Their Argument Has No Leg To Stand On
One day in Highschool a friend and I went to a fast-food burger place inside of a large department store. This friend had an issue with one of his knees, a lasting injury from a nasty fall he had taken last year. Due to the issue with his knee he needed to brace himself when sitting down, this included using the crossbars in most Handicap stalls in public bathrooms.
He and I both go to the bathroom; he takes the stall but I am just there to wash my hands when an elderly gentleman comes in in a wheelchair. He isn’t too pleased that the stall is occupied and keeps hammering on the door with his fist and swearing.
Me: “Hey! Knock it off, he’ll be out when he’s out.”
Man: “He shouldn’t be in there; this is a handicap stall!”
Me: “You don’t even know who is in there, how do you know they don’t have a disability?”
Man: “Tell him to get the f*** out!”
Me: “Wait your d*** turn!”
The door opens and my friend steps out.
Friend: “You’re very rude.”
Man: “SEE! YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN IN THERE! MOVE!”
He tries to ram himself through the door even though my friend is still in the way but he pushes him back with the stall door.
Friend: “The f*** is wrong with you!?”
Man: “Get the f*** OUT OF MY WAY!”
Friend: “Let me get out of the stall first!”
Man: “You shouldn’t be in there in the first place!”
Friend: “I NEED to use this stall, I have a knee injury!”
Me: “Not all disabilities are visible.”
Man: “Bull-s***!”
He attempts to ram my friend again but he pushes back once more.
Friend: “You f****** touch me again and we’re going to have a problem, buddy!”
Me: “Dude, just let him out of the stall”
Man: “Fine, but hurry up!”
My friend steps out of the stall and pulls up his pants leg, displaying the deep, pitted scarring on his knee, it looks like a centipede on his skin.
Friend: “You see this? Huh!? You see this!?”
Man: “…”
Friend: “Yeah! That’s what I thought! F*** you.”
He storms out of the bathroom and I follow him.
Me: “You alright?”
Friend: “I’m sick and tired of this. Why does everyone assume just because I am young I can’t have a lasting injury or disability? This is the fourth or fifth time I’ve had to deal with some angry jack-a** in a bathroom.”
Me: “I dunno man, just… look older I guess.?”
We shared a laugh and went to sit down.