The Victors

We were at Disneyland 3 weeks ago, and this isn't about the scooters. Our 14 year-old is wheelchair-bound. When we go just about anywhere, we travel with her manual wheelchair because it's a lot easier for me to push her than hoping she can steer without hitting anyone or anything in her powered chair. Pushing through the crowds at Disney is a pain, but it's not due to the scooters as much as the people (especially little kids) not expecting to have a wheelchair moving around them. Constant stops and starts and weaving to keep from clipping others' ankles or running them over. It's not really anyone's fault, though. Just two different worlds colliding.

As for the handicap parking thing, every few months, we'll get a do-good warrior who will approach my wife or me immediately upon parking, but before we've had a chance to get the wheelchair out of the back. I guess they don't see the handicap hangtag or they're just on a mission to put us in our place. The first few times, I got confrontational, but I've tried to be more chill as we've all gotten older. Now, we just ask them if they'd like to meet our daughter, and things typically get awkward for them in a hurry. When all of the handicap spots are full and I've gotta park in a normal spot further away and squeeze to load her into her chair without dinging the car door next to us, it's easy to get annoyed. But I can't say the people already parked in the handicap spots are any less in need.

Live and let live, I guess.