Was I Out of Line?

Soooooooo. I may have just gotten home from the mall. Alright I did.

Annnd, I have another mall story for you. Sorry. It's true. What's up with me and that mall? Apparently we have a real love/hate relationship. 

I LOVE it, but it doesn't always love me back. 

Yep, that's it.

Here goes. I'm in line, ready to try on 2 dresses (chambray, my favorite!) at a popular boutique-style clothing store, right? When the salesperson says to me, "I'm sorry, the large fitting room is already taken. (She meant the accessible fitting room) Then she said something regrettable,
"Would you care to wait?" 

I looked up at her with a puzzled look on my face. There were a lot of rooms available, by the way.  

"Is the woman in there a wheelchair user?" My daughter asked. 

"Well, ummmmm, no," she answered.

"Please help her relocate to a different room." 

Oh Kristin!! How I love this kid! She's my hero, my friend and my advocate! And she spoke up first!

We've been to a million dressing rooms together before and this situation has come up numerous times. But each time it does, the sales people in charge, have always done the right thing...that is, until today. 

Without blinking, the sales girl turned to the woman behind us and asked, "How many do you have?"

Suddenly I was invisible--which is common. Ask any roller.

We stepped (and rolled) aside.

She placed the woman behind us in a dressing room.

I looked at Kristin and she rolled her eyes. I shook my head.

Eventually, a woman came out of the larger fitting room clearly marked with the blue tag, engraved with a wheelchair. (I still can't call it "handicapped" or "disabled") Sorry. She was carrying quite a load of clothing, but she was also very capable of doing so. 

I might have glared at her.

Ok, I did.
Sorry again. It's a new thing. I never glared at anyone in public before, but when it comes to blue tag stuff, I can be pretty possessive. They're NOT for you. They're set aside for US. 

We went inside the room for people with equipment and tried on our stuff. I liked one of the dresses well enough to buy it, so we headed to the cash register. But on the way, I stopped to have a word with the dressing room sales person. Sorry again--third time now. I just couldn't help it.

"Excuse me." 

She looked up.

"I'm used to shopping all over the mall and this isn't the first time I've run into this problem with fitting rooms being given to able-bodied people, even though they're designed for people with  equipment." I smiled at her.

She didn't smile back but...

She nodded.

I continued," And it's ok to give that room to whomever you want, as long as they understand that if someone with equipment comes in and needs to try stuff on, they have to move." 

She looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"And you should tell them so when you place them in that room. That's what they do in the other stores where I shop. They move people for me all the time."

She thought I was speaking Egyptian, but her eyes widened, and she managed a faint smile. Then she looked a bit frightened as she slightly inclined her head and stepped back, like she thought I might leap out of my chair and stomp on her if she didn't comply! 

"I'm not angry with you. I just hope you understand," I told her. Then I patted her arm. 

Hahahahahaha! Yes, I'm somewhat touchy-feely. I thought patting her arm would help her to feel better about the lecture I had just given her! Oh my goodness!!!
I have come a long way!
Honest to goodness, before I got sick, I couldn't say,  "Boo!" to a goose. Now I'm delivering the Americans with Disabilities Act to strangers in public places!! (At least the important points!) 

What has gotten into me? Was I out of line? I hope not. 

Peace my friends xx