I was in a long line at a public restroom. When it was my turn and a stall opened up, I went for it. A lady from behind me with a cane walked ahead of me and said "That's a handicap stall" and just kept going for it. Surprised, I said ok and let it go. But it seemed kind of rude how she went about it and it got me wondering: What is the etiquitte for handicap stalls when in a line situation like that? Was she within her rights (she had a cane not a wheelchair)? Should she have waited in line until a handicap stall opened up? Am I supposed to check to see if there are any handicapped people in line before using such a stall? I wouldn't have minded letting her go but she was NOT nice about it, as if I had done something wrong. Any thoughts on this?
lillllbit2009-07-08T06:01:45Z
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Many handicapped people can be pretty nasty about this kind of thing. By law they are supposed to *be able to access the facilities* That does not mean that everybody has to get out of their way and they should never have to wait but alot of them sure do think that.
There was an incident in my hometown where a mother had brought her handicapped daughter who was in a wheelchair to a Saturday matinee movie. They arrived moments after the feature had started and the theater was packed full. This mother actually believed that another mother and her child who were sitting in and around the handicapped spot should have to leave and give her their space. She kicked up a stink with the theater manager but he held his ground. He tried to provide other accomodations for the handicapped child but the mother refused and ended up writing a poison pen letter to the newspaper. Tough for them. Maybe with a handicapped child you should try to anticipate problems like this. She could have called the theater manager ahead of time. She could have gotten to the movie early. There's any number of things she could have done but didn't. Yes, the handicapped should have access but they are just like the rest of us (so they say) and from time to time should expect inconvenience. They're handicapped. They aren't VIP's....
I was told at a training on the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) training that the only handicapped facility that requires a special disability to use is handicapped parking. Any body is welcome to use any of the other facilities. That being said - if I realized that there was a person that needed to use the handicapped stall - I was the next in line- and the handicapped stall came open I would offer for them to step in ahead of me. I have a handicapped lavatory in my house and use them when ever I can away from home - due to my height and a muscle condition that I have. I will often allow others behind me in line go into the regular stall that has opened up so that I can use the handicapped stall when I becomes available. As in the rest of life there are polite people and not polite people in the handicapped community - and of course you never know how the last few people that a person ran into has treated them.
LoisLane82 has low BS tolerance2009-07-08T20:48:19Z
I'm betting she didn't even realize she was being rude. Change your thinking. She's walking with a cane which means she's probably not walking as fast as everyone else. Now imagine how fast you walk when suddenly you get a bought of diarrhea for what ever reason. You never know why she had to come into that bathroom. I know I get a little bit sharp on the edges when I REALLY have to go. That's probably all that happened, and instead of doing the polite thing and saying, "I really can't hold it, do you mind." she was embarrassed or not thinking straight because she had to go so badly.
Don't let it bother you, you did the correct thing by letting her go first, try not to let it bother you. There's could be a million other reasons why she needed that stall before you.
Yeah I've seen people in wheelchairs coming out of the handicapped stall before, most times they also carry a bag for their waste, so about the only time you see one being used by one, is when they need to empty it, most try ot avoid that because it makes them sort of self consensus to be seen in a stall. Unless you know someone who is in a wheelchair, then what their life is like is a total unknown to people who don't need to use one. They are also used by people who require the aid of a walker to get around when they are away from home.
If it was a handicapped stall, then let her go first. If it wasn't, then she should have waited, or at least asked. She did seem rude about it, but it was not a situation to make a fuss about it. Handicapped people do not need to be in a wheelchair, although I think the stalls are designed to accommodate a wheelchair. Perhaps she still had mobility issues such that a wider stall was needed (some people with hip or knee problems use a cane). I have never had this happen to me. Good question for all of us to think about.