And the lame shall walk again.....a holiday miracle

[sinjin]

So we're flying back home from a little holiday birthday trip. I got the tickets awhile in advance so we got first pick on seats. Since Mr. Pict is pretty tall I was very happy that I got absolutely first pick and chose the front row bulkhead seats. Unfortunately this particular airline boards from the back so we were the last on and surprised to find someone else was in our seats.

A flight attendent explained that the "gentleman" in Mr. Pict's seat came on in a wheel chair which was too big to go down the aisle and he couldn't take the two steps to get to the second row seat to which he was assigned, And would we mind sitting in the second row so he and his wife could keep our seats. Not a problem, we had just had a most excellent vacation and were in a good mood, we even expressed a bit of sympathy for the poor guy. So Mr. Pict squished into the second row where he had to seat with his knees twisted to the right so as not to hit the seat in front of him. I'm short so not a real problem for me.

At this time I also noticed a not too much older than us woman (60ish) that I had seen earlier going thru the security line who also was wheelchair bound. She was so feeble that she couldn't walk thru the security gate and had to be hand inspected while seated in her wheel chair. We had one of those little "wow, I hope whatever her problem is I don't get it conversation snippets" which is why I remembered her. She was in the opposite bulkhead row.

So, three hours go by and it's time to get off the plane and the flight attendent goes up to the first row and explains to the wheelchair folks that after everyone else gets off wheelchair attendents will assist them to the baggage claim area. And then not one but two miracles occur. Suddenly the lame can walk. Just three hours past neither of these individuals could take even a couple of steps unassisted. But now with the prospect of being last off the plane they were both suddenly able to propel themselves off the plane, up the jetway, thru the terminal and down to the baggage claim area all without assistance. I think the flight attendant was ready to bitch slap them both since he had been extra concerned about their comfort throughout the flight.

The older woman did use a cane, but the "gentleman" who couldn't make it to the second row of seats was truely cured. He needed no cane, had no limp, and was able to singlehandedly pull his HUGE bags from the turnstyles. So I pit you fucktard fake handi-capped individuals.

[Squink]

He needed no cane, had no limp, and was able to singlehandedly pull his HUGE bags from the turnstyles. So I pit you fucktard fake handi-capped individuals. This faker has obviously caused you emotional pain and suffering. Perhaps you could contact the airline, obtain his name, and sue him for restitution? That seems a fair way to handle such jerks.

[Syntropy]

See, and after something like this happens, you feel like such a chump. But if you do something retaliatory, you end up turning into the person you always said you'd never be. :mad:

[sinjin]

Ummm, there was no retaliation. Well, except for the "stink eye" given to the seat stealing guy while he was standing around waiting for his luggage. Yep, he didn't even need to take a seat after hoofing it thru the terminal. A true miracle cure. Hmmmmm maybe it was the restorative powers of the 5 pretzels we had for a snack on the 3-hour flight.

Like I said, we were coming back from a great vacation, and in a very good mood. We did have a little laugh about the seat guy on our way home from the airport though. We're pretty sure he wasn't aware that the bulkhead seat armrests don't go up and the seats are a couple of inches smaller in width. He was a large guy (widthwise) and had that don-lop disease going on over the arm-rests (we really did feel sorry for the guy thru-out the flight :smack: ). I hope he has permanent seat arm tatoos on his butt. :wally

[C K Dexter Haven]

You should write a letter to airline, detail flight number/date, and seats, and how cramped your husband was. There's probably no immediate redress (although you never know, they may send you a free upgrade coupon or something), but they may also make a note in that guy's record so that he won't be able to pull the same stunt again. There may also be fines for improper use of handicapped facilities, I dunno how that might play out.

On a broader scope, I also urge a little patience and understanding, at least with the woman you describe. My mother is 93, she can get along with a cane, but it's slow going. It would take her an hour to walk from security to the airline gate, and she'd be exhausted by the end of it, so we use a wheelchair to get her onto the plane. OTOH, she can certainly walk the short distance down the aisle and out of the plane to get to the wheel chair at the bottom of the ramp. She wouldn't be able to make it to the luggage claim (well, OK, but it'd take an hour or so and she'd be exhausted to the point of collapse), but she could make it out of the plane and down the ramp.

We've had people giving us the nasty look for that. If they would watch a few more minutes, they'd see her collapse into the wheelchair at the bottom of the ramp, but people are fast to jump to judgement when they see someone in a handicap slot who doesn't appear (on quick glance) to need it. It happens to me with parking spaces, when I drop my mother off for a doctor's appointment and park in a handicapped space so that when we come out, she doesn't have far to walk. However, I get nasty looks when people see me parking in a handicap space.

So, while I hope that Justice will punish those who fake handicaps, I also urge that y'all not be fast to rush to judgement based on a fleeting impression.

[sinjin]

CK

I really don't have a greivance with people with disabilities and I have seen many people like your Mom walk off the plane and get into a wheel chair at the end of the ramp. I applaud those that do their best and having traveled with people who are permanently disabled I know what a hassle it is for them to go even the simplest places.

The reason I included the woman in the pit was because of her supposed inability to go thru the security gate without getting out of the wheel chair. This entails only walking a couple of feet, then back into the chair and wheel to the plane. This was the busiest air travel weekend ever and because she couldn't get out of her chair a woman agent had to be summoned to hand search her in the chair. Everyone in back of her was held up.

She was then wheeled to her seat on the plane. BUT when we arrived and she found out she had to wait for a wheel chair, she suddenly became able to walk, which she did all the way thru the terminal to baggage claim area.

She wouldn't have rated a pitting all on her own but when you add her to the seat stealer it was just too much.

[jlzania]

Anybody old enough to remember Eastern Airlines?
They used to run a shuttle from New York to Miami that the flight attendents called the 'Miracle' flight.
Just about everyone boarding in N.Y. needed a wheelchair to get on the plane.
However, upon landing, the same group could magically walk off rather than wait for a cart or chair at the gate.
It was a miracle!