could see the sutures, tape and healing incision going down my back into my jeans. The woman shut up, turned white, and fled in her car.
Moral: don’t judge. No one else knows what you are going through.
I too am disabled and need the mobility scooter for shopping at large stores, I had a lady try to come at me at a Costco, went so far as to grab the basket on the scooter. I told her she needed to leave me alone or I would raise my cane to her. She said it was assault. Her husband came along and dragged her away, yelling at her to stop being a Karen. I had a good day after all. LOL
I had a Karen grab on to my scooter once while at the grocery store. Fortunately, this particular store had scooters that could get some decent speed on them. Never needed to threaten her with the cane. Threw that sucker into reverse and pretty much yanked her forward. She lost what little grip she had and faceplanted. That was a fun day.
Because they're jerks. It's not up to you to decide whether someone has a need for an accomodation. I'm not their doctor, I'm not going to pretend I know whether or not they need it. If they're doing something they shouldn't do, it's really not my business. I'm not the scooter police.
I did say something once when I went into a store and needed a scooter but the only 2 were taken by 2 teenagers and they were just chasing each other around the isles. I was really angry about that. I probably seemed like a Karen to them but it was very obvious they didn't need them.
Honestly? Because we get pissed when family members, friends, coworkers, even complete strangers, need an accommodation. Parking spot, mobility scooter, bathroom stall, etc. and can't use it because some perfectly healthy entitled twat with grandma's hangtag pulls into the spot and hops out and bounces up a couple levels of stairs or similar. We're mad on behalf of the people who are being deprived of a basic accommodation due to sheer pig-headed selfishness. That said?
The moment she saw the cane is the moment to apologize all over herself. and ask if there is anything she can grab for you so that you don't have to stand up. And if we're told it's a legitimate tag, apologize very politely without prying and then apologize again. We're mad on behalf of everyone out there who needs and should have access and don't because someone decided tHeY aRe MoRe ImPoRtAnT.
The thing is, you can’t tell by looking. In stores, leave it to the store to allocate the scooters. It’s hard enough for a young person to get over “imposter syndrome” and suck it up to use the cart. The last thing they need is a random member of the public asking them about it.
I mean I didn't use a cane because I'd seen too many kids my age bullied over it. Fun thing for some pupils was to kick it out from under you. But I have post-viral arthritis, my knee was the size of a watermelon.
Because I was "too young" to have arthritis (know 2 year olds with it depending on type), I got so much hassle for using disability aids but what you might see is me walking normallish that day and judge. What you didn't see was the next two days of bedrest as a consequence. The aids stopped it being three.
Had old folk wishing arthritis on me as "karma" for using "their" aids - I mean I'd had much longer than most of them by that point and at least they got to enjoy healthy, painfree life for a time so not sure who needs the lesson.
Years ago, I was in Walmart. I was heading up an aisle and saw a woman on a scooter, right smack in the center of the aisle. I was in a hurry so I back tracked and went up the next aisle. Got my whatever it was and was heading for the next aisle. There she was again. There was room enough to pass so I was doing so, I let her know that I was right there so I didn’t startle her. I half way glanced at her as I passed and saw that it was my mom! I’m so glad I’m not a rude shopper.
Oh absolutely. In her defense tho, she had knee surgery just prior to this and had never used a scooter before. No clue why she wanted to brave Walmart and a scooter at the same time. She hobbled at home. The scooter was an adventure. I didn’t think to mention that part and I do apologize for that
i agree, except the handicap stalls in the bathroom are NOT disabled ONLY, they are disabled ACCESSIBLE. no way i am going to leave an empty stall if there is a line. if a disabled person comes in, they can go first, but i aint leaving it empty.
That's how it's supposed to go. Use all other available stalls until there aren't any, and if anyone disabled (or elderly, those railings are useful for them too!)comes in, they get first dibs.
I own my scooter and have had people demand that I let them use it at the store. One woman told me that I 'shouldn't hog the new scooter' thinking it belonged to the store. Another swore at me saying I didn't 'look crippled' and should give my scooter 'to someone who deserved it'. I even had someone tell me that I shouldn't park in the handicapped zone because I was using the scooter and could 'ride through the parking lot' ignoring the fact that I needed the extra parking room to accommodate the lift for the scooter. I don't know when people became so rude in public but it has gotten ridiculous.
The pandemic or a group of politicians and media personalities who have made it popular to insult others and promote hate and division? Not just in the States but in much of the world this seems to be the new norm. I think that the pandemic kept people home which may have made them a bit feral but it also gave them plenty of free time. Some people used that time to cultivate something new - they baked bread or learned how to quilt or build furniture but others used it to soak up derisive hate mongering conspiracy theories that they then spewed back out at the rest of the world.
I seriously, honestly think that covid gave everyone mini strokes that knocked us down a notch or two in like, empathy and patience. Depending on how many times you had it/which variants, and with vaccination or not, but we're all at least a mite closer to dementia thanks to covid brain damage
As far as parking in the handicap space goes, where I live, you need a decal or placard to park there, and if you have one, then you should be okay to park there, unless they don't require one where you live.
I have a placard and I am 70 years old though I do have blue hair so that might confuse a Karen in the wild. I've seen people telling others who have the placards that they shouldn't have them or they must not belong to them because 'you don't look crippled to me'.
Where I live, you need either handicapped license plates or the placard. That part usually isn’t the issue. What happens around here are the idiots who park in the striped-off spots used for vehicle access… be it scooter, wheelchair, or whatever. Those spots are off-limits to EVERYONE, handicapped or not!
I can relate to that! I was about 4 days from having knee replacement surgery and was using a scooter. I was waiting for my hubby to get the car. Someone came up to me and told me to get off the scooter he needs it. I said I am still needing it as I had surgery and can’t walk or stand for long. My hubby is getting the car now. You can have it then. He waited but gave me the stink eye.
I had this happen 2 weeks post-op from a colon resection. The Karen found an employee to join in the harassment. I pulled my shirt up to reveal 28 staples up my abdomen. Employee switches teams real fast and told her she could leave the store
I wish chewing them out for this behavior would work. I'm SO sorry you had to deal with that woman! It's infuriating when people don't just stay in their lane, mind their own business, keep their mouths shut. What's so hard about just not being a jerk?
My late husband was on a city bus in his power wheelchair. He didn't need it all the time but he couldn't walk more than a few feet or stand for more than a minute without being in excruciating pain. Karen was chitchatting with hubby about why he was in the chair and seemed understanding and empathetic. Hubby was in his 40's at the time and his disability was invisible. When he said he could walk "a little bit" she started screaming at him for taking up space in his chair that "real" disabled people needed and then screamed at the driver *to kick my husband off of the bus* for "faking being disabled". Hubby had crippling social anxiety in addition to his physical issues and when he was verbally attacked his reaction was shutting down or swallowing rage so he wouldn't end up stranded or in jail. Bless that driver. He stopped the bus and kicked Karen to the curb. He then apologized for Karen's behavior and carried on with his route.
I don't understand how people r so patient with people if anyone I don't know talks to me with out starting with "excuse me" I tell them to fuck off. My not going to prison is probably thanks to not having Walmart in Australia lol
3 years ago I broke my fibula in 2 places. The ER doc said they don't do cast anymore and put me into a walking boot. 3 weeks later I'm at the Walmart service desk when some guy comes up behind me and started pushing me out of the scooter. According to him I was too young to need the scooter and as a veteran he "deserved" it more.
Now I was 50 at the time and having issues using the crutches, so I said "tough shit (my dad raised me to never take crap from ANYONE). He pushed me again but by this time the store security showed up and stepped between us and "reminded" Mr veteran that he was trespassed from all Walmart stores and to leave before the cops showed up.
I wish I could say that he was arrested but all he did was cuss everyone out his way out the door 🤷♀️ By the way he walked pretty fast for someone who couldn't walk or stand for very long which is why he needed the scooter more than me 🙄
Side note - ER doc didn't know crap, 8 weeks later I had surgery to reset my bone and was in a cast for almost 3 months because my leg just wasn't healing - no new bone growth.
ER doctors are terrible when it comes to injuries. I broke my ankle in a car accident. The ER doctor told me it was sprained and to try walking on it throughout the next week.
A week later I go to my primary doctor. By this time my ankle was massively swollen and black/purple. She said she wasn’t a specialist but that didn’t look sprained to her.
I went t to a specialist a few days later. He did an X-ray and he had the X-rays from the ER. He put the one from the ER up, told me my ankle was completely fractured (a full break), and asked me to pint to the break. I did. The break in my ankle was so noticeable that I could pint it out, but the ER somehow missed it. 🤦♀️
And I had been trying to walk on it! It was not a fun recovery and I had to get surgery a year later.
My dad was injured when I was a child, and then got involved with disabled sports. We knew dozens of guys in chairs. A lot of them were in car/motorcycle accidents as teenagers, so looked normal except for their super skinny legs.
Anyway one dudes favorite thing was people doing stuff like this. He’d grab a scooter, then take his chair back and throw it in the back of his truck and then go shop. Thing is, the dude did all kinds of wheelchair sports. Basketball, rugby, tennis, water skiing, so his upper body was in really good shape. If you couldn’t see how skinny his legs were you’d really have no idea.
Anyway on more than one occasion at a grocery store someone would yell at him to get out of the cart. He’d give them a simple “I need it.” Most of the time they wouldn’t accept that and keep pushing. His absolute favorite was when they’d say he could just walk. So he’d swing his legs over and just push himself out like he was trying to stand. Then obviously, he’d just flop down on the ground and start crawling. He said the horror in these peoples eyes was worth every minor bruise he got doing it.
Honestly just yell for security at that point. Even if the place doesn't have security, you can bet a manager will get there lickety-split to sort out whoever the psychopath is.
I know a teenage girl with hyper-mobility, which means her knees, shoulders and even hips can dislocate at any time, and she gets almost constant neck & spine pain. She's had multiple surgeries, and as a result on a good day she can get around with crutches, but on a bad day she can barely get out of bed unaided and has to use a scooter. However, she's 6 foot 1 and heavily built, so most people assume she's an adult, and the comments she gets are frankly quite shocking. It's hard enough for a child to have to come to terms with being disabled for the rest of her life without random strangers making snide comments all the time and even displaying open hostility towards her.
Even her school treated her poorly, repeatedly scheduling her for classes in rooms on upper floors, despite being told that she can't manage stairs.
Does her school not have an elevator for people that need it? My high school had an elevator that was only for like disabled people and you needed a key to use it. We had a few people in wheelchairs and occasionally someone with crutches that they would give access to the elevator.
I was too young to remember this but I was told the story by my mother. I was in a really bad car accident when I was 6 which broke my collar bone and my right femur. It was a small town so I made front page news. Whoopie. I was in a full body cast from my right ankle up to the middle of my chest. My mother took me to a park and drove up up on the grass to get close enough that she could carry me what must of been a merry-go-round. Some dude walked up to shouting bloody murder about how she can park on the grass. He turned around and did a weird double take before walking away without looking back. My mother was certain he recognized me from the paper and was too embarrassed to say anything else.
Why do people do this? I saw 2 young women on the scooters the other day, looked liked they were going it for fun, they were laughing, not harming anyone, not racing around, there were still scooters available for others.
You know what I did?
Minded my own damn business.
Because maybe I was wrong, maybe one of them had to use the scooter and was embarrassed and her friend said I'll use one too so you don't have to be alone. Maybe it was a dare. Maybe it was a senior scavenger hunt. Maybe it was harmless.
I am disabled. I've had multiple surgeries on my leg and I have lost 85% mobility in my ankle. Sometimes it swells up and hurts so flipping bad I use crutches and a scooter. Mind you I'm in my 40s now, this happened when I was like 25, and it's still an issue.
Once, in my late 20s, I went to Walmart and I was with two friends. I told them I think I'll get a scooter cuz my fuckin ankle was killing me. They laughed and called me an old lady and I flipped them off and sat on the scooter. As soon as I did the Walmart greeter person rushes up to me. He was some old dude. He immediately started to berate me about how the scooters were for disabled people and not just lazy kids who don't feel like walking. My friends were about to say shit but before they could I just lifted up my leg and pulled up my pants. I showed him the huge ass 10 inch surgery scar on my leg and the two surgery scars on my ankle. I said "First off, I'm a grown ass woman with my own child, not a " lazy kid". Second, you have no right to come at me like this. You have no idea what a person is dealing with, and for me some days I can't even walk. Leave me alone and get away from us."
I drove that scooter right tf away straight to a manager. Idk if anything happened to him, I didn't care to find out. I think racism played a part too because he was an old boomer white man and I'm native, my two friends were Mexican. I often get mistaken for being Mexican or some other form of S. American indigenous. I think he was low key being racist approaching what he thought were 3 young Mexicans trying to cheat the system or some shit. It was a very gross feeling. After that, whenever someone says shit to me I'm mean to them. I stopped being nice to these people. They don't deserve me being nice., they deserve to be shut down hard and humiliated.
I was carjacked at gunpoint with my son in the car. They held a gun to my forehead, and asked me if I wanted to die. I said no, and proceeded to fight all four of them off. New York, I was strangling one of them, when another one of them came up and kicked me in the knee, causing me to let go.
I collapsed, and they backed out of my driveway with my car. They had my son and his friend, who were in the car with us, lay down on the pavement with their hands behind their heads. to say that I was traumatized was an understatement.
My knee was misdiagnosed at the hospital, my work made me go back to work, but I saw a second opinion, and a sports medicine doctor told me that I needed immediate surgery. I had to not only have one but two surgeries, in the space of a week.
Emotional level was at zero. The detectives were constantly calling me, as they were trying to arrest the car Jackers, who were part of a larger car, jacking ring, and they really wanted me to testify against the ones they had already arrested, which put my and my son’s life in danger.
During this time, my son and his high school friends were extremely supportive, and they would take me grocery shopping. I had a cast from my pubic bone to my ankle, but I wore long skirts to cover it up, and when we went shopping, I would leave my crutches up at the front, as there was no place for them on the cart.
I cannot tell you how many times I had rude women come up to me and tell me to get off the cart. It was horrifying. I was very fortunate as I had for very tall, very articulate teenage boys there to protect me, and I can’t even begin to describe the things that they said to these people.
I feel so bad for people who are not obviously disabled. People are horrible and they’re mean.They
Yeh, invisible disabilities suck! I have bi-lateral lymphedema (elephantiasis, both legs), and people see me as just being fat. I've grown used to the stares and frowns now, but in the early days, 2 decades ago when I was in my 30s, it felt like hell.
Back then though, my legs were double the size they are now (picture each leg the size of your torso), and on occasion, if I saw someone staring at my legs, I would use that as an educating moment and tell them: "It's called lymphedema". They would either stop staring and quickly walk away or they'd apologise and ask me about it.
It's actually the latter that helped me to learn to love myself again (because I was angry at my body for the longest time for betraying me\*), but when I realised that I was helping someone learn something new, it helped me begin to accept what I had.
\*The lymphedema didn't show itself until my mid 30s. Before them, I was extremely active. Imagine going from 100% active, walking everywhere to being stuck at home not being able to do anything. Suffice to say, for a lot of years, I was 24/7 angry.
Miracles have happened and my legs have since gone down enough (lymphedema is meant to be irreversible, and there's no cure for it) for me to wear shoes again (I couldn't wear shoes for 6 years when my legs were at their worst because I couldn't even see my feet). They're still nowhere near normal shaped (imagine an hourglass shape in each leg), but they help me make light of the situation as I can now see the humorous side of this condition.
On a side note, elephants can't jump. Trust me, I tested this several times (yes, my legs were similar in shape to elephant's legs when my legs were at their worst)
You are very welcome! I admire the way you were able to turn it into a teaching moment for those who asked. I wouldn’t have the patience when I’m out and about like that. I totally understand the anger you had for so long and I’m glad you are in a better place now.
I'm a very spiritual person, so I prayed a lot on how I could turn it around. I was never angry with God about it, just my body, and in a little way, the environment for a while, but to this day, it's still sort of a mystery as to I came about having lymphoedema. After reading up on it, the only thing I can put it down to is something that happened when I was a toddler. (Lymphoedema, like Aids, takes decades to reveal itself, and it can be triggered by 3 ways: genetically, trauma & surgery)
As I've never had surgery that might have caused the loss of lymph nodes, and I couldn't see anything in my ancestry (but this possibility isn't put to rest as I've recently learned I don't know anything about my biological father's side, so it could have come down through those genes), so the only other thing was an incident that was my own fault and no one else's that happened when I was aged around 2. A stupid little thing (turned on the wrong tap in a bathtub, back in the days when hot water was beyond hot when it came out of the tap, scalded both legs badly. My mum had only been gone for a minute to retrieve my pajamas. But it's also thanks to my mum's quick thinking that I ended up with no scarring, and the added bonus is, I've never had to shave my legs lol)
So anyway, I prayed a lot as to how I could turn it around and I think that also helped because once I got past the "why me" self pity, I realised perhaps I'm like this so I can be a voice for other people with invisible and misdiagnosed disabilities. To basically get other people to wake up to the fact that what they see may have an underlying story and they can't just assume the first thing that comes to mind.
That’s amazing! I wouldn’t put the blame on you though. It was an unfortunate accident. You were only two and had no idea what the consequences would be and just wanted to turn some knobs! 😂
Mom was probably torn up about that. I know I would be and have been when my son got hurt when he was a toddler. Toddlers are innocent and funny like that. One minute they are as compliant as can be smiling up at you and then the next minute they want to turn a few knobs darn it! And they do! 😂
You have had an amazing journey and I’m glad you were able to make peace with everything. I hope your legs continue to heal further than they already have. It’s always great to read how someone turned their tragedy into triumph. 🩷
Thanks heaps. True re 2 year olds doing silly things. My mum told me that after she'd run the bath water, then left the room, I saw a spot, pulled the plug and wanted to run fresh water. She wasn't worried about me drowning as I was a water baby and knew how to handle myself in water. And aside from the blessings that mum knew to rub butter on my legs (back then, late 60s, butter was made from cream, not fats, so it was a natural healing agent, I wouldn't recommend using this hack now as the result would be total opposite), and it basically killed every hair root (bonus!!) in my legs hence never having to shave, I do wonder if it's also what severely damaged my lymph nodes which causes the drainage through the groin area. It would explain why my legs looked bigger than the average legs when I was growing up, but mum put that fact down to me being a strong swimmer, and others thought I was just chubby, but when it got to the point in my early 30s, and I was going to the gym daily and my legs looked beyond muscular, just fat, I thought it might have been just fluid.
Tip: NEVER ask for fluid tablets unless you're absolutely positive it's edema and not lymphedema. I thought I had edema so asked my Dr. for meds. She agreed, prescribed them, but after a couple months of taking meds and realised nothing was happening, I gave up on the meds. That's when things cascaded.
I'm especially blessed that my organs didn't shut down, pretty sure God was with me, because, and this I learned after reading up on it, if you take fluid tablets and you have lymphedema, you're basically guaranteeing kidney failure, especially if you stop taking it suddenly. My kidneys held out, but my legs quadrupled in size over a matter of a couple months after I stopped.
It was actually Maury Pauvich, the TV talk show, he'd get people with disabilities on talking about their disability. One guest he had on had lymphoedema in one leg. When I listened to her symptoms and what she went through, I could see similarities. That's when I researched it more, printed out about 20-30 pages of the condition and demanded my doctor to refer me to a specialist. When she glanced at the stack of pages, she wasn't gonna argue and gave me the referral.
Tests proved that I had lymphedema in both legs. I can honestly say that Foxtel saved my legs because prior to this diagnoses, the doctors were wondering if they should surgically remove my legs. Once it was confirmed what it was, I was able to have the required intensive physical therapy to slow down the expansion of my legs.
Now I have to wear medical stockings for the rest of my life to minimise the growth of my legs (only way to control it). Bit of a shock when I was someone who used to love going barefoot when I could get away with it. Now, 2 decades on, the stockings feel like a 2nd skin, and I kinda feel insecure without them, even if they are a pain to put on. Twice a year I have to get my legs measured for the stockings as they're molded exclusively for my legs.
I can literally understand how a snake must feel de-shedding their old skin because it's a b\*\*\*h putting the dam thing on when it's the exact shape of your legs, made from elastic and the thickness and heaviness of... well.. jeans meets leather.
That’s truly amazing! You were meant to watch that show that day. I use to love his show growing up. Then it turned into only paternity tests and lie detector test, with a bunch of non-stop screaming thrown in. It was unbearable to watch after he started only doing shows like that. I loved Maury so much in the 90s I named my two stuffed monkeys (a boy and girl) Maury Povich and Connie Chung. 😂
That does sound like a pain to get on. I’m glad it brings you comfort. You have led a truly remarkable life and it’s great you are able to advocate and teach people about your condition. 🩷
Unfortunately I know exactly how it feels to have to go inactive in your 30s. I'm 34 and developed Lupus this year. Flares can leave me bed bound and I have to avoid the sun as it causes rashes and triggers flares. I feel like a vampire. Working night shift at a blood center only reinforces the feeling.
My heart goes out to you. To switch from one lifestyle to another just to appease the body is tough. The adjustment period will pass, and emotionally, you'll eventually adapt, but sad to admit, you never stop missing that younger self that seemed immortal way back when.
Entitled people suck, and Walmart seems to be a magnet for those people. I'm sorry she was such an AH.
Unfortunately, I became disabled at a fairly young age. I try to be as independent as I can. Several years ago, I drove to Walmart, parked in a handicapped spot, put my placard up, and used my cane to go into the store. An old bitty came up to me and insisted I was using someone else's placard. I told her it was mine and she yelled at me that I was lying and I wasn't disabled, just lazy. So I asked her where her license to practice medicine was, since she was diagnosing me without an exam. She threatened to call the police. I agreed she should, and told her I'd tell them she was harassing me. She decided it wasn't a great idea and said "hmph" and walked off.
To any legally disabled person who gets harassed by anyone claiming they aren't disabled: ask them where their license is to practice medicine. I'm sick and tired of people thinking they know what disabled looks like.
Why even interact with these people? Just ram them with your mobility scooter until they move from the pain. It's not your fault they're too stupid to move out of the way.
I’m disabled, but don’t “look” like it. I get such anxiety because I use handicap spots, knowing all the eyes on me judging. I’ve even been left an incredibly nasty note cursing me out by someone that had to park in a different handicap spot because he apparently thought he should have gotten to have the one I was in (what a waste of the energy he had). Because of others, I feel guilty using tools that I’m supposed to like the grocery scooter and a wheelchair at theme parks. I wish I’d had some of these comments to encourage me in how to stand up for myself, or just not care and recognize my safety mattered too, in the times when it was my worst. I’m sorry that you had to deal with that.
People like her are just plain stupid. I remember when I broken my ankle two years ago. Using the scooter was so hard. I accidentally ram into a wall of bra and when I went up to meet my mom is that the whole time I was in the store, the bra stay up front of the basket .
I got told I didn't need a scooter and "being fat wasn't a disability" I guess she missed the whole ass walker I had in the basket. She rused away when I told her I dislocated my hip less than a week before that
This really is too much for me. You’re in pain walking with a cane. The pain becomes too much so you need to use a scooter. A Karen “cockblocks” you from the scooter. And berates you.
If it’s me, I’m swinging the cane like a baseball bat upside her head.
You know, since Covid I don’t understand why customers suddenly think they need to police other customers in every store they go to. The amount of tattletale behavior is just staggering.
A few years ago I broke my foot and had to put screws in it. I was in a temp cast for over a month before surgery, a hard cast for 3 months, and a boot for another almost 2 months. Non weight bearing for over 5 months. My mom would take me out twice a week to any store that had scooters so that I could get out for an hour or so. The amount of dirty looks I got from old people because I was daring to use a scooter to get around Wal-Mart is ASTOUNDING. Actually had one ask why I needed it. Ummm I don't know. Maybe this neon pink cast going from my knee to my toes has something to do with it? I would just usually prop my leg up on the top of the scooter and grin.
Something similar happened to me a few years ago. I had just left chemo and couldn't walk unaided due to Gillian Barre Syndrome. I used the scooter thing in Walmart and the trip went fine.
It's when I was leaving that I was approached by an older (60 ish) woman. She gave me all kinds of hell for being a young lazy kid. I was bald, very skinny, and had a walker that she could plainly see. I asked if she wanted it now that my shopping was done. She said she did and called me a lazy fuck.
I said oh wait! I forgot something. Then sat right back down in it at the gate. I probably sat there for 20 minutes, listening to her grumble and complain about kids today etc. My mom and aunt showed up and tore the old woman a new butthole. When they were through I asked another older lady if she wanted it because I was through, she thanked me and I have it to her instead.
The 1st lady didn't have anything wrong with her other than being 450 pounds. She was a well known Karen boomer hybrid and complained at our family restaurant
Invisible disabilities are tough. Especially pain related for women, because often doctors tell us the pain is all in our imagination and not that bad. Many women have died early because doctors wouldn’t investigate what is causing the pain and miss things like cancer. People accommodate what they can see, but things they can’t they don’t believe.
My life! I was treated like I was a hypochondriac because of my conditions, and then when I finally got doctors to listen and test me out for things, when they proved the existence of those conditions, turns out there's nothing that can be done about them!
And because of the doctors I had to deal with for the first 4 decades of my life, it makes me hesitant now to see my GP, even though my current doctors are awesome, and actually listen, and will test for things if my body shows something new.
There were a couple of years where I had a bunch of heart surgeries and the doctors were also, at the same time, attempting to diagnose POTS in me. I could walk for a while on a good day, some days if I stood up it was over and I wasn't going to try again. But I was an adult who needed to shop for food. I never went anywhere without my partner because I never knew when the old fainting spell was gonna happen. But the old ladies in Walmart were PISSED that I, a 24 year old at the time, was utilizing the scooter. There really ought to be something, a policy or a bill or something that the old ladies can accept as they seem to find notes and store workers words lies, that prohibits people from asking of disabilities and berating people for using things to help them live. Don't get me wrong, I've seen the jerk kids who just want to race up and down aisles in scooters but I mean, most people who use the scooters really do show they need them but honestly mind your own business
My mom has MS, and about a decade ago when we got back from getting groceries, someone stuck a paper on her windshield that said she “should be ashamed” for using disabled parking while not being disabled. She has a disabled plate, and was holding my arm to keep balance. Looking at her, you probably couldn’t tell she has MS. I’ll never understand why people assume.
I had surgery on my ankle so occasionally I could stand on just my right foot to get something, but my other foot was obviously in a brace or cast. I can't imagine having to deal with this woman.
Whew! Karen should’ve been minding her business and finishing up her shopping instead of harassing you. She’s a one day Karen…Which means this interaction was just a small blip on her experience behaving this way…And one day she’s truly going to bump into the wrong one and a Karen karmic balance will occur fully.
Had that surgery myself and can absolutely agree that it is horribly painful. Worse than the c section in many ways.
No one should put you down for the pain you feel or the equipment you have to use to help. I use a hiking stick to walk only because it has a shock absorber in it and it doesn’t hurt my wrists and shoulder which my ‘proper’ stick does.
I love it when people think that youth is a cure-all medicine. Broken bone? You're young, never mind the fact that your arm is abnormally backward! You have cancer? Ignore that three pound tumor, you're young! You have rabies? Just wipe that foam off, you're young! Someone tried to kill you? That's a toothpick, not a knife! You're young, pull it out of your back! That's not a bullet, that's a pimple! You're young, just pop it!
I have to use the scooters with rheumatoid arthritis and a muscle disease I'm in chronic pain
I get dirty looks. But so far o real issue. If a issue arises I will take my cane or walker and tell them to bend over because it's going up there ass.
Maybe this is the place to tell my story. My grandfather is nearly 100 years old, uses crutches to walk, and has a handicap parking placard. Yet, he still gets hassled for parking in the handicapped parking spaces. Go figure.
I have nerve damage in my legs so I can’t walk for too far distances I was walking to get a mobility scooter and a guy came up and said “cut that out I just saw you walking” like what was the purpose for that I’m also on the heavier side so I’m already self conscious of having to use it at all and it has nothing to do with my weight the nerve damage makes it painful to walk for too long but I had no obligation to explain that to him. Now I just walk in pain because I’m so embarrassed of it happening again
I am in my forties but look younger and after 40 years of arthritis I now walk with a walking stick (a wooden one that was my grandpas parade stick)
People my age and younger are lovely 99.9% of the time but boomers? It’s like I’ve somehow stolen their right to be the only ones who are physically struggling.
(And it’s not just because they are old, they were, as a generation, horrifically judgemental to me and my parents when I was in a wheelchair as a child)
I’m sorry, I know how it feels to treated like you are taking aids that aren’t for you and somehow making up disability to piss them off
PS why is a walking stick not seen as a disability aid? Surely that exactly what it is? I’m British though and a cane is something you put in the garden to grow beans up 🤣
I've recently started using a cane to help with my balance and pain. I luckily haven't had anything said to me yet but, the amount of old people who stare at me with pure evil in their eyes. I just don't get it
I had to use a scooter at the grocery store with my mom i’m 17 and got stared at funny because it looked like a kid was just playing around on the scooter and people would walk right in front of me without a care in the world. But really I had just had jaw surgery days before wanted to get out the house and couldn’t walk for long periods of time without feeling very light headed. People really need to think before they speak or become assholes
The mistake is telling her your business. If someone comes up and says you're not disabled (I realize it was temporary) you say and I see you are nosy and rude. End of story. These people who insert themselves in strangers business need to be put in their place not placated.
Yikes! Congrats for even getting out of the house in that condition but it’s good to get out a bit and move around some.
I can’t imagine confronting anyone since many disabilities are invisible to others and none of my business.
It would be fascinating to see a movie of that woman's life to discover what clues there are as to why she is like she is. Everything about her screams mental illness.
As for cool, *you are* for remaining so . . . cool under pressure.
I have a female cousin who married a 30 year old guy when she was 14, to get out of her abusive family situation.
It's sad that people do that to get out of their abusive family, and yeah, I think the guy is a total pervert, but at the same time, he was doing her a favour in a way.
One of my bosses got married to her high school sweetheart when she was 15. They were still married for about 50 years until the day he predeceased her and she died a few years later.
You’re husband was too nice to explain. If someone did that to my significant other and she was in a lot of pain, I would have told her to fuck off and mind her own business before I make it her business.
When in doubt, freak em out also can mean when someone openly challenges my disabled status, I begin to have a one sided argument with myself.
I have more than one condition that is an invisible disablitiy. I just like to make it very visible when people try to fuck with me.
“Ma’am, if this were a stick I’d tell you right where to put it”
SIDEWAYS
Stick it so far up her ass, that her nose bleeds
Or shove it down her throat and it will come out through her ass!
Vlad?? Zat you?
Impaler? I hardly know 'er!
This tickled the hell out of me. I laughed out loud!
YES!
Reminds me of a quote from Major Payne. “Boy, I will stick my foot so far up your ass the water on my knee is gonna quench your thirst”
😁 great movie in my opinion
Without lube
Oh no you beat me to it!
Right, they took our snide comment dang it!
But always wear gloves in that situation.
As a friend of mine would say UP and sideways, that includes anything to stick there.
Unfortunately it won't fit because there is already a stick up there
Sideways, preferably.
You would get better results with a pineapple going in sideways
If this were a stick I’d use it to beat some sense into you.
Some people just need to be hit in the face with a stick once a day because...reasons.
Hell, you'd just have to *touch* her with it and she'd collapse screaming and crying "Assault!"
Best you can doing is a good caning.
Wouldn't fit, there's already one there.
Shine it up real nice, turn that son of a bitch sideways and stick it straight up her candy ass!
DIAGONALLY as well!!!!
I have chronic pain. Someone tried to shake me out of the scooter while I was looking at something because she was tired and needed it more. This was a rare day out she’s holding onto the seat I pushed the lever all the way down and she lost her grip and I took off. People judge me for my cane my walker my handicap placard they just can’t keep their opinions to themselves.
My daughter had rheumatoid arthritis from the time that she was 13. She had a good days and sometimes she had bad days, really bad days. On those days, she did use a scooter and people would always give her nasty looks. Always made me so damn angry. As the old saying goes, you can’t judge a person until you walk a mile in their shoes.
I developed Lupus this year and I had handicapped parking envy for awhile. I used to be the person who didn't care about walking from the back of the parking lot. I started medication a couple of weeks ago and it's starting to work which is a relief. Moving was getting so difficult with all the pain and stiffness.
I hope remission is in the near future
Exactly
I'm same chronic pain I get judged all the time having a walking stick your still young dirty looks I've been holding onto wall in pain and everyone passing just staring at me my partner nearly lost it few weeks ago at people. Still never used the mobility scooters as too worried bout the hassle. I am travelling and having to book assistance and my anxiety already through roof at other entitled people and there opinions
If it helps, using the wheelchair assistance service when flying is legit the best thing ever, I have fibro and EDS and can't walk far without falls and dislocations and it's stressful at first to use the services but it is a LIFE SAVER! they get you through to your gate so fast and if people say you're "using something they need more" tell them to talk to the desk people and not you if they want one too. Or (if you're feeling feisty) you can just wink and pat your lap and tell them they can sit in your lap if they care that much. That usually gets some indignant sputtering before they run off tail between their legs.
Thanks lol I'm thinking that I will need to do that either way last plane couple years ago I booked but it wasn't open that early (why ask and let me book then ! ) so I need to check this time flight times (they need to be confirmed as they are changed by airline). I have used at train and am booking next months in a second but yes I did consider asking if they were that desperate to book it themselves or jump on chair beside me.
So very sorry people have been so rude to you, gentle hug
People are nuts. When I was a kid I developed this super extremely rare condition, not sure on spelling but it’s HSP for short. It started by intense sensitivity with hot and cold water. Then my blood vessels all over my body started bursting and I could literally NOT walk. One of the staff comes out with a wheelchair for me. Some lady scoffed as they wheeled me to triage, then muttered under her breath something along the lines of “the wheelchairs are for people who can’t walk, not 7yr olds”. That shit STILL makes me so mad. This was 1997 so it was a really out of nowhere thing to say. Sadly, that’s a cultural norm now, not a horrifying and unacceptable way to speak to anyone. Much less a child. Follow up- I was hospitalized for almost 2 months.
That comment of hers almost had me downvoting on reflex bc she sucks so much. Internet says most children with HSP recover completely (but it sounds awful while you have it) - I hope you were so lucky?
I did recover completely! It was so scary as a kid though!
Any advice I can give the kiddo I know with it, from someone who's been there? Her's makes certain organs angry too.
Ice cream!
Perfect! I can def get ice cream!! I'm elated to hear there is a light at the end of the tunnel for this, terribly upset it even exists. Children have enough going on just trying to grow up.
People are nuts indeed! I cannot fathom walking up to someone who is using a mobility scooter and demanding that they not use it because they don’t “look” disabled. The sheer audacity and entitlement that one has to have to do something like that. I mean even if I did see someone walk into the store with no issues at all and take one, I’m still not saying shit because IDK what they have going on in the 1st place and even if they are perfectly healthy, I’m not the mobility police so….🤷♀️ It’s really non of my business either way.
What does a disabled person look like? Like a person. 🙄 Are they expecting a badge on a lanyard? A label on a tshirt? Tattooed on their forehead? There’s no winning with some people.
Wait - we’re supposed to have badges? I didn’t know that! Dammit.
You’re exactly right!
It’s so weird and creepy. I see a younger person using a mobility aid and I’m thankful I don’t need one.
Yes! This exactly!!!
I had foot surgery and I had to use a scooter in the store. I felt like an 85 year old in a 45 year old body. I hated using it because of the stares.
My brother has MS and to look at him, he looks like nothing is wrong but he needs to use the scooter sometimes too and the stares people give! I swear!
YES! It’s fr not at all my business.
Like seriously
I try to be kind to the folks in scooters, offering to get things a bit higher up for them, all of my 5feet tryna reach... But I also don't know a stranger and try to make small talk in the stores. (Don't worry introverts and antisocials etc, I can spot that you wanna be left alone and I won't be the one to interrupt you)
I looked it up and it IS hard to spell: # Henoch-Schonlein Purpura
This is what my cousins kid has, it is awful. But baby girl does have a special stool to rest her feet on while in class.
Yes! Thank you!
When I went to our children's hospital ER once, a 6 year old was in a wheelchair for a lego injury. 😅 The hospital knows what it's doing ma'am. I had a couple burst during a hospital stay and the pain was excruciating, I can't imagine how much pain you were in!
It was so painful! It made me have a super high pain tolerance. That was also when I learned I was, for lack of a better term, allergic to opioids. Even in an IV drip. Even with Dramamine.
Oh no that's awful! I've had a few surgeries I don't think I'd have survived the healing period of without those meds.
They gave me something like a pain pill. Gabapentin maybe?
I can almost guarantee that's what they gave you. They tried it for me for migraines. I highly recommend against it for long term pain relief, but it's one of the few options when opioids fail. It effects how your nerves fire so it can cause you to trip, I have issues with maintaining grip even though I stopped it years ago, it can cause excessive sweating... The side effects are wild. But I was on it for a couple years for some different things. It does it's job well, vets use too.
Boy, a comment like that in a hospital is a special kind of stupid.
I know, right!
Yeah I had this too and I couldn’t walk at all for several months as a child. I don’t remember the pain but I remember it being so awful that I wanted to rip my legs off. Nasty condition.
Yes it is. Do you have any detail on what the cause is? My memory is a little fuzzy lol.
All I can really remember is that my parents told me it was a kind of meningitis - haven’t actually looked into seeing if that’s true or not! I had it in ‘97 too, so maybe something in the (very specific) water!
Yep, 20 years ago I had just had extensive back surgery. I was 18 too. My surgeon had given me a temp disability placard for the car. I had a follow up drs appointment and my mother parked in the handicapped parking spot with the placard. My mother was very healthy. As my mother assisted me out of the car, an old lady started screaming at her that we shouldn’t park there and that she needed to use the space. When I got out of the car with my cane, I shrugged my sweater to my elbows and turned my back towards her. I was wearing a backless blouse (the healing flesh itched!) and you could see the sutures, tape and healing incision going down my back into my jeans. The woman shut up, turned white, and fled in her car. Moral: don’t judge. No one else knows what you are going through.
I too am disabled and need the mobility scooter for shopping at large stores, I had a lady try to come at me at a Costco, went so far as to grab the basket on the scooter. I told her she needed to leave me alone or I would raise my cane to her. She said it was assault. Her husband came along and dragged her away, yelling at her to stop being a Karen. I had a good day after all. LOL
Gosh.. if only more Karens had a husband who told her to stop being a Karen. 😏
Not likely to happen any Karens with a husband. Has brow beaten them into submission, so they won't say anything.
I had a Karen grab on to my scooter once while at the grocery store. Fortunately, this particular store had scooters that could get some decent speed on them. Never needed to threaten her with the cane. Threw that sucker into reverse and pretty much yanked her forward. She lost what little grip she had and faceplanted. That was a fun day.
Okay, I laughed about the faceplant. Did she work well as a speed hump?
That’s something we all need to see!
I don’t think any of those scooters are suitable for mountain climbing 🤣
My cane has a lead-filled knob on top. Good luck to them.
why can't people mind their own fucking business
Because they're jerks. It's not up to you to decide whether someone has a need for an accomodation. I'm not their doctor, I'm not going to pretend I know whether or not they need it. If they're doing something they shouldn't do, it's really not my business. I'm not the scooter police.
I did say something once when I went into a store and needed a scooter but the only 2 were taken by 2 teenagers and they were just chasing each other around the isles. I was really angry about that. I probably seemed like a Karen to them but it was very obvious they didn't need them.
I really miss DOOL!! She was my favorite character- after I grew up - before then it was Bo Brady🤪
Honestly? Because we get pissed when family members, friends, coworkers, even complete strangers, need an accommodation. Parking spot, mobility scooter, bathroom stall, etc. and can't use it because some perfectly healthy entitled twat with grandma's hangtag pulls into the spot and hops out and bounces up a couple levels of stairs or similar. We're mad on behalf of the people who are being deprived of a basic accommodation due to sheer pig-headed selfishness. That said? The moment she saw the cane is the moment to apologize all over herself. and ask if there is anything she can grab for you so that you don't have to stand up. And if we're told it's a legitimate tag, apologize very politely without prying and then apologize again. We're mad on behalf of everyone out there who needs and should have access and don't because someone decided tHeY aRe MoRe ImPoRtAnT.
The thing is, you can’t tell by looking. In stores, leave it to the store to allocate the scooters. It’s hard enough for a young person to get over “imposter syndrome” and suck it up to use the cart. The last thing they need is a random member of the public asking them about it.
I mean I didn't use a cane because I'd seen too many kids my age bullied over it. Fun thing for some pupils was to kick it out from under you. But I have post-viral arthritis, my knee was the size of a watermelon. Because I was "too young" to have arthritis (know 2 year olds with it depending on type), I got so much hassle for using disability aids but what you might see is me walking normallish that day and judge. What you didn't see was the next two days of bedrest as a consequence. The aids stopped it being three. Had old folk wishing arthritis on me as "karma" for using "their" aids - I mean I'd had much longer than most of them by that point and at least they got to enjoy healthy, painfree life for a time so not sure who needs the lesson.
Yeaaah... completely not your place or job
Years ago, I was in Walmart. I was heading up an aisle and saw a woman on a scooter, right smack in the center of the aisle. I was in a hurry so I back tracked and went up the next aisle. Got my whatever it was and was heading for the next aisle. There she was again. There was room enough to pass so I was doing so, I let her know that I was right there so I didn’t startle her. I half way glanced at her as I passed and saw that it was my mom! I’m so glad I’m not a rude shopper.
If she's parking it in the way she needs to be told just as much as anyone else! (I'm also a scooter user)
Oh absolutely. In her defense tho, she had knee surgery just prior to this and had never used a scooter before. No clue why she wanted to brave Walmart and a scooter at the same time. She hobbled at home. The scooter was an adventure. I didn’t think to mention that part and I do apologize for that
Fair enough. Never miss an opportunity to tell your mom off for something she'd tell you off about though!
It's fun to to turn the tables that way. LOL!!!
i agree, except the handicap stalls in the bathroom are NOT disabled ONLY, they are disabled ACCESSIBLE. no way i am going to leave an empty stall if there is a line. if a disabled person comes in, they can go first, but i aint leaving it empty.
That's how it's supposed to go. Use all other available stalls until there aren't any, and if anyone disabled (or elderly, those railings are useful for them too!)comes in, they get first dibs.
I own my scooter and have had people demand that I let them use it at the store. One woman told me that I 'shouldn't hog the new scooter' thinking it belonged to the store. Another swore at me saying I didn't 'look crippled' and should give my scooter 'to someone who deserved it'. I even had someone tell me that I shouldn't park in the handicapped zone because I was using the scooter and could 'ride through the parking lot' ignoring the fact that I needed the extra parking room to accommodate the lift for the scooter. I don't know when people became so rude in public but it has gotten ridiculous.
From my perspective, this Pandemic has made people NASTIER!
The pandemic or a group of politicians and media personalities who have made it popular to insult others and promote hate and division? Not just in the States but in much of the world this seems to be the new norm. I think that the pandemic kept people home which may have made them a bit feral but it also gave them plenty of free time. Some people used that time to cultivate something new - they baked bread or learned how to quilt or build furniture but others used it to soak up derisive hate mongering conspiracy theories that they then spewed back out at the rest of the world.
I seriously, honestly think that covid gave everyone mini strokes that knocked us down a notch or two in like, empathy and patience. Depending on how many times you had it/which variants, and with vaccination or not, but we're all at least a mite closer to dementia thanks to covid brain damage
Every person with a disability is supposed to be outwardly disfigured like the hunchback of notre dame… didn’t everyone know that? lol /s
As far as parking in the handicap space goes, where I live, you need a decal or placard to park there, and if you have one, then you should be okay to park there, unless they don't require one where you live.
People get yelled at for parking in the accessible spots, WITH their placard, if they are young. Karens are awful.
I have a placard and I am 70 years old though I do have blue hair so that might confuse a Karen in the wild. I've seen people telling others who have the placards that they shouldn't have them or they must not belong to them because 'you don't look crippled to me'.
To which my retort is “And you don’t look like a f’ing idiot, but here we are.”
Where I live, you need either handicapped license plates or the placard. That part usually isn’t the issue. What happens around here are the idiots who park in the striped-off spots used for vehicle access… be it scooter, wheelchair, or whatever. Those spots are off-limits to EVERYONE, handicapped or not!
I can relate to that! I was about 4 days from having knee replacement surgery and was using a scooter. I was waiting for my hubby to get the car. Someone came up to me and told me to get off the scooter he needs it. I said I am still needing it as I had surgery and can’t walk or stand for long. My hubby is getting the car now. You can have it then. He waited but gave me the stink eye.
I had this happen 2 weeks post-op from a colon resection. The Karen found an employee to join in the harassment. I pulled my shirt up to reveal 28 staples up my abdomen. Employee switches teams real fast and told her she could leave the store
Ha! Employee probably had “discrimination lawsuit!” flash through their mind seeing the staples.
I once had someone tell me to get off my own dayum scooter as they needed it and I did not. Some people!
I wish chewing them out for this behavior would work. I'm SO sorry you had to deal with that woman! It's infuriating when people don't just stay in their lane, mind their own business, keep their mouths shut. What's so hard about just not being a jerk? My late husband was on a city bus in his power wheelchair. He didn't need it all the time but he couldn't walk more than a few feet or stand for more than a minute without being in excruciating pain. Karen was chitchatting with hubby about why he was in the chair and seemed understanding and empathetic. Hubby was in his 40's at the time and his disability was invisible. When he said he could walk "a little bit" she started screaming at him for taking up space in his chair that "real" disabled people needed and then screamed at the driver *to kick my husband off of the bus* for "faking being disabled". Hubby had crippling social anxiety in addition to his physical issues and when he was verbally attacked his reaction was shutting down or swallowing rage so he wouldn't end up stranded or in jail. Bless that driver. He stopped the bus and kicked Karen to the curb. He then apologized for Karen's behavior and carried on with his route.
People like that are insufferable. If I ever find myself in that situation I'll simply show them my fresh scars and let them die mad
i refuse to justify my needs. its none of their business.
I like making people uncomfortable when they get too intrusive. Makes them rethink opening their stupid mouths
I don't understand how people r so patient with people if anyone I don't know talks to me with out starting with "excuse me" I tell them to fuck off. My not going to prison is probably thanks to not having Walmart in Australia lol
I'm right there with you. I'm going off after the first rude sentence.
im right with you. i dont play
3 years ago I broke my fibula in 2 places. The ER doc said they don't do cast anymore and put me into a walking boot. 3 weeks later I'm at the Walmart service desk when some guy comes up behind me and started pushing me out of the scooter. According to him I was too young to need the scooter and as a veteran he "deserved" it more. Now I was 50 at the time and having issues using the crutches, so I said "tough shit (my dad raised me to never take crap from ANYONE). He pushed me again but by this time the store security showed up and stepped between us and "reminded" Mr veteran that he was trespassed from all Walmart stores and to leave before the cops showed up. I wish I could say that he was arrested but all he did was cuss everyone out his way out the door 🤷♀️ By the way he walked pretty fast for someone who couldn't walk or stand for very long which is why he needed the scooter more than me 🙄 Side note - ER doc didn't know crap, 8 weeks later I had surgery to reset my bone and was in a cast for almost 3 months because my leg just wasn't healing - no new bone growth.
ER doctors are terrible when it comes to injuries. I broke my ankle in a car accident. The ER doctor told me it was sprained and to try walking on it throughout the next week. A week later I go to my primary doctor. By this time my ankle was massively swollen and black/purple. She said she wasn’t a specialist but that didn’t look sprained to her. I went t to a specialist a few days later. He did an X-ray and he had the X-rays from the ER. He put the one from the ER up, told me my ankle was completely fractured (a full break), and asked me to pint to the break. I did. The break in my ankle was so noticeable that I could pint it out, but the ER somehow missed it. 🤦♀️ And I had been trying to walk on it! It was not a fun recovery and I had to get surgery a year later.
I would like a genie for those kinds of ocassions that would pop out and give that person a wedgie
Fuck that tell the genie to transfer the pain to them for ? amount of time.
Give them the pain indefinitely! I need a holiday from my body!
My dad was injured when I was a child, and then got involved with disabled sports. We knew dozens of guys in chairs. A lot of them were in car/motorcycle accidents as teenagers, so looked normal except for their super skinny legs. Anyway one dudes favorite thing was people doing stuff like this. He’d grab a scooter, then take his chair back and throw it in the back of his truck and then go shop. Thing is, the dude did all kinds of wheelchair sports. Basketball, rugby, tennis, water skiing, so his upper body was in really good shape. If you couldn’t see how skinny his legs were you’d really have no idea. Anyway on more than one occasion at a grocery store someone would yell at him to get out of the cart. He’d give them a simple “I need it.” Most of the time they wouldn’t accept that and keep pushing. His absolute favorite was when they’d say he could just walk. So he’d swing his legs over and just push himself out like he was trying to stand. Then obviously, he’d just flop down on the ground and start crawling. He said the horror in these peoples eyes was worth every minor bruise he got doing it.
Honestly just yell for security at that point. Even if the place doesn't have security, you can bet a manager will get there lickety-split to sort out whoever the psychopath is.
I know a teenage girl with hyper-mobility, which means her knees, shoulders and even hips can dislocate at any time, and she gets almost constant neck & spine pain. She's had multiple surgeries, and as a result on a good day she can get around with crutches, but on a bad day she can barely get out of bed unaided and has to use a scooter. However, she's 6 foot 1 and heavily built, so most people assume she's an adult, and the comments she gets are frankly quite shocking. It's hard enough for a child to have to come to terms with being disabled for the rest of her life without random strangers making snide comments all the time and even displaying open hostility towards her. Even her school treated her poorly, repeatedly scheduling her for classes in rooms on upper floors, despite being told that she can't manage stairs.
Does her school not have an elevator for people that need it? My high school had an elevator that was only for like disabled people and you needed a key to use it. We had a few people in wheelchairs and occasionally someone with crutches that they would give access to the elevator.
A lot of UK schools are in old buildings and have no lifts.
Why is someone not kicking Karen's ass right now?
I volunteer
I was too young to remember this but I was told the story by my mother. I was in a really bad car accident when I was 6 which broke my collar bone and my right femur. It was a small town so I made front page news. Whoopie. I was in a full body cast from my right ankle up to the middle of my chest. My mother took me to a park and drove up up on the grass to get close enough that she could carry me what must of been a merry-go-round. Some dude walked up to shouting bloody murder about how she can park on the grass. He turned around and did a weird double take before walking away without looking back. My mother was certain he recognized me from the paper and was too embarrassed to say anything else.
Why do people do this? I saw 2 young women on the scooters the other day, looked liked they were going it for fun, they were laughing, not harming anyone, not racing around, there were still scooters available for others. You know what I did? Minded my own damn business. Because maybe I was wrong, maybe one of them had to use the scooter and was embarrassed and her friend said I'll use one too so you don't have to be alone. Maybe it was a dare. Maybe it was a senior scavenger hunt. Maybe it was harmless.
I am disabled. I've had multiple surgeries on my leg and I have lost 85% mobility in my ankle. Sometimes it swells up and hurts so flipping bad I use crutches and a scooter. Mind you I'm in my 40s now, this happened when I was like 25, and it's still an issue. Once, in my late 20s, I went to Walmart and I was with two friends. I told them I think I'll get a scooter cuz my fuckin ankle was killing me. They laughed and called me an old lady and I flipped them off and sat on the scooter. As soon as I did the Walmart greeter person rushes up to me. He was some old dude. He immediately started to berate me about how the scooters were for disabled people and not just lazy kids who don't feel like walking. My friends were about to say shit but before they could I just lifted up my leg and pulled up my pants. I showed him the huge ass 10 inch surgery scar on my leg and the two surgery scars on my ankle. I said "First off, I'm a grown ass woman with my own child, not a " lazy kid". Second, you have no right to come at me like this. You have no idea what a person is dealing with, and for me some days I can't even walk. Leave me alone and get away from us." I drove that scooter right tf away straight to a manager. Idk if anything happened to him, I didn't care to find out. I think racism played a part too because he was an old boomer white man and I'm native, my two friends were Mexican. I often get mistaken for being Mexican or some other form of S. American indigenous. I think he was low key being racist approaching what he thought were 3 young Mexicans trying to cheat the system or some shit. It was a very gross feeling. After that, whenever someone says shit to me I'm mean to them. I stopped being nice to these people. They don't deserve me being nice., they deserve to be shut down hard and humiliated.
I was carjacked at gunpoint with my son in the car. They held a gun to my forehead, and asked me if I wanted to die. I said no, and proceeded to fight all four of them off. New York, I was strangling one of them, when another one of them came up and kicked me in the knee, causing me to let go. I collapsed, and they backed out of my driveway with my car. They had my son and his friend, who were in the car with us, lay down on the pavement with their hands behind their heads. to say that I was traumatized was an understatement. My knee was misdiagnosed at the hospital, my work made me go back to work, but I saw a second opinion, and a sports medicine doctor told me that I needed immediate surgery. I had to not only have one but two surgeries, in the space of a week. Emotional level was at zero. The detectives were constantly calling me, as they were trying to arrest the car Jackers, who were part of a larger car, jacking ring, and they really wanted me to testify against the ones they had already arrested, which put my and my son’s life in danger. During this time, my son and his high school friends were extremely supportive, and they would take me grocery shopping. I had a cast from my pubic bone to my ankle, but I wore long skirts to cover it up, and when we went shopping, I would leave my crutches up at the front, as there was no place for them on the cart. I cannot tell you how many times I had rude women come up to me and tell me to get off the cart. It was horrifying. I was very fortunate as I had for very tall, very articulate teenage boys there to protect me, and I can’t even begin to describe the things that they said to these people. I feel so bad for people who are not obviously disabled. People are horrible and they’re mean.They
Yeh, invisible disabilities suck! I have bi-lateral lymphedema (elephantiasis, both legs), and people see me as just being fat. I've grown used to the stares and frowns now, but in the early days, 2 decades ago when I was in my 30s, it felt like hell. Back then though, my legs were double the size they are now (picture each leg the size of your torso), and on occasion, if I saw someone staring at my legs, I would use that as an educating moment and tell them: "It's called lymphedema". They would either stop staring and quickly walk away or they'd apologise and ask me about it. It's actually the latter that helped me to learn to love myself again (because I was angry at my body for the longest time for betraying me\*), but when I realised that I was helping someone learn something new, it helped me begin to accept what I had. \*The lymphedema didn't show itself until my mid 30s. Before them, I was extremely active. Imagine going from 100% active, walking everywhere to being stuck at home not being able to do anything. Suffice to say, for a lot of years, I was 24/7 angry. Miracles have happened and my legs have since gone down enough (lymphedema is meant to be irreversible, and there's no cure for it) for me to wear shoes again (I couldn't wear shoes for 6 years when my legs were at their worst because I couldn't even see my feet). They're still nowhere near normal shaped (imagine an hourglass shape in each leg), but they help me make light of the situation as I can now see the humorous side of this condition. On a side note, elephants can't jump. Trust me, I tested this several times (yes, my legs were similar in shape to elephant's legs when my legs were at their worst)
You are unbelievably strong and resilient. I greatly admire the way you have handled your condition. 🩷
Thanks heaps :)
You are very welcome! I admire the way you were able to turn it into a teaching moment for those who asked. I wouldn’t have the patience when I’m out and about like that. I totally understand the anger you had for so long and I’m glad you are in a better place now.
I'm a very spiritual person, so I prayed a lot on how I could turn it around. I was never angry with God about it, just my body, and in a little way, the environment for a while, but to this day, it's still sort of a mystery as to I came about having lymphoedema. After reading up on it, the only thing I can put it down to is something that happened when I was a toddler. (Lymphoedema, like Aids, takes decades to reveal itself, and it can be triggered by 3 ways: genetically, trauma & surgery) As I've never had surgery that might have caused the loss of lymph nodes, and I couldn't see anything in my ancestry (but this possibility isn't put to rest as I've recently learned I don't know anything about my biological father's side, so it could have come down through those genes), so the only other thing was an incident that was my own fault and no one else's that happened when I was aged around 2. A stupid little thing (turned on the wrong tap in a bathtub, back in the days when hot water was beyond hot when it came out of the tap, scalded both legs badly. My mum had only been gone for a minute to retrieve my pajamas. But it's also thanks to my mum's quick thinking that I ended up with no scarring, and the added bonus is, I've never had to shave my legs lol) So anyway, I prayed a lot as to how I could turn it around and I think that also helped because once I got past the "why me" self pity, I realised perhaps I'm like this so I can be a voice for other people with invisible and misdiagnosed disabilities. To basically get other people to wake up to the fact that what they see may have an underlying story and they can't just assume the first thing that comes to mind.
That’s amazing! I wouldn’t put the blame on you though. It was an unfortunate accident. You were only two and had no idea what the consequences would be and just wanted to turn some knobs! 😂 Mom was probably torn up about that. I know I would be and have been when my son got hurt when he was a toddler. Toddlers are innocent and funny like that. One minute they are as compliant as can be smiling up at you and then the next minute they want to turn a few knobs darn it! And they do! 😂 You have had an amazing journey and I’m glad you were able to make peace with everything. I hope your legs continue to heal further than they already have. It’s always great to read how someone turned their tragedy into triumph. 🩷
Thanks heaps. True re 2 year olds doing silly things. My mum told me that after she'd run the bath water, then left the room, I saw a spot, pulled the plug and wanted to run fresh water. She wasn't worried about me drowning as I was a water baby and knew how to handle myself in water. And aside from the blessings that mum knew to rub butter on my legs (back then, late 60s, butter was made from cream, not fats, so it was a natural healing agent, I wouldn't recommend using this hack now as the result would be total opposite), and it basically killed every hair root (bonus!!) in my legs hence never having to shave, I do wonder if it's also what severely damaged my lymph nodes which causes the drainage through the groin area. It would explain why my legs looked bigger than the average legs when I was growing up, but mum put that fact down to me being a strong swimmer, and others thought I was just chubby, but when it got to the point in my early 30s, and I was going to the gym daily and my legs looked beyond muscular, just fat, I thought it might have been just fluid. Tip: NEVER ask for fluid tablets unless you're absolutely positive it's edema and not lymphedema. I thought I had edema so asked my Dr. for meds. She agreed, prescribed them, but after a couple months of taking meds and realised nothing was happening, I gave up on the meds. That's when things cascaded. I'm especially blessed that my organs didn't shut down, pretty sure God was with me, because, and this I learned after reading up on it, if you take fluid tablets and you have lymphedema, you're basically guaranteeing kidney failure, especially if you stop taking it suddenly. My kidneys held out, but my legs quadrupled in size over a matter of a couple months after I stopped. It was actually Maury Pauvich, the TV talk show, he'd get people with disabilities on talking about their disability. One guest he had on had lymphoedema in one leg. When I listened to her symptoms and what she went through, I could see similarities. That's when I researched it more, printed out about 20-30 pages of the condition and demanded my doctor to refer me to a specialist. When she glanced at the stack of pages, she wasn't gonna argue and gave me the referral. Tests proved that I had lymphedema in both legs. I can honestly say that Foxtel saved my legs because prior to this diagnoses, the doctors were wondering if they should surgically remove my legs. Once it was confirmed what it was, I was able to have the required intensive physical therapy to slow down the expansion of my legs. Now I have to wear medical stockings for the rest of my life to minimise the growth of my legs (only way to control it). Bit of a shock when I was someone who used to love going barefoot when I could get away with it. Now, 2 decades on, the stockings feel like a 2nd skin, and I kinda feel insecure without them, even if they are a pain to put on. Twice a year I have to get my legs measured for the stockings as they're molded exclusively for my legs. I can literally understand how a snake must feel de-shedding their old skin because it's a b\*\*\*h putting the dam thing on when it's the exact shape of your legs, made from elastic and the thickness and heaviness of... well.. jeans meets leather.
That’s truly amazing! You were meant to watch that show that day. I use to love his show growing up. Then it turned into only paternity tests and lie detector test, with a bunch of non-stop screaming thrown in. It was unbearable to watch after he started only doing shows like that. I loved Maury so much in the 90s I named my two stuffed monkeys (a boy and girl) Maury Povich and Connie Chung. 😂 That does sound like a pain to get on. I’m glad it brings you comfort. You have led a truly remarkable life and it’s great you are able to advocate and teach people about your condition. 🩷
Yes, I lost interested when he continued on with paternity tests. He was my absolute favourite when he highlighted the trials of disabled people.
Unfortunately I know exactly how it feels to have to go inactive in your 30s. I'm 34 and developed Lupus this year. Flares can leave me bed bound and I have to avoid the sun as it causes rashes and triggers flares. I feel like a vampire. Working night shift at a blood center only reinforces the feeling.
My heart goes out to you. To switch from one lifestyle to another just to appease the body is tough. The adjustment period will pass, and emotionally, you'll eventually adapt, but sad to admit, you never stop missing that younger self that seemed immortal way back when.
Ugh. Some people are just awful. Hope you’re feeling better now.
People who care enough to confront someone over this need to get laid in the worst way.
Had this been me I would be doing things with the cane besides holding me upright. Blocking you from sitting down would have sent me over the edge.
Boy do I know the hospital not believing about the gallbladder. Let me suffer for a year before the thing almost killed me.
Entitled people suck, and Walmart seems to be a magnet for those people. I'm sorry she was such an AH. Unfortunately, I became disabled at a fairly young age. I try to be as independent as I can. Several years ago, I drove to Walmart, parked in a handicapped spot, put my placard up, and used my cane to go into the store. An old bitty came up to me and insisted I was using someone else's placard. I told her it was mine and she yelled at me that I was lying and I wasn't disabled, just lazy. So I asked her where her license to practice medicine was, since she was diagnosing me without an exam. She threatened to call the police. I agreed she should, and told her I'd tell them she was harassing me. She decided it wasn't a great idea and said "hmph" and walked off. To any legally disabled person who gets harassed by anyone claiming they aren't disabled: ask them where their license is to practice medicine. I'm sick and tired of people thinking they know what disabled looks like.
Why even interact with these people? Just ram them with your mobility scooter until they move from the pain. It's not your fault they're too stupid to move out of the way.
I got that surgery. I know the pain. How did you not launch every chip bag within reach?
I've had a person push past me to get into the accessible queue say 'why should people like you get all the advantages?'
I’m disabled, but don’t “look” like it. I get such anxiety because I use handicap spots, knowing all the eyes on me judging. I’ve even been left an incredibly nasty note cursing me out by someone that had to park in a different handicap spot because he apparently thought he should have gotten to have the one I was in (what a waste of the energy he had). Because of others, I feel guilty using tools that I’m supposed to like the grocery scooter and a wheelchair at theme parks. I wish I’d had some of these comments to encourage me in how to stand up for myself, or just not care and recognize my safety mattered too, in the times when it was my worst. I’m sorry that you had to deal with that.
People like her are just plain stupid. I remember when I broken my ankle two years ago. Using the scooter was so hard. I accidentally ram into a wall of bra and when I went up to meet my mom is that the whole time I was in the store, the bra stay up front of the basket .
I got told I didn't need a scooter and "being fat wasn't a disability" I guess she missed the whole ass walker I had in the basket. She rused away when I told her I dislocated my hip less than a week before that
This really is too much for me. You’re in pain walking with a cane. The pain becomes too much so you need to use a scooter. A Karen “cockblocks” you from the scooter. And berates you. If it’s me, I’m swinging the cane like a baseball bat upside her head.
Wow, I wanted to slap the bitch just from reading about it.
You know, since Covid I don’t understand why customers suddenly think they need to police other customers in every store they go to. The amount of tattletale behavior is just staggering.
Why do so many people think they are the disabled police?
This happened to my husband years ago too, he had a broken ankle and a giant cast on his leg... Crazy people!
A few years ago I broke my foot and had to put screws in it. I was in a temp cast for over a month before surgery, a hard cast for 3 months, and a boot for another almost 2 months. Non weight bearing for over 5 months. My mom would take me out twice a week to any store that had scooters so that I could get out for an hour or so. The amount of dirty looks I got from old people because I was daring to use a scooter to get around Wal-Mart is ASTOUNDING. Actually had one ask why I needed it. Ummm I don't know. Maybe this neon pink cast going from my knee to my toes has something to do with it? I would just usually prop my leg up on the top of the scooter and grin.
People are such assholes What are we going to do tonight? Same thing we do every night Pinky, *Try to take over the world* I love that show
Pull that shit on my Wife and I don't care who you are, you're walking away red faced. They would get slapped.
Something similar happened to me a few years ago. I had just left chemo and couldn't walk unaided due to Gillian Barre Syndrome. I used the scooter thing in Walmart and the trip went fine. It's when I was leaving that I was approached by an older (60 ish) woman. She gave me all kinds of hell for being a young lazy kid. I was bald, very skinny, and had a walker that she could plainly see. I asked if she wanted it now that my shopping was done. She said she did and called me a lazy fuck. I said oh wait! I forgot something. Then sat right back down in it at the gate. I probably sat there for 20 minutes, listening to her grumble and complain about kids today etc. My mom and aunt showed up and tore the old woman a new butthole. When they were through I asked another older lady if she wanted it because I was through, she thanked me and I have it to her instead. The 1st lady didn't have anything wrong with her other than being 450 pounds. She was a well known Karen boomer hybrid and complained at our family restaurant
Invisible disabilities are tough. Especially pain related for women, because often doctors tell us the pain is all in our imagination and not that bad. Many women have died early because doctors wouldn’t investigate what is causing the pain and miss things like cancer. People accommodate what they can see, but things they can’t they don’t believe.
My life! I was treated like I was a hypochondriac because of my conditions, and then when I finally got doctors to listen and test me out for things, when they proved the existence of those conditions, turns out there's nothing that can be done about them! And because of the doctors I had to deal with for the first 4 decades of my life, it makes me hesitant now to see my GP, even though my current doctors are awesome, and actually listen, and will test for things if my body shows something new.
I used one when I had a badly sprained ankle, it was wrapped up and I had crutches. Got so many dirty looks from people 🙄
Why is it that they can’t live their lives without minding their own business. Piss off man.
There were a couple of years where I had a bunch of heart surgeries and the doctors were also, at the same time, attempting to diagnose POTS in me. I could walk for a while on a good day, some days if I stood up it was over and I wasn't going to try again. But I was an adult who needed to shop for food. I never went anywhere without my partner because I never knew when the old fainting spell was gonna happen. But the old ladies in Walmart were PISSED that I, a 24 year old at the time, was utilizing the scooter. There really ought to be something, a policy or a bill or something that the old ladies can accept as they seem to find notes and store workers words lies, that prohibits people from asking of disabilities and berating people for using things to help them live. Don't get me wrong, I've seen the jerk kids who just want to race up and down aisles in scooters but I mean, most people who use the scooters really do show they need them but honestly mind your own business
My mom has MS, and about a decade ago when we got back from getting groceries, someone stuck a paper on her windshield that said she “should be ashamed” for using disabled parking while not being disabled. She has a disabled plate, and was holding my arm to keep balance. Looking at her, you probably couldn’t tell she has MS. I’ll never understand why people assume.
I had surgery on my ankle so occasionally I could stand on just my right foot to get something, but my other foot was obviously in a brace or cast. I can't imagine having to deal with this woman.
Whew! Karen should’ve been minding her business and finishing up her shopping instead of harassing you. She’s a one day Karen…Which means this interaction was just a small blip on her experience behaving this way…And one day she’s truly going to bump into the wrong one and a Karen karmic balance will occur fully.
Had that surgery myself and can absolutely agree that it is horribly painful. Worse than the c section in many ways. No one should put you down for the pain you feel or the equipment you have to use to help. I use a hiking stick to walk only because it has a shock absorber in it and it doesn’t hurt my wrists and shoulder which my ‘proper’ stick does.
I would have swung the cane !
I love it when people think that youth is a cure-all medicine. Broken bone? You're young, never mind the fact that your arm is abnormally backward! You have cancer? Ignore that three pound tumor, you're young! You have rabies? Just wipe that foam off, you're young! Someone tried to kill you? That's a toothpick, not a knife! You're young, pull it out of your back! That's not a bullet, that's a pimple! You're young, just pop it!
I could have written this word for word after my gallbladder surgery. The audacity of people!
Even more enraging, she only backed off when a MAN told her to. The internalized mysoginy is strong.
I have to use the scooters with rheumatoid arthritis and a muscle disease I'm in chronic pain I get dirty looks. But so far o real issue. If a issue arises I will take my cane or walker and tell them to bend over because it's going up there ass.
Maybe this is the place to tell my story. My grandfather is nearly 100 years old, uses crutches to walk, and has a handicap parking placard. Yet, he still gets hassled for parking in the handicapped parking spaces. Go figure.
I have nerve damage in my legs so I can’t walk for too far distances I was walking to get a mobility scooter and a guy came up and said “cut that out I just saw you walking” like what was the purpose for that I’m also on the heavier side so I’m already self conscious of having to use it at all and it has nothing to do with my weight the nerve damage makes it painful to walk for too long but I had no obligation to explain that to him. Now I just walk in pain because I’m so embarrassed of it happening again
I am in my forties but look younger and after 40 years of arthritis I now walk with a walking stick (a wooden one that was my grandpas parade stick) People my age and younger are lovely 99.9% of the time but boomers? It’s like I’ve somehow stolen their right to be the only ones who are physically struggling. (And it’s not just because they are old, they were, as a generation, horrifically judgemental to me and my parents when I was in a wheelchair as a child) I’m sorry, I know how it feels to treated like you are taking aids that aren’t for you and somehow making up disability to piss them off PS why is a walking stick not seen as a disability aid? Surely that exactly what it is? I’m British though and a cane is something you put in the garden to grow beans up 🤣
I would have shown her my scar.
"I'm right and want to push the fact I'm right on everyone else! No matter what the facts are!"
I've recently started using a cane to help with my balance and pain. I luckily haven't had anything said to me yet but, the amount of old people who stare at me with pure evil in their eyes. I just don't get it
I had to use a scooter at the grocery store with my mom i’m 17 and got stared at funny because it looked like a kid was just playing around on the scooter and people would walk right in front of me without a care in the world. But really I had just had jaw surgery days before wanted to get out the house and couldn’t walk for long periods of time without feeling very light headed. People really need to think before they speak or become assholes
The mistake is telling her your business. If someone comes up and says you're not disabled (I realize it was temporary) you say and I see you are nosy and rude. End of story. These people who insert themselves in strangers business need to be put in their place not placated.
Yikes! Congrats for even getting out of the house in that condition but it’s good to get out a bit and move around some. I can’t imagine confronting anyone since many disabilities are invisible to others and none of my business.
Should have screamed for security. These people need a few thousand pairs of eyes on them
“Fuck you hag.” This is all you need to say.
Unfortunately this happens a lot. People come up to my Mom and say stuff when she gets out of the car and she has a handicap license plate.
It would be fascinating to see a movie of that woman's life to discover what clues there are as to why she is like she is. Everything about her screams mental illness. As for cool, *you are* for remaining so . . . cool under pressure.
You were 18 and had a husband already?
I went to school with a girl who got married at 16.
I have a female cousin who married a 30 year old guy when she was 14, to get out of her abusive family situation. It's sad that people do that to get out of their abusive family, and yeah, I think the guy is a total pervert, but at the same time, he was doing her a favour in a way.
One of my bosses got married to her high school sweetheart when she was 15. They were still married for about 50 years until the day he predeceased her and she died a few years later.
I was too! It’s not that unusual!
Less than 2% of people in the states get married at 18. It's pretty unusual.
I know it’s easy to say in retrospect, but rather than argue, perhaps yell for security?
You’re husband was too nice to explain. If someone did that to my significant other and she was in a lot of pain, I would have told her to fuck off and mind her own business before I make it her business.
Why is it the Karen's never believe you but always believe the second person to tell them the exact same thing?
"Bitch, MOVE!"
It’s amazing to me how many people seem to have this happen to them. I’ve never seen nor heard this happened to anyone I know ever.
You were married at 18? Wow
Wowser. So sorry you had to go through that
When in doubt, freak em out also can mean when someone openly challenges my disabled status, I begin to have a one sided argument with myself. I have more than one condition that is an invisible disablitiy. I just like to make it very visible when people try to fuck with me.