A routine trip to a doctor's appointment turned into an upsetting and exhausting ordeal for Madeline Delp, a woman who uses a wheelchair, after a parking attendant aggressively confronted her for using a disabled parking spot. Delp documented the experience in a series of viral TikToks, sparking a conversation about the daily frustrations and ableism the disabled community often faces.
The incident began after Delp (@madelinedelp on TikTok) legally parked in a wheelchair-accessible spot. As she was making her way down a hill toward her appointment, a parking attendant chased after her, threatening to have her car towed.
"I was trying to tell him about the situation, but he wouldn't let me speak," Delp explained in her video. Instead of listening, the attendant repeatedly cut her off and berated her, saying, "Shame on you."
Delp attempted to explain that under California law, her disability placard allows her to park in any accessible spot, regardless of which business in the complex she is visiting. The man refused to listen. Fearing her car would be towed while she was at her appointment, Delp was forced to push herself all the way back up the hill, get into her vehicle, and find another spot.
After her appointment, she returned, determined to educate the attendant. "I am going to go explain this to him so he can have kindness for people in the future," she stated.
However, her attempt at a calm conversation was met with mockery. The attendant pulled out his own phone and began recording her with a smirk, sarcastically denying his earlier behavior. When she pressed for an explanation, he cut her off with a dismissive, "Thank you very much," and walked away.
Overhead view of parking lotCanva
The situation only changed after Delp reported the incident to a nearby store and another customer—described as an influential man—overheard and decided to intervene. After being confronted by this man, the attendant’s attitude shifted completely.
"'I am sorry, I didn’t know that this was the law that you could park here, even if you weren’t coming to this business first,'" Delp recounted him saying. She noted her frustration that he only accepted the information after hearing it from a man.
Viewers on TikTok overwhelmingly urged her to escalate the issue, pointing out that his apology was insincere and prompted only by the intervention. "Take it further. He didn't listen until a man told him he was wrong," one user commented. Another added, "I would absolutely call the property manager. Acknowledge his apology but also tell them it shouldn’t have gotten to that point."
The encounter, now viewed by millions, has become a stark example of the harassment disabled individuals often endure while simply trying to navigate public spaces.
This article originally appeared earlier this year. It has been updated.
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