The Handicap Spot

The group travels to a mall in Lynbrook to buy a big-screen television as an engagement gift for their friend, “The Drake” (Rick Overton). George, who has borrowed his father’s treasured car (a 1978-1980 model Mercury Monarch), parks in a handicapped parking space. The four assume they will only be a few minutes. However, they are mistaken and are in the store for much longer. When they return, they find an angry mob starting to trash the vehicle because a disabled woman, who had to park in a distant spot because of their illegal parking, has been injured in a wheelchair accident. After sneaking away for a time, they return to find the car completely demolished.

George invents a preposterous story about being cut off in traffic to explain the accident. While visiting Lola (Donna Evans Merlo), the injured handicapped woman, at the hospital, Kramer falls in love and feels compelled to replace her wheelchair. George and Kramer go on to buy a used wheelchair which is much cheaper than a brand-new one. Jerry and Elaine go to have lunch with The Drake after missing his party and discover that he and his fiancée have broken off their engagement.

George’s father Frank Costanza receives an award for outstanding service in helping the handicapped. In the middle of receiving the award, he is arrested for George’s parking in the handicap spot, as Frank is the registered owner of the vehicle. As a result of the accusation, Frank’s award is taken away from him. Amusingly, George’s father forces him to become his butler as punishment, which was initially an idea for the pilot episode that George is writing with Jerry.

Lola breaks up with Kramer (telling him he’s “not good looking enough for her” and to “drop dead”) and is later seen screaming and rolling down a hill in her wheelchair, which she cannot stop due to faulty brakes. George’s first job as his father’s butler is to retrieve the widescreen TV at The Drake’s house, so that it can be donated to charity. George and Kramer retrieve the TV from the ex-fiancée’s apartment, then reunite with Jerry and Elaine to return it for a refund. In the final scene, the gang is once again looking for a parking space at the mall, and Kramer tries to talk George into parking next to a fire hydrant, using near-identical rationales as he had at the handicapped spot.

 

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