A disabled woman in North Carolina was unable to exit her vehicle while running errands, spurring her on to make a video and post it on TikTok. After documenting the incident on TikTok, Catherine asked viewers: “Why are my errands less important than anyone else’s?”
Posted by TikTok user Life_illness_family (Catherine), her video showed a rather irritating situation she found herself in. She recorded herself in her vehicle, saying she dropped the ramp out of her vehicle so she could get out of her car in her wheelchair. While she’s prepping to get out, suddenly a driver pulls in with their SUV and parks right over the line.
According to Catherine, the SUV was parked over the access area next to the handicap space, preventing her from deploying her wheelchair ramp and exiting her vehicle. Catherine said she explained the situation to the driver, who replied, “I’m just dropping off a package.”
Catherine sighs as she says this is her “real life.” Even though society “claims to be inclusive,” she says their actions always show otherwise. And if she would try to exit her vehicle in her wheelchair, she would end up scratching the other driver’s vehicle. As a result, Catherine said she was forced to remain in her vehicle until the driver moved. “My errands are deemed less important than her 20-second stop at the UPS store.”
She tells her audience it’s difficult for handicapped people to get in and out of their vehicles as it is. She speaks to everyone when she says, “Please try and recognize that your actions, however insignificant to you, are like daggers.”
Catherine’s TikTok video attracts furious viewers online
The comments on Catherine’s TikTok video were to be expected: people were outraged that someone would be this ignorant and suggested she take action. One viewer was particularly furious, stating, “WHY AM I NEVER AROUND WHEN THIS HAPPENS!!!!”
Among the top comments, one TikTok user suggested Catherine take a picture of the car and file a report with the police. “They can actually be fined for this,” they wrote. Others recommended calling 911, but some argued this was a bad idea. Instead, a commenter suggested that a “tow company is much more appropriate.”
Another commenter shared their experience, echoing Catherine’s. “My daughter is in a wheelchair and we have the same problems!”
It just goes to show that what might be an inconvenience for those who lack a disability can be extremely difficult for others. In this case, the driver only needed a few seconds to move their vehicle. As Catherine put it, people living with disabilities “want to be visible.”
