Realtor With MS Finds Car Smeared in Dog Feces After Parking in Accessible Spot

Realtor Shellie Nichol Chandar was showing new clients a townhome in San Jose, California, when someone smeared dog feces on her SUV. Nichol Chandar, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), told The Mighty she’s certain it was done because she used her disability placard to park in an accessible parking spot.

Nichol Chandar arrived at the townhouse before her clients, so she sat on the curb and waited. She said she saw multiple people give her the “stink eye” after parking in the spot. MS is not always a visible illness, and it’s common for people with disabilities or those who don’t “look” disabled to be given a hard time about using an accessible spot.

One person in particular who looked at Nichol Chandar was walking a larger dog. After showing the home for about 15 minutes, she found poop smeared on the right side her car after she got in to leave. Nichol Chandar, who is the vice president of HeartStone Realty and runs the nonprofit Project Foster Care, said she laughed it off at first because she was with clients.

Nichol Chandar said she sometimes avoids using accessible spots if possible because she’s had people flip her off and do other rude things while using a spot. She said she used the spot on Saturday because stress from a family member being in a car accident made her MS flare.

Though no one who uses an accessible spot needs to explain, Nichol Chandar said: “My leg has been numb for about a week or two, and I get what’s called ‘jelly legs’… it causes your legs to get very very weak very quickly.”

Nichol Chandar had other homes to show the clients and drove around for about three hours with poop on her windows and all over her car. Nichol Chandar said her car was also kicked and spit on.

“When I got home, I was a little more upset than I thought — kind of humiliation set in because every time I had to look to the right [while driving], I was looking at poop, so I felt pretty ashamed,” she said.

Nichol Chandar then went live on Facebook to show what had been done to her car.

“Disabilities look different, and I might look good on the outside, but I struggle so it bothers me,” she said in the video. “So don’t judge people when they have a placard and don’t judge them by looking at them.”

It’s not the duty of people with disabilities or illnesses to explain themselves, Nichol Chandar said. “Be so proud of the fact that despite what you’re going through, you get up and you’re doing things and you do not have to explain that to anyone but just had pride in yourself.”