Heck Yeah!

Stacey has linked to this site, which has reminded me of one of my pet peeves: people who don't get the heck up out of the disabled seats for someone who is disabled or injured AND people who push past disabled or injured people just because they fucking can.

I spent quite a while in a HUGE brace for my torn quadriceps and a couple months in a cast when I broke my arm in two places. I've also had a lot of less visible injuries. From personal experience, I can tell you that people on public transportation and in public restrooms suck!

When I was in my very visible HUGE knee brace, I was sitting where I was supposed to sit, the only place I could sit since I could barely bend my leg. This woman came stomping by and literally kicked my foot out of the way even though there was more than enough room since I was at an angle and my foot was only a few inches into the aisle. Just so you know, the forced, sudden bending of a torn body part does NOT feel good.

Other times, I had to try to balance myself standing as obviously healthy people did their best to look anywhere but at me as they enjoyed the disability seating. Trying to hold yourself up with a broken arm because the other one is full. Major suckage. Trying to hold yourself up on a moving vehicle driven by someone who got his driver's license from a Cracker Jack Box with only one functional leg. Also major suckage.

One day, at work, where EVERYONE knew I was injured, a very healthy coworker literally rushed past me into the handicapped stall so I had to WAIT until she was finished, doing the pee pee dance the whole way. Fortunately, another coworker came in, noticed the empty stall and told me to go ahead. This gave me the chance to explain LOUDLY that since I could barely bend my leg and needed both arms to get up from a seated position, I could ONLY use the now-occupied handicapped stall. I think that message was received b/c the guilty coworker couldn't even look in my direction as she walked out.

The point: Get your healthy ass up and let someone who can't stand on a moving vehicle without tremendous amounts of pain sit down. Don't use the freaking handicapped stall unless your're handicapped, disabled or injured OR there's no other option and your bladder is about to explode out of your abdomen. If you don't, you're a weak, pathetic asshole who should not be allowed to live in polite society. Do not complain if one of the decent people decided to stomp you for it just because WE can.