Using toilets and parking lots reserved for ‘short’ people affects more than just their time.

WELL these past two weeks have just flown by haven’t they? It’s been a modest, simple month thus far for me, filled with much gratitude for the quiet moments and deeper conversations. I’m striving to try to keep things as normal as possible but maybe it’s just easier for me because I get to sit mostly. Lucky me!

If you had read me a year ago, in my fourth piece dated July 17 (When sharing is not caring), I spoke of the use (and abuse) of specific public loos and parking lots. And much as I’m not too fond of “toilet topics”, I’m feeling this urge to revisit the subject, if you don’t mind.

Firstly, I’m VERY pleased to report that the mirrors (in loos) at The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur have been lowered and angled for us short people. So, thank you for that ... Now if only we could keep people from going in there to smoke!

And oh, I’ve figured out how to confront people I catch coming out of MY toilets – I take their photos! There was this guy in Bangsar Shopping Centre (KL) who got caught on camera and started arguing to explain and justify himself to my friend Tania. I left them to it because, as you may know, when I need to go, I need to go.

I was at Sunway Giza (in Petaling Jaya) one time – well I tell a fib, because all three times I went to the loo there – and there were people in them. All three seemed to be staff from the various stores in the mall. Now some of these malls have really well maintained, nice-sized loos for us, so whilst I can understand your attraction to that luxury beckoning you to just pop in for “two minutes” – please don’t.

Seriously, I’ve said it before and I will say it again. You have 10 stalls to queue for. We have one. One. Do the maths please. Once I actually got shouted at – “You cannot wait ah?!” Sorrrreee.

I was speaking with my architect friend and trying to understand WHY it’s so hard for property owners/developers to do things right the first time round. Yes, I am aware of the added costs they may involve and the extra space they may require, but surely if you take that into account from the start, automatically it becomes part and parcel of the project. I can’t believe I’m writing as if to plead for the right to live amongst other humans!

Look it’s simple: you have space for four loos, cut it down to three and make one bigger than the other two, with a door that swings outwards. Wouldn’t that cut the cost of one extra bowl and pay for the wider door? We can come down to the level of shared loos if you can’t afford stand-alone ones you know, we’re not that fussy. Just keep it CLEAN, please!

And the logic behind some of the parking spots allocated is just beyond my comprehension. I gave a talk at the JKR (Public Works Department) head office in KL sometime back and noted with great interest the parking spots allocated for super-beings like me. There were two. Normal, yes. They were alongside the building, one in front of the other. No problem. But they were also on a hill slope, and uncovered. BIG problem.

Picture it – you’re trying to get out of your big wheels onto your smaller wheels, on a hill. What if it starts raining? You’ll not only get wet, you may find missing nuts and bolts soon as they’ll just rust away off your personal wheels. Yes, WD-40 is a girl’s best friend.

Have I also mentioned the allocated spots at Wisma BU8 in Bandar Utama (PJ, Selangor)? They’re great – wide and very much in the open! Fortunately I was with Tania (yes, her again!) who could park for me as it was raining. Understand this please – the slightest drizzle may not be much to most. But when you take three to five minutes longer than the average person to get out of a car ... you get the picture, right?

Truth is, we couldn’t park there anyways – there was a super SUPER car, parked there. The security guard said he was a preferred bank patron. Oh okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise privileged parking meant sports cars.

Which brings me to what actually brought on this revisit. For the past year, I’ve also joined in on the “fun hunt” of photographing errant and totally inconsiderate drivers who simply-park-like-it’s-their-grandfather’s-road!

I often see my friend’s photo posts on fakebook and more recently one photo of not one but TWO sports cars, one a nice little red Ferrari and the other that looked like an over-glorified white Lamborghini (either the photos were not very clear or I’ve just gotten over supercars) proudly parked side by side on the two spots clearly marked for super-beings, not supercars.

Yes, yes ... shame on you two, but what struck me were the comments from others on the situation. Every one of his friends (on that thread) had something derogatory to say about and contempt for the offenders but one comment struck me: “Is it really necessary to be the police to this kind of society we live in that simply CHOSE NOT TO GET IT? I rather waste my energy on something else.”

Yes, this came from a person who was concerned that by sharing such photos we could get SUED by the offenders for embarrassment (can we?), yet continued to expound her moralistic thoughts on the offenders. So I guess people will sit on the sidelines and make self-righteous comments, but worry about repercussions to them personally for spreading awareness. Would that make you as guilty as the social offender?

So, I guess it’s each to his own, mind our own business and let it be; what’s the point when it doesn’t affect us directly and will not change society’s mentality anyway?

I’m being downright sarcastic here. Some may not understand that, but I know You do. So I ask of You, please be gentle with those who don’t get it for they know not what they say and do.

Oh, and please let them watch this lovely little French film; it’ll take Just 2 Minutes (youtube.com/watch?v=e9EYh_Tr_Sc).

Having put it off for far too long, Ida Nerina has finally surrendered to diversifying herself creatively. She continues to be grateful for life’s small mercies. And short people. You can follow her innocuous ramblings on fakebook and other rampant psycho babbling with that blue bird, as she seems to have become a twit too.

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