[nfbmi-talk] blind folks need to act like this too in defending ourrights

Wed Apr 20 19:40:35 UTC 2011

Sounds good to me
!  I agree.

-----Original Message----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 2:40 PM
To: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] blind folks need to act like this too in defending 
ourrights

I think we should assert our rights just like this fellow did and what about 
the retaliation by this entity which was against the retaliation provisions 
of the ADA. What was this Michigan Protection and Advocy Atterney thinking? 
By the way Mr. Cody has fought and won some good cases.

Joe

Paraplegic man confronts man illegally parked in handicapped spot, gets his 
gym membership revoked

Michigan Live

FLINT, Michigan — Jamie McGarry did what he thought was right when he 
confronted a man who illegally parked in a handicapped spot at Hurley Health 
and Fitness.

The gym says McGarry went too far though and revoked the 31-year-old Davison 
man’s membership.

“Pretty simply, I just feel that it was flat out wrong,” said McGarry, who 
has used a wheelchair since age 20 after being paralyzed during surgery. “It’s

a wrong that needs to be righted. I simply can’t let it go. It’s more than 
just how it affects me. I was just sticking up for the rights of the entire

disabled community.”

McGarry had just finished his workout at the facility on Feb. 25 and was 
pulling out of his parking spot when he saw the car — without a handicap 
sticker

— pull into the handicap spot next to him.

According to McGarry, he told the 20-something man he wasn’t allowed to park 
there but the man brushed off the concern, saying he’d only be there a 
couple

minutes.

After a bit more “discussion” and after hearing a few four-letter words, 
McGarry decided to take matters into his own hands.

He backed his car out of his spot and parked it behind the man’s car, 
trapping the vehicle in the handicapped spot. Then, McGarry got in his 
wheelchair,

left his vehicle and called security.

FLI0312Wheelchair_03CropLoose.JPGJoseph Tobianski | The Flint Journal James 
McGarry of Davison sits in his Mazda RX8

Both McGarry and the other driver argued they were in the right to security 
and McGarry said he ended up leaving in frustration.

He later was notified his membership to Hurley Health and Fitness had been 
revoked because of the dispute.

Hurley Medical Center spokeswoman Ilene Cantor released a statement on the 
incident, which said McGarry’s actions were not justified.

“The handicapped parking space was blocked by Mr. McGarry, preventing the 
vehicle from being able to exit, as well as prolonging the time the public 
was

prevented from using the handicapped parking spot — which made a bad 
situation worse,” the statement said. “We value all of our HHFC members, and 
this

unfortunate incident could have been avoided.”

Cantor said there were at least five other handicapped spots open. She also 
said that Hurley does not condone people parking in handicapped spots, even

temporarily.

Flint Police Capt. Darryl Patterson said if someone witnesses a person 
illegally parking in a handicapped spot should take down the car’s license 
plate

number and contact security or police. Pulling your car behind the other car 
is not the best idea, he said.

“You don’t want to get into a confrontation,” he said.

Mark Cody, attorney for the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service that 
takes complaints from disabled persons, said he understands McGarry’s 
frustration.

“For any of our clients, it’s a great frustration when they need to go 
somewhere and the parking spots designated for them aren’t available to 
them,” he

said.

Cody to said the best way to resolve the situation would be to call proper 
authorities.

McGarry has no intention of changing his ways.

On Tuesday, he yet again confronted a driver parking illegally in a 
handicapped spot at his new gym — Planet Fitness in Burton.

Again, he pulled his car in behind the illegally parked car and alerted 
employees. The police were called and the owner of the vehicle was issued a 
ticket,

Burton police confirmed.

“The disparity between the two situations were like night and day,” McGarry 
said.

Paraplegic man confronts man illegally parked in handicapped spot, gets his 
gym membership revoked

Michigan Live