Young Woman Removes Her Prosthetic Leg To Prove She Was Not Entitled To Park In The Handicap Spot

OP (original poster) is a 21-year-old woman who was involved in a serious car accident. A drunk driver ran a red light, crashed into a semi, which then hit OP, sending her into two more cars before ending up in an embankment.

Her car was totaled; the accident mangled her left leg, which had to be amputated, and she also lost some fingers in the incident. With the money she received from insurance, OP got herself a prosthetic leg.

If she wears pants and shoes, you can't really tell she has a prosthetic leg. Plus, on a good day, OP's limp is not as pronounced.

OP also bought a new car with the rest of the money. She can now drive after a lot of therapy to cope with her PTSD, and she had to relearn how to drive with her prosthetics on.

Recently, she drove to the store with her mom, her boyfriend, her sister, and her sister's girlfriend. OP gets easily fatigued when she has to walk a long distance; therefore, she parks in the handicapped space to be closer to the entrance.

OP didn't know that someone else was circling back to park in the handicapped spot until the man stopped in the yellow-striped zone to confront her. He scolded OP for taking the spot dedicated to those who actually need it, not realizing that OP needed it herself.

He told OP she was nothing but an entitled kid who has no respect for the sick and suffering.

He told OP to move, and her family urged her to walk away from the confrontation. However, this isn't the first time this has happened, and OP is tired of people assuming that she's entitled because she's young.

OP said okay and went inside the car, appearing as though she was about to start the engine. She was wearing a skirt and leggings and quickly removed her prosthetic leg.

OP showed her prosthetic leg and her stump to the man. She asked him if it was acceptable now for her to stay in the parking spot.

The man walked away, calling OP disgusting and rude. He said she could have just told him instead of making him look foolish.

OP's family is telling her she was wrong and that she made them uncomfortable. The confrontation drew the attention of a crowd, and OP is wondering if she was an a**hole for not walking away.

Superb-Watercress-28

Below is OP's original Reddit post:

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OP did an excellent job with show and tell.

CrazyBoPeep

He did all that by himself.

SmilingVamp

They could have supported her instead of making her feel guilty for standing her ground against a rude person.

DryEquivalent9

She handled the situation flawlessly and efficiently.

SmilingVamp

Take it from someone who has a disability themselves; people's attitudes towards a disability switch so fast when it becomes inconvenient for them.

ididntknowiwascyborg

Some disabilities are not visible to the naked eye.

blarryg

Just because you don't look like a stereotype doesn't mean your disability is not 'valid.'

LeftWeather0

OP's family cannot get a free pass for their reaction.

ManderBlues

The man definitely deserved what OP did.

DrWhoop87

She did nothing wrong; she just proved she wasn't using a space that wasn't intended for her.

moirasrosesgardens

They only know what OP tells them, and their reaction can be considered a**holish, to be honest.

alimck476

That man will think twice before doing this again.

Analbox

Mind your own business next time, mister.

DiligentChampion5765

Boss move.

geedunkgeek

He was embarrassed for showing his true colors in front of everyone.

UnluckyDreamer1

He got a taste of his own medicine, and he did not like it one bit.

warrinerdot

He was probably frustrated that OP got to the parking spot first, but that's no excuse for his behavior.

BrownieZombie1999

Is this a form of malicious compliance? Either way, it's awesome!

Available-Tie-1187

Was OP hurt by her family's reaction to the confrontation? She did nothing wrong, but since the argument drew a crowd, suddenly she was wrong for making them uncomfortable?

OP handled the situation beautifully by herself. The least her family could have done was not guilt her for standing up for herself.