The Handicap Spot

"**The Handicap Spot**"
"The Handicap Spot"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 4; Episode 22
Directed by	Tom Cherones
Written by	Larry David
Production code	420
Original air date	May 13, 1993
Guest appearances
	Estelle Harris as Estelle Costanza ; John Randolph (original version) and Jerry Stiller (syndicated version) as Frank Costanza ; Richard Portnow as Ray; Rick Overton as The Drake; Nancy Lenehan as Volunteer; Elizabeth Dennehy as Allison; Kathy Kinney as Bystander; Donna Evans Merlo as Lola;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Smelly Car"	Next →; "The Pilot"
	Seinfeld season 4
	List of episodes

Last updated September 19, 2025

"The Handicap Spot" is the 22nd episode of the fourth season and the 62nd overall episode of Seinfeld .^[1] It aired on May 13, 1993 on NBC.^[1] In this episode, George parks his father's car illegally in a handicap spot while the group gets a big-screen TV for their friend "the Drake"'s engagement.

Plot

Everyone is going to mutual friend Scott Drake's engagement party, all concurring that they "love the Drake"—except George, who chafes at never-ending gift obligations. They all pool money and go to a mall in Lynbrook for an extravagant gift. Jerry wants to take a good car, and, with Kramer's car not running, makes a plan for George to borrow his father's car.

Finding no convenient parking, George is persuaded to illegally park in a handicap spot despite Elaine's objections. They get a bargain on a big-screen TV delivered directly to the party, but return to find the car surrounded by an angry mob. The mob wants vengeance because, with the handicap spot occupied, a woman in a wheelchair had an accident on a wheelchair ramp and was hospitalized. Slipping away, the group wash their hands of the blame and plan a distraction, but find too late that the mob has totaled the car and dispersed.

With the damage not covered by his father Frank's insurance, George claims that an aggressive driver wrecked the car. Estelle's mahjong group is amused by the similarity to George's NBC pilot script.

Kramer falls in love after visiting Lola, the disabled woman, in the hospital, and ropes George into chipping in to replace her wheelchair. George chafes again at gift obligations, but, after turning down a state-of-the-art model, they find a cheap, used wheelchair which Kramer tests, crashing repeatedly.

Jerry and Elaine are invited to visit the Drake and his fiancée. They admire the new TV, only to learn the couple broke up minutes ago. Everyone's hopes for the TV returned are dashed when the Drake gives his fiancée all the engagement gifts, and she in turn donates them all to charity. They all concur that they "hate the Drake".

Frank is honored for his fundraising to buy wheelchairs for charity, but gets arrested for parking in the handicap spot in front of his fellow charity volunteers. George becomes Frank's butler to pay back the damages and fines, just like in the pilot script. Lola condescendingly breaks up with Kramer, but keeps the wheelchair.

Lola has another accident when the defective wheelchair brakes send her on a downhill plunge. Frank sends George to deliver the donated TV to Lola, but George and Kramer intercept the TV to return to the mall. Back in the parking lot, Kramer suggests George park illegally next to a fire hydrant.

Production

This is the first appearance of George's father Frank Costanza, played by John Randolph. After this episode, Randolph was replaced with Jerry Stiller, who would play Frank for the rest of the series. In 1995, the scenes in which Randolph appeared were re-shot with Stiller for the series' syndication in the United States.^[2] However, in some^{[ example needed ]} syndicated airings, Randolph is still listed in the credits.

References

1 2 "Seinfeld Season 4 Episodes". TV Guide . Retrieved December 2, 2021.
↑ Tracy, Kathleen (1998). Jerry Seinfeld: The Entire Domain. Carol Publishing Group. p. 260. ISBN 1-55972-474-9.

External links

"The Handicap Spot" at IMDb

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[tvguide-1] 1 2 "Seinfeld Season 4 Episodes". TV Guide . Retrieved December 2, 2021.

[EntireDomain-2] Tracy, Kathleen (1998). Jerry Seinfeld: The Entire Domain. Carol Publishing Group. p. 260. ISBN 1-55972-474-9.

[1]

[2]

v t e Seinfeld episodes
Season 1	"The Seinfeld Chronicles" "The Stake Out" "The Robbery" "Male Unbonding" "The Stock Tip"
Season 2	"The Ex-Girlfriend" "The Pony Remark" "The Jacket" "The Phone Message" "The Apartment" "The Statue" "The Revenge" "The Heart Attack" "The Deal" "The Baby Shower" "The Chinese Restaurant" "The Busboy"
Season 3	"The Note" "The Truth" "The Pen" "The Dog" "The Library" "The Parking Garage" "The Cafe" "The Tape" "The Nose Job" "The Stranded" "The Alternate Side" "The Red Dot" "The Subway" "The Pez Dispenser" "The Suicide" "The Fix-Up" "The Boyfriend"† "The Limo" "The Good Samaritan" "The Letter" "The Parking Space" "The Keys"
Season 4	"The Trip"† "The Pitch" "The Ticket" "The Wallet" "The Watch" "The Bubble Boy" "The Cheever Letters" "The Opera" "The Virgin" "The Contest" "The Airport" "The Pick" "The Movie" "The Visa" "The Shoes" "The Outing" "The Old Man" "The Implant" "The Junior Mint" "The Smelly Car" "The Handicap Spot" "The Pilot"†
Season 5	"The Mango" "The Puffy Shirt" "The Glasses" "The Sniffing Accountant" "The Bris" "The Lip Reader" "The Non-Fat Yogurt" "The Barber" "The Masseuse" "The Cigar Store Indian" "The Conversion" "The Stall" "The Dinner Party" "The Marine Biologist" "The Pie" "The Stand In" "The Wife" "The Raincoats"† "The Fire" "The Hamptons" "The Opposite"
Season 6	"The Chaperone" "The Big Salad" "The Pledge Drive" "The Chinese Woman" "The Couch" "The Gymnast" "The Soup" "The Mom & Pop Store" "The Secretary" "The Race" "The Switch" "The Label Maker" "The Scofflaw" "The Highlights of 100"† "The Beard" "The Kiss Hello" "The Doorman" "The Jimmy" "The Doodle" "The Fusilli Jerry" "The Diplomat's Club" "The Face Painter" "The Understudy"
Season 7	"The Engagement" "The Postponement" "The Maestro" "The Wink" "The Hot Tub" "The Soup Nazi" "The Secret Code" "The Pool Guy" "The Sponge" "The Gum" "The Rye" "The Caddy" "The Seven" "The Cadillac"† "The Shower Head" "The Doll" "The Friar's Club" "The Wig Master" "The Calzone" "The Bottle Deposit"† "The Wait Out" "The Invitations"
Season 8	"The Foundation" "The Soul Mate" "The Bizarro Jerry" "The Little Kicks" "The Package" "The Fatigues" "The Checks" "The Chicken Roaster" "The Abstinence" "The Andrea Doria" "The Little Jerry" "The Money" "The Comeback" "The Van Buren Boys" "The Susie" "The Pothole" "The English Patient" "The Nap" "The Yada Yada" "The Millennium" "The Muffin Tops" "The Summer of George"
Season 9	"The Butter Shave" "The Voice" "The Serenity Now" "The Blood" "The Junk Mail" "The Merv Griffin Show" "The Slicer" "The Betrayal" "The Apology" "The Strike" "The Dealership" "The Reverse Peephole" "The Cartoon" "The Strongbox" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode

The Handicap Spot

Contents

Plot

Production

References

External links