I (35M) am a disabled veteran. I don’t advertise I am one, but I do have my state’s DV plates that allow me to park in handicapped spaces. They performed a transfemoral amputation in ’06 due to combat-related injuries. So I have an endoskeletal prosthesis.

You, however, wouldn’t know it was there unless I rolled my pant leg up. You especially wouldn’t know from looking at me from the waist up. I also have a babyface when clean-shaven.

This morning, I had to go to the nightmare that is Wally World (Walmart) and was lucky enough to snag one of the close-up handicap parking spaces. I pull in, turn off my car, and before I can even do anything, this elderly woman and her son pull up behind me and start laying on their horn.

They were motioning at me, so I thought maybe something was wrong with my vehicle, and they were trying to signal me, so I got out of my car to check with them.

They roll down their window, and the son starts yelling, “You can’t park there; that’s illegal! If your handicapped person isn’t with you, you need to move!” The mother chimes in with, “This whole shame on you for using someone else’s benefits” (not verbatim).

I say, “Sir, I have every right to park here as I am disabled.” I pointed to my DV plates to emphasize this. Then he yells (yelling because of the motor running, I assume), “Even if you have some disability” (that tone where they don’t believe you), “it’s pretty clear you have no issues walking, what the fuck ever.” His mom adds, “You’re younger than me; the right thing to do is for you to give up that spot to someone who REALLY needs it.”

Admittedly, my temper was starting to get up, so I said, “Ma’am, sir, if you fucking think I broke the law, call the fucking cops. I will gladly wait for them to sort this fucking shit out. If you don’t want to do that, then you can fucking pound sand.

I got here first, so fuck off.” I leave and go inside thinking it’s over. I’m in the store maybe 20 minutes when the woman and her son come up with a Walmart security guard and a cop. And they start interrogating me in the aisle, asking if I had accosted the lady and her son.

I start trying to tell my side of things, but the son butts in, saying he doesn’t look disabled at ALL.

I’d had enough, so I jerk up my pant leg so they can see the lower part of my prosthesis and say, “Is this disabled enough?” The security guard apologizes but adds, “Well, you should have just shown them to begin with instead of being an AH about it.” I was so pissed off I just ended up leaving the store.

Now that I’ve calmed down, maybe I was the AH here, but my wife says I wasn’t, and that security guard and everyone else was in the wrong.

Edit: For context, the cop never spoke to me. I assume he was there to make sure things didn’t escalate. After the altercation, though, as I was walking away, the cop spoke to the security guard. For all, I know he gave him a come to Jesus talk.

Edit two: To be fair, the lady was using a mobility scooter.

Edit: Because it keeps coming up. 1.) In my state, DV can park in handicap spots without the hanging placard. It’s a state-to-state thing.

2.) Some days I do have trouble with walking and pain. There is no way to predict what days I will have PLP (phantom limb pains); walking further distances tends to spike it. Then it can last a few seconds, a few minutes, or hours. I also have extreme lower back pain that when it gets bad enough, I have to use my cane.

These things are never entirely alleviated by the shorter distance, but it does help.