Irrational Dislike of Handicap Door Abuse

Nearly everyone hates the abuse of handicap parking spaces, right? People shoot eye daggers at the healthy, slippery bastard that illegally parks in a handicap spot.

Well, it seems as if people blithely and indifferently abuse another device designed to facilitate the differently-abled: the automatic handicap door.

My wife and I were talking in the entryway to her building today. Wishing to be out of traffic flow, we stood near the side of the portico, next to and - for certain tennants of the building - uncomfortably close to the Handicap Button (see photo).

If your'e not familiar with these accessible features, if you're handicapped differently-abled, you press this button and both the outer door and the inner door open for you.

So as I was standing there trying to have a conversation with my lovely bride, but I was being constantly distracted by a stream of fully capable people pressing the button to walk in. Clearly I am in the minority opinion on this because almost every single person entering the building was aiming to hit the button. I mean, seriously, how hard is it to open two doors? People would take 5 or 6 extra steps to cross the portico to push the button! Really! They could have been inside by the time they hit it.

This button has seen so much wear that the painted handicap logo - you know, the stick figure in the WHEEL CHAIR- had worn off. In the photo, you can barely see the indent where the logo formerly was, however it is clearly FOR THE HANDICAPPED, er, differently-abled.

It became comical, because, as I mentioned I was standing close to the button. I would watch people momentarily agonize whether they should broach my personal space or - GASP - open the door with their own strength! I watched the mini-mind-machinations work over and over as people sought ingress. I enjoyed watching them squirm.

Sure, some people had their hands full and it was just easier to push the button, but those people were few. As I stood there, I could feel a rant coming on with each and every person who pressed the button, but what really put me over the edge was this: a woman with a rolly bag who pressed the button! Oh the agony.