I can really feel for this guy. He becomes very upset when people abuse handicapped parking spaces, particularly those who obviously aren’t handicapped. He makes a habit of approaching offenders and calling them on their infraction. His wife doesn’t think this is such a good idea. Here is what Harry had to say.
The real reason my wife is upset is because last week I noticed this guy pull up with a commercial truck, park in a handicapped spot, put the handicapped tag on the rear-view mirror and go into the store. I was so upset that I followed him into the store and approached him as he was loading two-by-fours onto a cart. I asked him why he needed to park his commercial vehicle in a handicapped spot. He threatened to hit me if I didn’t mind my own business. I told him I was going to report him and he said, “Go ahead. No one cares anyway. My wife said I was lucky he didn’t hit me, that someone my age (70) should not be messing with a young guy like that.
Most women would appreciate the fact that their husband wasn’t a wuss. However this one was seemingly concerned because of his “advanced age.” Hey, 70 is the new 50, right?
Hey, I read further and discovered that the column was by an anger management consultant. He counseled Harry that it might have been better if he had simply written down the license plate or photographed the car in the spot and then let the cops handle it.
I have had the same experience and was threatened by a 20 something year old who were showing off for their girlfriend who was driving the car. They did nothing (certainly frightened by my manly presence) but yell a bit. The girl did move the car. I do like the idea of taking the picture with a cell phone and having it for the cops. I might be able to make them move, but a cop could issue a citation which would hurt a lot more hand my carefully chosen repartee.
In the end, however, I think that facing one’s fears and calling the sob out isn’t a bad thing. It might cost you a punch in the nose, but in the end, your self-respect, and the law, have to be worth something. Plus it proves that we aren’t becoming a nation of wusses – like those pansies that called off the NFL game in Philly.
JVH
