The latest can you top this

[goofieslonglostsis]

Personally, I would not have made a comment to the person in the stall. Most likely I would have commented back if someone had said something about us using the stall. I understand some people like to use the HC stall, just because it is bigger-but then there are others that use it due to other medical needs.

I mean, let's face it; we can not see on the outside if somebody has a colostomy, urinostomy or whatever that requires them to use a HC stall due to a need to have a sink right in there with them. That's just one of the many possible things that could require a medical need for said stalls. Oh jolly, still a subject (wrongly!) surrounded with shame for many people. Enough probably will already worry about this in some degree and then they get an added bonus in the shape of a nasty comment or glare. And to be honest? If that was me, I would've made the "carry on comment" when I find others minding my business when it's none of their beeswax.

Companion bathrooms are another thing with the small amount of numbers they tend to be around, but an HC stall? Lines, nobody in sight that obviously needs it or states a need for it? Use it! While I greatly appreciate those already in line offering me that one large HC stall that just opened up as I drove into the bathroom, I wouldn't ever expect it. Let alone them keeping it open, just in case I might wonder in there. It's not a place to dillydally or do whole changing routines, adjusting make up or disciplining your child but as long as folks are just doing their business and are in and out? I would almost use Homers D'oh to show how logical that is in my pov.

 

[buffettgirl]

I'm going to ignore the bathroom stall discussion for right now, but here's a non-WDW "can you beat this" moment:

I was at Old Sturbridge Village, a recreation 1830s village museum near me. I'm a member and have friends who work there, so I'm there often. I generally sit outside and cross-stitch there. A couple weeks ago I was sitting in my wheelchair cross-stitching when a woman came and sat down on the bench near me. She started talking about how she needed oxygen and a wheelchair and how she was on dialysis. I was making non-committal answers, that I thought were at least slightly sympathetic, because I was concentrating on my cross-stitch. Another wheelchair user passed us and the woman on the bench said "I need me one of those". Again, a non-committal reply from the other person.

Well, I guess our lack of enthusiasm meant that we disbelieved her. After the other wheelchair user passed by, she continued to tell me about her dialysis. She started pointing out generally where her access points were. Then (and here's the kicker) she pulled down the top of her shirt to show me her top access point!

I'm quite used to people feeling that they have the right to ask about my private medical condition, but I'd never had someone provide too much information about themselves like that before!

If I ever see you sitting there I"m going to walk up to you and say "can I show you something?" and then I'm going to have a lime green mickey head taped to my chest. It will be like disboard code.

Anyway, we've had some weird diabetes related comments from people, too many to mention anymore. Some with way TMI and some just why would you tell a little child that!!??? We've had rudeness when giving insulin at a restaurant once at Disney and I just think they're ignorant and I no longer have time to educate people.

 

[Buckimion]

Then (and here's the kicker) she pulled down the top of her shirt to show me her top access point!

While not going that far, I have to admit I felt half-Borg when I had my access ports, a PIC line and a drain tube attached at one point.

 

[Haley Whippet]

I'm in and out in less than a minute. If no one is in the washroom at the time I go into the stall, they'd have been waiting (at most) 30 seconds for me to come out.

Had you made a comment like that to me, I wouldn't have said anything (but I also would not have apologized, which I likely was about to do). If there is a line, I'm not avoiding 1/4 of the stalls (or whatever the ratio is) on the off chance that someone will have to wait 30 seconds Like Mama Who said if, for some reason, I know that I will be taking a while, I won't use the stall.

I made the snappy comment because I was upset that with the other empty stalls this woman choose the only one I could get into with my scooter. No one is in & out in 30 seconds, It just isn't possible. All I am saying is you never know who is going to arrive after you..

 

[crashbb]

I made the snappy comment because I was upset that with the other empty stalls this woman choose the only one I could get into with my scooter. No one is in & out in 30 seconds, It just isn't possible. All I am saying is you never know who is going to arrive after you..

And you never know why someone was using the stall. I still find your comment/action rude.

Further, I never said I was in and out in 30 seconds. However, I am in and out in about a minute. If someone wasn't even in the washroom when I went in, by the time they've made it into the washroom and to the stall, my being in there will delay them by about 30 seconds.

 

[Mama Who]

How would you know if someone was on the way into the restroom that needs that stall if you are taking it even if you don't need it?
I was at LAX not too long ago, on my ECV needing a restroom, I went in & the handicapped stall was in use, after waiting awhile a young woman in a tight dress & high heels came out, I said, "thanks for using the handicapped stall" she glared at me & said, "I needed more space for my carry-on, get over it"
Just sayin, you never know who will get there after you..

So you want people to wait while nobody uses the empty handicapped stall so that if someone does come in with greater need they don't have to wait 60 seconds or less?

No. That's ridiculous. It has been clearly stated previously that if other stalls are available or it's going to take a while, I'll leave the HA stall. If it's the only stall available, I'm going to be quick and there's nobody waiting, anyone who arrives in the meanwhile can wait their turn and if they feel a need to be nasty, that's going to impact their day more than mine.

 

[livndisney]

I made the snappy comment because I was upset that with the other empty stalls this woman choose the only one I could get into with my scooter. No one is in & out in 30 seconds, It just isn't possible. All I am saying is you never know who is going to arrive after you..

You may not "know who is going to arrive after you", but you don't know what was occupied when she arrived.

It is possible there was some other reason she was using that stall and she did not feel a need to share that info. Either way-I really think the "judging" needs to stop on both sides.

A good rule of thumb is-if you can use another stall, please do so. If that is the only stall open, use it-but don't write a novel in there. Get in, get out.

The other side of the coin is (as others have posted) the handicapped stall serves others with medical needs as well. It is not "reserved" just for those in wheelchairs. There are medical needs that require the safety bars, there are needs that require "privacy" and those that require the use of the sink.

 

[POOHsie]

You may not "know who is going to arrive after you", but you don't know what was occupied when she arrived.

It is possible there was some other reason she was using that stall and she did not feel a need to share that info. Either way-I really think the "judging" needs to stop on both sides.

A good rule of thumb is-if you can use another stall, please do so. If that is the only stall open, use it-but don't write a novel in there. Get in, get out.

The other side of the coin is (as others have posted) the handicapped stall serves others with medical needs as well. It is not "reserved" just for those in wheelchairs. There are medical needs that require the safety bars, there are needs that require "privacy" and those that require the use of the sink.

I was at the Honolulu airport waiting for a direct flight to Atlanta (long flight). The bathroom was empty except for the HA stall. I was in my wheelchair and I waited, waited, waited, almost 15 minutes. Sorry to sound like a snoop, but the lady in there was re-arranging her clothing and her carry on items. She was using the stall as a sort of dressing room. She finally left, and saw me waiting, but said nothing. I said nothing either. She got on the same flight. I just thought to myself that life isn't always fair, and doubly so for the handicapped.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

 

[WheeledTraveler]

If I ever see you sitting there I"m going to walk up to you and say "can I show you something?" and then I'm going to have a lime green mickey head taped to my chest. It will be like disboard code.

That would be brilliant! Are you also in the area then? If you do see me (young woman in manual wheelchair usually sitting cross-stitching and probably attending any music things on the daily schedule), feel free to say hi and tell me you're from disBoards! I'm there at least once a week on average (was there twice a week most of the summer).

 

[Tinker Bell Fan]

... I just thought to myself that life isn't always fair, and doubly so for the handicapped.

That is so true!!

OMG - that is just so funny!

DH & I were at WDW last week. He has a prosthetic (his "learning leg" and should be getting his "permanent" leg in the next few weeks). He was also using an ECV while at Disney. His current prosthetic is loose (stump is shrinking) and it sometimes slips, so it's easier to use an EVC to get around. Anyway, one day while we were at MK, DH needed the restroom and the companion bathroom was being occupied so he rode into the men's room and got his crutches and waited for the handicapped stall. DH told me a guy came out and stood in front of the stall and looked DH up and down and said "oh did you want to use this stall?" (pointing to the HC stall). DH said "no I'm just waiting here for my leg to grow back. What do you think?" The guy chuckled (but didn't move) and continued to look at DH up and down. DH finally said "are you done?" and the guy said "oh you are waiting for this stall. (laughed and then said) oh sorry." and finally moved out of the way. I told DH the guy was probably waiting to see if the leg was going to grow back.

Another time we were at DTD - it had been really raining that day so the floor in the men's room was very slippery. DH rode into the men's room, got his crutches and tried to stand. Thank God he didn't fall but he almost did. I was standing at the door and heard the commotion. I yelled at him "you ok" he said "no" and told me to come help him (there was no one in the bathroom). So into the men's room I go (almost slipping myself) to help him. Helped him into the stall and told him to call me if he needed help getting out. I start out towards the door and in comes a father and teenage boy they look at me strange I apologize for being there and explain why I was there. They come out and shortly after that DH calls me to help him (the crutches kept slipping away on the floor and he couldn't make it out of the stall to get to the EVC). So as I'm helping him make it back to the EVC...another couple of guys come in - they look at me and just went along and did their thing. I got DH to the EVC and got my butt out of there (all the while averting my eyes and apologizing). At least they were cool about it and didn't complain or make a big deal about it. After that we (make that me) learned to really look for the companion rooms!

 

[buffettgirl]

That would be brilliant! Are you also in the area then? If you do see me (young woman in manual wheelchair usually sitting cross-stitching and probably attending any music things on the daily schedule), feel free to say hi and tell me you're from disBoards! I'm there at least once a week on average (was there twice a week most of the summer).

I am over in central ma. About the only time I get there anymore is when I'm on field trip duty. LOL. It's too bad because it's so enjoyable there. The kids..meh..they don't love it.

 

[SoonerSarah]

DH went to get our daughters handicap placard after we were discharged from Rehab. We know a woman that works there, however she wasn't there. The employee told DH that he had to have the handicapped person bring the form in, he said she's not yet two years old. She proceeded to tell him that not only are you not allowed a HP if you aren't of legal driving age, but that children also aren't handicapped. He said the doctors that diagnosed her TBI and stroke said otherwise.

He was getting ready to leave and come back when our friend was working when the lady said she would do it, but acted like it was illegal the entire time.

We found out about a month later that she no longer worked there.

 

[dclfun]

DH went to get our daughters handicap placard after we were discharged from Rehab. We know a woman that works there, however she wasn't there. The employee told DH that he had to have the handicapped person bring the form in, he said she's not yet two years old. She proceeded to tell him that not only are you not allowed a HP if you aren't of legal driving age, but that children also aren't handicapped. He said the doctors that diagnosed her TBI and stroke said otherwise.

He was getting ready to leave and come back when our friend was working when the lady said she would do it, but acted like it was illegal the entire time.

We found out about a month later that she no longer worked there.

Children aren't handicapped? Okay, it takes all kinds...... I'm glad you got your placard and that this woman no longer works there!---Kathy

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

A few years ago, I saw on the news that a certain state was looking into enacting a law requiring all vehicles to have the snow cleaned off the tops of them before they were taken out onto the roads. I wrote to one of the representatives of that state to remind them that such a thing would be hard to impossible for people with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs driving large accessible vans. The woman representative wrote back that she knows what it is like to be disabled because she was pregnant the previous winter and she was able to clean her car off! Yeah, walking around with a large belly and not being able to walk at all are practically the same thing!

 

[peemagg]

A few years ago, I saw on the news that a certain state was looking into enacting a law requiring all vehicles to have the snow cleaned off the tops of them before they were taken out onto the roads. I wrote to one of the representatives of that state to remind them that such a thing would be hard to impossible for people with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs driving large accessible vans. The woman representative wrote back that she knows what it is like to be disabled because she was pregnant the previous winter and she was able to clean her car off! Yeah, walking around with a large belly and not being able to walk at all are practically the same thing!

Sounds about right for our politicians.

We drive a full size van, and even being able to stand, I can't clean off the top. It has nothing to do with a disability or not. It is that I can't reach the top whether or not I am disabled.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Sounds about right for our politicians.

Yeah, really!

 

[tinkerpea]

I have 2 quick story's I was in a theme park with my son in the UK last yr and we was using a card like the GAC that enabled my son and our family to go to the exits of the rides, after a few rides and lots of stares from other parents the ride CM turned around and said you must feel really lucky to have a child like yours so you can get on all the rides quick!!!Wow. I turned around and said yeh I feel really lucky that my child is autistic!! The guy then added insult to injury and said is that all he had to have for you to have that card that's even luckier my hubby was so fuming he went straight to customer services to complain about the 19/20yr old that had said the lovely comment...... ........ ....... ........... ......... ............. ............ ......... The other thing that I have had happen over and over even in Disney is that I do on occasions have to use the disabled toilet in the Uk they are normally separated outside from the other toilets and I've used the big stall in the toilets where they are altogether I don't look like there is anything wrong with me at all I walk around alot in high heels and little dresses and I get the stares when coming out of these toilets of who the he'll do you think you are lol plus I'm a very young looking 26 yr old(never helps in the judging)but I have endometriosis, kidney problems which means time to time I'm am stented so my bladder holds next to nothing and kills to hold i have severe pain when weeing and i bleed when doing so, I suffer from severe sickness from the medicine I have to take all the time, so I use those toilets to inject pain killers after I have weed instant catherter and to throw up in alot I'm very good at doing that quietly as I've had this since a teen!to most I will look like some ignorant little blonde who just used Your toilet for NO good reason I just beg you all to rethink before you give somebody a filthy stare because they don't look like they needed to have that toilet as they may have been just as desperate needy or even more so then you

 

[SueM in MN]

You may not "know who is going to arrive after you", but you don't know what was occupied when she arrived.

It is possible there was some other reason she was using that stall and she did not feel a need to share that info. Either way-I really think the "judging" needs to stop on both sides.

A good rule of thumb is-if you can use another stall, please do so. If that is the only stall open, use it-but don't write a novel in there. Get in, get out.

The other side of the coin is (as others have posted) the handicapped stall serves others with medical needs as well. It is not "reserved" just for those in wheelchairs. There are medical needs that require the safety bars, there are needs that require "privacy" and those that require the use of the sink.

Agree.
There are many reasons (quite a few of them invisible) that might cause someone to use the handicapped stall.
And, even if they had no needs, that might have been the only empty stall when they came in.

If we come into a restroom and the handicapped stall is occupied, with other stalls empty, I will say something to DD like, “The handicapped stall is full right now, so we will have to wait.”
That does allow the person in it to know that someone is waiting for it. In some cases, when the person came out, it was obvious that they had a need to use it.
Sometimes, the person will make an apology to us for having used it. If that happens, I make a comment back that it would be nice if there was more than one stall we could use. I have even gotten some very embarrassed people whose DD’s had used it (or the Companion Restroom) for chaning into a princess dress. They basically did not realize that there are so few Companion Restrooms or handicapped stalls. It was not something they normally had to notice, so they didn’t.

That is so true!!



OMG - that is just so funny!

DH & I were at WDW last week. He has a prosthetic (his "learning leg" and should be getting his "permanent" leg in the next few weeks). He was also using an ECV while at Disney. His current prosthetic is loose (stump is shrinking) and it sometimes slips, so it's easier to use an EVC to get around. Anyway, one day while we were at MK, DH needed the restroom and the companion bathroom was being occupied so he rode into the men's room and got his crutches and waited for the handicapped stall. DH told me a guy came out and stood in front of the stall and looked DH up and down and said "oh did you want to use this stall?" (pointing to the HC stall). DH said "no I'm just waiting here for my leg to grow back. What do you think?" The guy chuckled (but didn't move) and continued to look at DH up and down. DH finally said "are you done?" and the guy said "oh you are waiting for this stall. (laughed and then said) oh sorry." and finally moved out of the way. I told DH the guy was probably waiting to see if the leg was going to grow back.

Another time we were at DTD - it had been really raining that day so the floor in the men's room was very slippery. DH rode into the men's room, got his crutches and tried to stand. Thank God he didn't fall but he almost did. I was standing at the door and heard the commotion. I yelled at him "you ok" he said "no" and told me to come help him (there was no one in the bathroom). So into the men's room I go (almost slipping myself) to help him. Helped him into the stall and told him to call me if he needed help getting out. I start out towards the door and in comes a father and teenage boy they look at me strange I apologize for being there and explain why I was there. They come out and shortly after that DH calls me to help him (the crutches kept slipping away on the floor and he couldn't make it out of the stall to get to the EVC). So as I'm helping him make it back to the EVC...another couple of guys come in - they look at me and just went along and did their thing. I got DH to the EVC and got my butt out of there (all the while averting my eyes and apologizing). At least they were cool about it and didn't complain or make a big deal about it. After that we (make that me) learned to really look for the companion rooms!

Pretty funny story.

DH went to get our daughters handicap placard after we were discharged from Rehab. We know a woman that works there, however she wasn't there. The employee told DH that he had to have the handicapped person bring the form in, he said she's not yet two years old. She proceeded to tell him that not only are you not allowed a HP if you aren't of legal driving age, but that children also aren't handicapped. He said the doctors that diagnosed her TBI and stroke said otherwise.

He was getting ready to leave and come back when our friend was working when the lady said she would do it, but acted like it was illegal the entire time.

We found out about a month later that she no longer worked there.

I’m sorry to hear that happened to you - glad to hear the woman doesn’t work there any more.

We had the total opposite experience when my DD got her first handicapped parking permit when she was not quite 2. The doctor had noted that the disability was permanent.
The woman handling our form had tears in her eyes and said she had never had someone that young getting a permit for a permanent disability. She could not have been nicer and was so embarrassed at her own ‘unprofessional’ behavior.

A few years ago, I saw on the news that a certain state was looking into enacting a law requiring all vehicles to have the snow cleaned off the tops of them before they were taken out onto the roads. I wrote to one of the representatives of that state to remind them that such a thing would be hard to impossible for people with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs driving large accessible vans. The woman representative wrote back that she knows what it is like to be disabled because she was pregnant the previous winter and she was able to clean her car off! Yeah, walking around with a large belly and not being able to walk at all are practically the same thing!

Having driven behind vehicles when the snow from the roof lets go and hits my windshield, I can see why someone might propose a law like that. In theory, it sounds great and very helpful, but in practice, there are a lot of problems.

 

[SashaFarce]

The woman representative wrote back that she knows what it is like to be disabled because she was pregnant the previous winter and she was able to clean her car off! Yeah, walking around with a large belly and not being able to walk at all are practically the same thing!

Oh my lord, I cannot stand the "all pregnancies are an illness and must be treated that way no matter what the actual health status of the mother and child really are, but let's treat ourselves like fragile snowflakes just in case" crowd. Kudos to you for not snapping.

I mean, let's face it; we can not see on the outside if somebody has a colostomy, urinostomy or whatever that requires them to use a HC stall due to a need to have a sink right in there with them. That's just one of the many possible things that could require a medical need for said stalls.

Agreed. My mother has multiple medical issues that culminated in an ileostomy last spring. Her health is extremely fragile which you don't notice until she gets up out of her chair. My partner's mother also has one and looks very healthy but could also need that stall for the same reason. These are things you can't tell by making an instant judgment on someone's appearance.