I PARK; SO I EXIST!

31.07.04

I visited IKEA with my parents in the morning. We had wanted to look through the various things and prices in that temple of shopping and of course have the chance to see the changes on the landscape within the framework of the Olympics. Athens changes. There’s no doubt about that. We have a lot to win from that story and not just lose. This whole area around the airport reminded me of every contemporary European metropolis, which is precisely what Athens should be for a long time now. Nonetheless, there is something that will never change, in my opinion. This is the mentality of the Greek indifferent superman, who persistently refuses to adjust his behavioural style to know environments.

We were looking for hours to park the car somewhere, since all the places for people with a disability in the parking lot were caught from fake disabled people. When I finally saw a chick come out of a place like that without having the slightest (visible, at least) disability, I decided to make her have regrets for good. I just told her that she was not allowed to park in a place like that and she answered that she had a reason to do that. I did not see that reason. I saw the girl escape without even apologizing. Do you want me to tell you what I understand every time I come up against such situations? That it’s not the absence of infrastructure and of services that creates the problem. This comprises only 30 per cent of the problem. The rest 70 per cent is due to people’s indifference. One can say: ‘Who am I to be interested in the disabled people?’. ‘As if they even go shopping.’. But if we got out of our houses more often, even the least educated among us would take our participation in daily life for granted and they would therefore not ignore our needs. This is why I am telling you: Get out of your houses and signal your presence, as everybody can.