Seriously?

So as I was coming out of the post office on Saturday after spending $16.25 to overnight my absentee ballot to California (I know, it's probably time to re-register), a man held open the door for me and then exited behind me. As I walked to my car, which I had parked in the handicap spot in front of the building, I heard someone saying something to me, and then realized it was the guy who had held the door for me. His statement, though, was much less polite.

"You know that's a handicap spot, right?"

Fight the urge... don't say something rude or be a smart ass even though everything in you wants to say something along the lines of, "here's your sign."

"Yes. I have a handicap placard."

Here it comes...

"Well, you're not handicapped. I'm a cop and that's illegal."

What the #&@%?!! Breathe, Carolyn, breathe.

"Excuse me, sir, but that is none of your damn business."

Did I just say that? Did that seriously just happen?!

As I slammed my car door and realized that he had actually said what I heard him say, I tried to regain my composure enough to drive away and realized how very, very angry I was. I was almost mad at myself that I had even dignified his outrageously rude comment with a response.

First of all, let's just try to skip over the fact that this man claims to be in law enforcement. That helps make it a little less disturbing.

I'm sorry, but where the hell do you get off telling someone you see walking down the street what their health conditions may or may not be? Granted, I'm a little more sensitive to this kind of insensitivity than others probably are. But good grief, what absolute ignorance.

Just because I or someone else you see isn't riding around in a wheelchair or hobbling on crutches doesn't mean that it isn't extremely painful for them to walk long distances, or that there may be any number of reasons they need to be able to park closer than you do. None of which, by the way, are any of your business. If my doctor felt that it was necessary to sign a legal statement under penalty of perjury, and knowing that he could lose his license if he did so improperly, in order to let me obtain a handicap placard, then that is his responsibility. Not yours, thank God.

I feel slightly better now.