‘Right’ behavior in car park leaves disabled driver speechless: ‘Get a life’

A woman with muscular dystrophy was shocked to find a card printed on the windscreen of her car parked at the local shopping centre.

“I level parked for Woolworths and Aldi in a disabled car park because I am DISABLED DISABLED,” the woman posted on the Lake Macquarie Community Notice Board Facebook group to provide context.

“I parked between a big pole and the bright yellow pole with the yellow paint on the floor.

“No doubt I parked at a slight angle, but seeing that no one could park on either side and I wasn’t going to cause a problem with anyone else, I left the car as it was.”

“Someone who didn’t have much to do left this”

After she finished her grocery shopping and returned to her car, she found something left by another shopper.

“To my surprise and disappointment, someone apparently didn’t have much to do left this [printed] card under my windshield wiper.”

A photo accompanying her post is of the professionally printed junk card, which reads, “HEY TI SUCK AT PARKING” in bold, “Even a five-year-old knows how to stay in lines” underneath.

The woman was not happy and wrote the rest of her post directly to the person who left the note.

“Honestly mate…get a life. So you have nothing better to do than harass disabled shoppers?

“Perhaps you could put your money to better use than printing cards anonymously by donating to a disability charity.

“As your card says, I’m only occupying ONE car space.”

“Frustrated by these parking ‘cops'”

The post garnered hundreds of comments, many from drivers who also had experience with unofficial parking reviews and cards like this one.

Annoyed by these ‘parking cops’,” wrote one user.

“I often have to park in two spaces because there is no disabled parking and you can’t put a pram on the side of the car.

“If it doesn’t affect your life, just move on and stop being in people’s business. So I’m sorry this happened to you.”

Another group member went a step further: “It’s bullying. Don’t give it another thought.”

A third person relates that they had a similar experience with one of these printed cards one day when they were helping their elderly father.

“I also got a disability permit and I was parked in a corner disabled parking space on the street… I had my elderly dad with me, taking him to an appointment.

“If someone is thinking about putting these in other people’s cars, they might think about the effect it might have on the other person. You don’t know what they’re going through.”

One woman who commented was shocked not so much by the postcard, but by the fact that someone spends the day putting them on their windshield for ‘fun’.

“So someone spends their weekend walking around parking lots looking for cars to put their specially printed cards in (so they hide behind poles to see people’s reactions, maybe to film it?).

“So they also have printed cards for other minor offenses?! Take your mind! Eh!”

“I love the card!”

Opinion was divided, however, with many commenters finding this type of card, which appears to have been sourced from online store Temu, to be just a bit of fun.

“I like the card,” wrote one user. “Don’t be so offended…you know you parked on a corner…laugh.”

Many other members of the group agreed, with some asking where they could get papers like this for their own use.

Another added: “How about parking I’d have a huge collection of those cards! Laugh!”

But for those who found it funny, one woman had some advice to see the world from a different perspective.

“It shows how ignorant and righteous people are”

“It just shows how ignorant and self-righteous some people are, so small-minded that they can’t see this from the perspective of someone with a disability doing their best.

“Hard to ignore because it’s another thing you have to deal with that other people don’t.

“And people here say ‘get over it, it’s just a joke’… maybe they should walk in your shoes for a few weeks and see how they feel afterwards.”

Finally, one user left a piece of advice that many of us should remember: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

“It’s the gift you give yourself.”