I made this discovery when I frequented for the first time
one of the many legal marijuana dispensaries here in Illinois. My mission was
to purchase some gummies to help me enjoy an upcoming camping trip. I fully
expected to be given a hard time because I’ve been denied service in bars
before. They wouldn’t serve me alcohol because I’m crippled. Just about every
cripple I know has had this problem. I guess some people’s idea of a typical
cripple is Tiny Tim and they figure that surely he didn’t drink so we shouldn’t
either.
But the first thing they do when you enter the dispensary is
check your i.d. to make sure you’re of age. And after they did that the
security guard opened the door to the inner sanctum and said to me, “Come right this
way, sir. We have a special window just for you.” The dispensary was counter
service, like a bank. And the security
guard escorted me to a corner of the counter that was lowered to
wheelchair height. It was a heartwarming sight to see. It was a shining example
of the Americans with Disabilities Act in action. Some stupid libertarian
types might argue that it was a shining example of the glorious free market in
action—maybe some shrewd businessman recognized that cripples like to get high
as much as regular humans so it makes sense to make us feel welcome, too. But I
sincerely doubt it. Most businessmen aren’t that smart when it comes to cripples.
Well the people who checked my i.d. must’ve entered my
birthdate into the computer because after I made my purchase my salesman
informed me that I was entitled to a discount. He said, “We call it the wisdom
discount.”
So I got 10 percent off. Wow! Old folks like me get a lot of
discounts, but this was the first time I cashed one in that felt like it meant
something. Our discounts are usually something like $2 off of the lunch special
on Wednesday between 2 and 4.
Anyway, it's good to know the world has become a more humane and equitable place. I'll remember that the next time I'm feeling blue.
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