Consolation Prize # 3 - That Cool Blue Placard

Growing up with a disability, but not really recognizing it as such, I oftentimes looked at "those special parking places" and thought to myself, "Damn, how cool would it be if..." Once I could drive I thought even harder about how cool it would be to be able to nab one of those spots so that I wouldn't have to cross some mammoth-ass parking lot.

After my hip replacement, I was given, at long last, one of those cool blue parking placards. It was all the rage with my friends, who suddenly were asking me to hitch a ride more than they had before. In fact, the damn thing got me laid a few times! No kidding...the cool blue placard is a chick magnet.

Of course, to look at me, you wouldn't think I deserve one. I'm not in a wheelchair, I'm pretty much ambulatory, and although I use a cane daily, now, I didn't at first after my surgery. As a result, I was often scrutinized by people who saw me park in a handicap spot and emerge from my then SUV and walk into the store. I just scowl back at them and point to my cool blue placard. A couple of years ago I parked in a disabled spot and emerged to find two older folks approaching me. I was with my girlfriend and said to her, "Oh boy, here goes."

The folks came up to me and asked me, "Are you handicapped?" Mind you, my cool blue was in clear view.

I said, "Look at the placard."

They then said, "So, college kids have been stealing them and using them all around town." First off, I've often been mistaken for being younger than I am, especially when I'm clean-shaven, but give me a break...I did not look a college kid. Secondly, I'm sure not all USC and UCLA students would appreciate being lumped in with placard thieves.

In response to the older folks passive aggressive accusation, I drew out the card given to me to present to airport metal detector monitors in case I set off an alarm with my metal hip and flashed it at these folks. I guess it was that and my accompanying sarcastic grin that forced them to back down and apologize.

As I put the card back in my wallet and walked with my girlfriend into the store I was struck with the reality of discrimination based on my youth as well as my being "more ambulatory" than is acceptable for a disabled person. Here I was a member of a minority class who was being discriminated against based on the fact that I "didn't appear" disabled enough!

But having a cool blue placard comes with great responsibility: unless I'm in extreme pain and/or having great difficulty moving, I never use one of the cool blue spots. I will also surrender the spot to someone who is clearly worse off than I am. It's a great consolation prize for being a disabled person...it really is! But the greatest impact of getting the cool blue was that it was the first step in the public recognition that I am a disabled person.