Calling It As I See It

So, I’m at my summer school class at Harper College, and a great question hits me. Why in the world are the “handicapped” stalls in the bathroom always the stall farthest from the door? Yes, occasionally the handicapped stall is the closest to the door, but more often then not it is the farthest stall from the door. We are supposed to be aiding the handicapped with these stalls, right? How in the world is it helping them by forcing them to roll, crutch or limp to the opposite end of the bathroom. It is time to accept these stalls for what they are, luxury stalls. More spacious, plenty of legroom, a hook on the back of the door for your coat/backpack/purse; they are built for those who love vanity. A perfect example of American luxury. Another question is how often have you seen a handicapped person in one of these handicapped stalls? For me it’s once, maybe twice and certainly no more than five. Yet I, a non-handicapped person save for about six months my sophomore year of high school, use these stalls with regularity. In my mind, the name change needs to be made official. “Luxury stalls” sounds more positive than “handicapped stalls” anyway.