A woman in a wheelchair was the subject of verbal abuse and embarrassment for using a handicapped parking spot.
Madeline Delp from Los Angeles, California is well-known by her followers as an influencer who documents what her life looks like as someone who uses a wheelchair.
“Rollin around the world; chasing bold adventures!” is her motto.
Highlights
- Madeline Delp faced verbal harassment for parking in a handicap spot despite being in a wheelchair.
- The parking attendant ignored Madeline's explanation and filmed her, while also threatening to get someone to tow her car.
- Madeline's story attracted a lot of attention, with nearly 800K views on TikTok.
- The attendant only apologized after someone he deemed "highly respected" intervened
But adventures led her to a rather unpleasant parking attendant who claimed she had broken the law and threatened to call the towing company to take her car away.
A parking attendant yelled at a woman in a wheelchair for using a handicapped spot
Image credits: madelinedelp
On social media, Madeline posted a clip where she explained the situation in depth, saying she’d parked in a private lot that was designated for customers of a specific business center.
“I’m, like, shaking right now,” she began as she held up her trembling hands.
While that store was not her first location, she had plans of returning to the shop after running her first errand, as reported by Distractify.
Image credits: madelinedelp
These cases aren’t always allowed for able-bodied passengers, but Madeline stated that California law dictates that wheelchair users are allowed to park in these spaces, even if they’re meant for another location.
“California does that in order to protect people with disabilities because it is so difficult to find parking here,” she explained, which was fact-checked to be true.
But despite her trying to explain her reasoning, the attendant kept reportedly repeating, “Shame on you,” even after witnessing her exiting the ramp and struggling to push herself up a hill.
The lot attendant yelled, "Shame on you!" at Madeline
Image credits: www.tiktok.com
In the next clip, the video cuts to a first-person POV of Madeline trying to talk things out with the attendant, who could be seen wearing a blue uniform and taking out his phone to film her.
“You wouldn’t even hear me out,” she said in a very calm, gentle tone. “You interrupted me every single time. And you ran me out and you watched me push up a hill with all my might and just yelled at me.”
She asked, “Do you understand how rude that is?”
Image credits: madelinedelp
From behind his camera, the attendant replied, “That’s perfectly a lie. I never touched you. I never yelled at you,” before Madeline clarified she never accused him of “touching” her.
The employee turned around, smiled, and walked away, saying, “You’re being recorded. Ever since you went down there, you’ve been recorded. Thank you very much.”
Despite Madeline's efforts to explain what was happening, the lot attendant would not listen, according to the influencer
Image credits: madelinedelp
The influencer’s video quickly gained attention, with nearly 800K people having watched it at the time of writing.
After the entire ordeal, she headed into one of the businesses and told an employee, who assured her they’d contact the property manager and sort out the situation.
While talking, one of the customers, who Madeline described as someone who looked like “a very successful man who had influence,” found the parking attendant and brought him into the store.
Image credits: madelinedelp
“[The employee] changed completely,” she noted. “He came up to me and he was like, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was the law — that you could park here, even if you weren’t coming to this business first.’
“It was so frustrating because I had tried to tell him that, at least ten times, but he wouldn’t listen to me,” until “someone he thinks of as highly respected” told him the story.
To end the video, Madeline asked her viewers if she should let it go — in hopes that he wouldn’t do it again — or find his supervisor, prefacing that she didn’t have any intention of getting him fired.
Only when a "highly respected" man got involved in the situation did the lot attendant back off
Image credits: madelinedelp
Commenters were, unsurprisingly, in agreement that she should take it a step further.
“He simply saw you as vulnerable and WANTED to harass you. He will do it again. Take it to the property manager,” someone advised.
Another agreed, writing, “Take it further. He apologized under pressure. That doesn’t count.”
“He thought he had some power over you,” stated a third. “An apology isn’t enough.”
Image credits: madelinedelp
Many viewers also extended their sympathies for what they believed was unfair treatment.
“I am so proud of you for being so brave and standing your ground!” one user applauded. “You should not be treated like that whatsoever! Please find out who that is, and get him reprimanded.”
“You were so articulate & assertive [when] you were speaking to him! I would have instantly burst into tears. Well done,” encouraged another.
Comments praised Madeline for standing her ground
Image credits: madelinedelp
According to Blue Badge Insurance, victims of verbal harassment in cases similar to Madeline’s should either (A) distance themselves from the confronter for fear of aggressive behavior, or (B) provide a quick comment to clarify that the wheelchair user isn’t breaking any laws.
If tensions arise and the situation escalates, the website advises going into the nearest building and contacting a staff member, who may call the police, if necessary.
"Take this further" was the consensus of many viewers
