INDIANAPOLIS -- After parking in a handicapped space, an Indianapolis woman with a serious heart condition returned to find an anonymous note, insulting her for taking the spot.
Emily Ingram Frye parked at the Kroger on Thompson Road, on Indianapolis' southeast side on Tuesday afternoon. Frye said she looks like a perfectly healthy 28-year-old to anybody who doesn't know better.
But she has a heart condition that causes tachycardia, where the heart beats faster, leading to serious complications. Frye said she's passed out behind the wheel before and has been hospitalized four times.
The note read, (censorship added), "Wow! You are just ****ing lazy!! Taking a handicap spot! ****ing lazy******!!"
"I couldn't believe someone had actually taken the time to write someone a note when they had no clue what was going on," said Frye. "I've often wondered if people see me and maybe think she doesn't belong there, she looks perfectly fine."
Frye also added that while she has the condition, she has been cleared to drive.
"I was very compliant and went with my cardiologist's recommendations when he suggested I not drive for 6 months after the episode," she wrote. "I'm not an idiot. I would never endanger a stranger's life, let alone my daughters'."
She said five or six parking spaces could mean the difference in everything, as she can no longer run.
To park in a handicapped spot, a person must fill out a form to get a placard on the Indiana BMV's website. The person must be certified by a health care provider and have one or more of the following:
- A permanent or temporary physical disability that requires the use of a wheelchair, a walker, braces, or crutches
- Permanently or temporarily lost the use of one or both legs
- A permanent or temporary and severe restriction in mobility due to a pulmonary or cardiovascular disability, arthritic condition, or orthopedic or neurological impairment
- Permanently or temporarily blind or visually impaired
To Frye's credit, after experiencing a whirlwind of emotions about the letter, she's decided not to worry about what people think of her parking in the spots.
"In the last hour, I've laughed at them for being ignorant," she wrote. "I've shaken because I was so furious that someone would honestly take the time to try and COWARDLY call someone out when they have no idea what the case might be. & I've cried because I'm so pissed off and I wish I could say this to their face.
"I would take having a kind heart (even if it gives me troubles sometimes) over whatever issues they obviously have."
