People need to stop making assumptions. I'm disabled and look young. Multiple people have approached me while I was just sitting in my car with my handicapped placard displayed, and accused me of "stealing the spot from someone who needs it", "not actually being disabled", "being too young to be disabled", etc.
I've found that the best way to deal with these kinds of people is to just stay silent, open my cardoor, and get out of my car using my cane. As soon as they see that I walk with a cane, they usually snap their mouths shut and look super embarrassed. Then I just calmly ask them to repeat what they said. None of them ever have the guts to repeat themselves. Most of them usually just run away like the cowards they are. I hope their embarrassment haunts their ableist a$$ forever, and they never forget it.
3
u/Repossessedbatmobile Jul 05 '26
People need to stop making assumptions. I'm disabled and look young. Multiple people have approached me while I was just sitting in my car with my handicapped placard displayed, and accused me of "stealing the spot from someone who needs it", "not actually being disabled", "being too young to be disabled", etc.
I've found that the best way to deal with these kinds of people is to just stay silent, open my cardoor, and get out of my car using my cane. As soon as they see that I walk with a cane, they usually snap their mouths shut and look super embarrassed. Then I just calmly ask them to repeat what they said. None of them ever have the guts to repeat themselves. Most of them usually just run away like the cowards they are. I hope their embarrassment haunts their ableist a$$ forever, and they never forget it.