Broken Hearts and Parking Spots

DJ and I ran out to do a bit of grocery shopping. On our way into the store we saw a man leap (yes, leap) out of his car and run (yes, run) into the store. He left his car running and his female companion in the car. She was puffing away on a cigarette finicking with the radio.

Nothing really out of the ordinary...till you saw where and how they parked. He had backed into the spot...well, actually he had backed into two spots. The car was not a large car, but he still managed to back it diagonally across the line. But worse than taking up two spots, he was taking up two handicapped spots! I looked at his dash board and on his license plate: no handicapped sticker or permit.

DJ and I carried on. We bought our groceries and came out to find the same car idling in the handicap spots. Disgusting. Polluting our air and burning gas for nothing and parked in two handicapped spots.

A car then turned into the lane and slowed down and the elderly driver and I looked at each other and then both looked at the gal sitting there smoking, singing along to some heavy metal song. The elderly driver then noticed a spot about 6 spots up the row. His elderly passenger had pointed it out. As he drove by I noticed his handicap parking permit.

So, without thinking, I walked up to the idling, smoking, air polluting, head-banging, gal and motioned for her to roll down her window.

With all the politeness I could muster I asked, "Excuse me, it looks like you are taking up two handicapped spots, anyway you could straighten out your car, an elderly couple with a handicap parking permit could really use the second spot?"

I did not yell. I was not bitchy. I did not insist she move out of the spot. I only suggested she straighten up her car and allow "another" deserving car park next to her.

She rolled her eyes. Threw out her cigarette butt and rolled up the window.

I grunted under my breath and bit my tongue since my young DJ was beside me.

DJ looked at me and said, "Mommy why won't she fix her car?" I replied that I did not know. And DJ, smart little man, said, "Mommy she should really move her car, someone who has broken legs could park beside her and share the spot". I agreed. Then DJ said, "Are her legs broken?" I told my son that I did not know. And he said, "She is acting mean, maybe her heart is broken?"