krishanna|dot|com

Two Hineyholes in a Hummer

In order to use disabled parking legally you need to have plates with the logo or hang your placard in the front window. As someone who needs to use disabled parking, I see perfectly able-bodied people use these spots all the time and more and more they are getting brazen about it. No embarrassment, no guilt when they are caught.

There are those people who have a disability and take advantage of it. These are the ones who park in front of entrances and no parking zones or even in the loading area of an already filled spot, hanging the placard in the window as though it is some sort of acceptable excuse for deliberate inconsiderateness.

KInda like the lady who parked a huge duel-axis pickup 3 feet away from the entrance at the hardware store a few weeks ago. She told me I was rude because I muttered under breath, 'Some people don't have to use parking spots'.  She was was talking to someone on her cell phone and interrupted her conversation to tell me I was rude. She pointed to her placard ferociously and said she was disabled and was picking something up. She toid me I didn't need to be so rude and ruin her day.

I would agree. You must be far more disabled than you look.

And there are those who have a placard and either refuse or don't display it properly and expect people to simply know they have one.

It's been happening so much that all I can do when I see it is mutter under my breath or or shake my head.

So yesterday, we stopped off at our neighborhood Walgreen's. I noticed a brand new, spit-polished and detailed Hummer, shiny clean rims and all. I looked at the plates, no logo. As we pulled into the other disabled spot, we both looked past the passenger on the cell phone to the rear view mirror. No placard.  As I got out of our truck, I looked back over at the truck and shook my head as I walked into the store.

Once I got to the pharmacy, I was treated to an unhappy man yelling at the Pharmacy Tech. He called the kid a jerk and was a complete hineyhole.  Why?  Because he couldn't read his own prescription bottle right. He insisted the expiration date was 11/31/08 and he insisted the tech look at it. "Sir, I see 10/31/08 not 11/31/08".

Uhhh... DOOD... there is no 11/31/08, even in a leap year.

So after Mr. Hineyhole finishes his tirade and tells the techit was his responsibility to let him know when his prescription  expires, I did my business and made my way out of the store, several feet behind Mr. Hineyhole.

Guess which vehicle Mr. Hineyhole got into?  Yep. The Hummer.

As I walked over the truck and was getting in, Mrs. Hineyhole had some words for ME.

"Maybe next time I'll take my autistic son in there and you can shake your head at him!".

Well, if he's as big a hineyhole as you and your husband I just might, CHICK.

"Huh?" is  what Manthing asked me as I was getting the truck. When I explained to him what it was all about, he told me they had a placard on the dash, not hanging in the window.

The times I have forgotten to hang the placard, I expect people to look at me weird or at the very least shake their heads a what a hineyhole I appear to be. They don't know I forgot. I certainly don't cop an attitude and hang out of a car window yelling like a fish wife at a total stranger because they shook their head at my vehicle

So here are a few tips to follow if you are ad disabled parker:

If you have a placard use it. 

If you don't, don't park there.

If it says 'NO PARKING', don't park there.

Don't get ugly because other people can't see the placard you refuse to hang or you think you can park anywhere because are disabled.

And don't use your kid as your weapon...for anything.

Just cause YOUR KID is autistic, doesn't give YOU special privileges.

AND

If you mutter under your breath, make sure you do it quietly.  ;)

More Dear Doctor Fun

Well, just to show me... Dear Doctor's office returned my call about 4PM.

I still did not speak to the doctor directly.

NURSE 1: I got a message here that you called Dear Doctor for a referral for a new doctor?

ME: Yes.

NURSE 1: Well, Dear Doctor cannot automatically refer you to a new doctor. Can you SEND US A LIST (emphasis mine) of the physicians in your network and if he knows any of them, he will be happy to recommend them.

ME: I need to provide you with a list? Are you telling me Dear Doctor doesn't have the name of a doctor who can provide me with the level of care he can without looking at a list *I* send him?

NURSE 1:  Yes.

Motherfucker. I even have to provide a name for my own fucking recommendation.

ME: Well, you know, I really don't think I care to go to all the trouble to do that. You guys have already inconvenienced and insulted my intelligence enough for one day. But, perhaps he knows of the new physician I intend to visit. Her name is Hopefully Competent, MD and she works of the Hospital Dear Doctor left to be a part of your retarded three-ring circus family practice.

NURSE 1: Well, I'll pass this information on to Dear Doctor and give you a jingle back.

ME: I'll wait with baited breath.

About 10 minutes later, another nurse from Dear Doctor's office called me.

NURSE 2: This is Perky Unhelpful Nurse 2 at Dear Doctor's office.  Unfortunately, Dear Doctor doesn't know Hopefully Competent MD.

What a fucking surprise.

NURSE 2: I am sorry this has happened. Unfortunately this does happen sometimes when you switch insurance. My husband had to go through this very thing last year so I know it is devastating.

Uh, hello ? You fuckers STILL aren't listening to me and if it's so "devastating" why the fuck do you do it?

ME: Wait a minute! Just hold it! this has nothing to do with MY insurance company.  My insurance company called YOUR business office and wanted to make it so I could continue to see Dear Doctor.  YOUR BUSINESS OFFICE has refused to accept my insurance. It has ZERO to do with my insurance and everything to do with YOUR business office.

NURSE 2: Oh. So this has to do with our policies and not your insurance?

"CLICK" goes the lightbulb.

ME: That would be correct.

(long pause)

NURSE 2: Oh. Well. I'm very sorry we cannot help you.

ME: Well, a few hours ago I might agree with you. But I don't now because even if Jesus came down and visited your business office and made them see the light, I would still need to take a big pass on ever being treated in that office again.

What is too bad is that Dear Doctor is a good doctor and I was very pleased with  his medical expertise and attention; it's your business office that sucks big time. I have had to see a lot of doctors in the last 10 years regarding my spinal cord injury and I have NEVER been treated so poorly or not been allowed to speak with to my doctor when I specifically asked to do so. And as long as Dear Doctor is hooked up with your outfit, I'll seek medical treatment elsewhere. I have enough going on without being treated like an inconvenient commodity.

(long pause)

NURSE 2: Well, I wish we could help but apparently we can't. Oh and the doctor says your prescriptions will need to be refilled by your new physician.

No surprise there, either.

ME: I figured as much.

And that was the end of that.

So, once I have calmed down enough to write a decent letter, I will once again write to Dear Doctor because I am not at all sure he ever received the first one. And to make sure he will receive it, Manthing said he will have a chat with him at his next appointment and hand deliver a copy of the letter to him, in case Dear Doctor never receives the second one.

Because as Eden has pointed out in the past, there's a chance he doesn't know what is going on. Still, it seems to me that he'd want to make it his business to know. I'll post a copy here once it's done.

Shut Up. I'm Busy.

I've been busy. My brain has been busy. I am doing real life important things.

Busy with adjusting to the summer pain level I learn to readjust to and tolerate every year. Busy with getting work done for the two art shows in August. Busy cleaning up the studio so I can be photographed at work.Busy with writing. Busy with the search for a new job. Busy stressing and obsessing about money stuff. Busy with Outside the Lines stuff. Busy attempting not to beat myself up for whatever I feel like I am not doing as well as I should be doing it.

I mean, I am busy with important shit here.

And PERHAPS it is because I am busy that I have found myself the last few weeks talking back to the television a lot more lately.

Do I care that Paris Hilton is in the clink? Or that Nicole Ritchie is knocked-up? Is it really necessary for me to have an opinion about David Hasselhoff's custody issues? Why do I care that Alec Baldwin and screamed at his child inappropriately? Do I need to be subjected to the toddler fights on the View AND not only pick a side but also have an opinion? I won't choose a side. My opinion is simply this: both sides are equally obnoxious and that there is some middle ground that they can meet on, if only they'd get their asses down from around their ears.

Why are any of these things NEWSWORTHY?

And what about this Andrew Speaker, Mr. TB Guy? Okay, it was enough when he got up on morning television and blubbered his apology while adamantly complaining about being unfairly cast as inconsiderate, irresponsible, thoughtless, and clearly self-absorbed. So you're a newlywed who can't kiss or bone your new bride for the next 6 months. I feel for you, buddy. I'd suggest using some the next six months determining if procreating is something you really need to do. I hope the honeymoon was fucking worth it, bonehead. Maybe you'll think twice next time when your medical team tells you they'd "prefer" that you not go anywhere until after you've been treated for a dangerous airborne disease.

Everyone now knows what dick he is and that he isn't coping well with being held accountable for his own actions and choices. I was done hearing about his stupid-ass. He wasn't contagious and no one will probably get sick because of his poor decision making skills. And if someone does, I hope he gets what with surely be coming to him. But, really couldn't we just move on?

Hell no.

I turned on my television the morning after his weepy, crocodile tear-filled interview and was subjected to his family STICKING UP for the guy. I was amazed at how outraged THEY were that everyone in the world was ticked off because TB Guy was jet-setting all over Europe. What the hell? He may not have meant to put anyone in harm's way and he may be a nice guy. But he still made really, really, fucking stupid decision and you all supported him on doing it. Intent doesn't make the what he chose to do different. Just because he "didn't mean" to hurt or upset anyone doesn't change the outcome.

It's a real brain trust there, I'll tell you. It's no wonder the guy can't make reality-based decisions. Clearly his parents and in-laws are from another reality far, far away from the one most of us live in.

Just shut the fuck up, Andrew,  and take your medicine like a big boy.