So, I get in my car and ready myself to leave the lot for a late night errand. After I put the shifter on reverse,  disengage the brakes and am just about to back out, out of the corner of my eye, I see a man step behind my car. I put my foot on the brakes and, as I look in the rear view mirror, see it’s a police officer. As he points a flashlight directly into my eyes:

“Good evening, Ma’am!

Yes?

I see you are parked in a disabled spot. May I…”

Certain types of lighting cause me to feel pain. Having a flashlight pointed directly into my eyes causes me intense pain. As I looked away:

“Please get that thing away from my eyes. I am photosensitive and this is causing me pain.”

“I can’t see your hands.”

“You’re pointing your flashlight directly into my eyes, not my hands. Get that thing out of my face!”

Smiling, the officer says:

“I don’t even know what photosensitive means.”

“Get that thing out of my eyes. I was pulling out of the lot. See? That’s my placard and it says right here that you’re supposed to take it off the rearview mirror before driving. As for my hands, they’re right here and there is no gun in them.”

A cop. A parking lot. A 53 year old woman about to pull out of her spot.