One of the things I hate most is when people of a certain group act in a way that reinforces stereotypes and helps to give everyone else — the honest ones — a bad name.

Let me explain what I mean.  I remember an ex-boyfriend telling me a story about a supposed disabled vet sitting out in front of the downtown library in a wheelchair, begging for handouts.  My ex figured that a guy in a wheelchair really did need it, and gave him some money.

Later on, as my ex was leaving the library, the guy asked him, “Is the library closing?”  When my ex said yes, the guy stood up, folded the wheelchair, and walked off with it.

My ex was horrified, and no longer gives people money.  I was horrified too, but for a different reason: because of the suspicion this guy was creating toward people who have genuine disabilities.

Here’s another example: How many times have you been at the store, and seen someone young and perfectly healthy get into a car that was parked in a handicapped spot?  Or how often have you seen cars parked in handicapped spots even though they don’t have handicapped parking permits?

These spots are created with handicapped people in mind: They have enough space on either side so that a van with a wheelchair lift has room to operate, and they are close to the entrance so that a person in a wheelchair or crutches doesn’t have very far to go.

My grandmother was in a wheelchair, and for many years my grandparents’ house had stairlifts on all the flights of stairs in the house.  I hate to see people with dishonest intentions screwing it up for people with real disabilities and a genuine need for special treatment.

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