# It's Part of Me **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656 "2011-06-24T02:22:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/41 "2011-06-24T15:45:42Z")
@Brown Eyed Girl, ah, gotcha. Yeah, his thought on the stalls is able-bodied folks should only use them if every other stall is in use, because they are stalls of necessity, not convenience. So saying, “Well, the stall was empty” isn’t a valid reason and therefore “the restaurant was empty” is not, either. I agree the parking thing is a legal issue, but most people who justify it do so by saying “but there were 20 spots and they were all empty”, which is actually closer to saying “but the restaurant was empty so my chair couldn’t have been much of a hindrance in case of fire” than it is the stall thing, since violation of fire code is more than just a matter of societal convenience. ---
**Author:** ![pakalolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pakalolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pakalolo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/42 "2011-06-24T15:46:11Z")
> [@](#): > > jamiemcgarry is asking the restaurant to let him leave the table when he pleases and not have to ask them for permission, which is the same thing an able bodied person would have. I can understand a person who isn’t in a wheelchair not knowing the etiquette of how to deal with a wheelchair, but their insistence on taking his chair was pretty bizarre and they were in the wrong. He does not have to “ask for permission” to leave the table, he has to ask for his wheelchair. Not the same thing. Their insistence on moving his wheelchair was not “bizarre”, they explained it was violating the fire code. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/43 "2011-06-24T15:51:46Z")
> [@pakalolo](#): > > He does not have to “ask for permission” to leave the table, he has to ask for his wheelchair. Not the same thing. It’s the same thing for him. What’s he supposed to do? Hurl himself onto the floor and flop himself where he needs to go? Have his date carry him? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/44 "2011-06-24T15:55:27Z")
> [@pakalolo](#): > > He does not have to “ask for permission” to leave the table, he has to ask for his wheelchair. Not the same thing. It’s exactly the same thing. He can’t leave the table without asking the servers to bring him the wheelchair. People who can walk don’t have to do that. > [@](#): > > Their insistence on moving his wheelchair was not “bizarre”, they explained it was violating the fire code. I’m very doubtful there was really a fire code issue, and if there was, they easily could have accomodated him somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/45 "2011-06-24T15:57:41Z")
> [@pakalolo](#): > > He does not have to “ask for permission” to leave the table, he has to ask for his wheelchair. Not the same thing. > > Their insistence on moving his wheelchair was not “bizarre”, they explained it was violating the fire code. OK Pakalolo - Due to our new “Terrorist Diner Code” we have some new rules for our diners to follow. If you’ll have a seat, I’m going to padlock you to your chair, and leave the key with the hostess. You have to find her, flag her down, and get her to bring you the key if you need anything over the course of your dinner. She’s busy, so it might take a few minutes to get to you, but I’m sure you’ll be fine. And now, our specials for tonight are… Due to your posts so far, I am under the impression that you are going to be perfectly fine with dining here regularly? ---
**Author:** ![pakalolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pakalolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pakalolo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/46 "2011-06-24T15:59:39Z")
> [@](#): > > What’s he supposed to do? Hurl himself onto the floor and flop himself where he needs to go? Have his date carry him? No, he just needs to ask for his wheelchair, whats so hard about that? Its not the restaurants problem that he feels like asking for his wheelchair is like asking for permission to go to the bathroom. No one is asking him to “hurl” and “flop”, or have his date carry him. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/47 "2011-06-24T16:01:37Z")
> [@pakalolo](#): > > No, he just needs to ask for his wheelchair, whats so hard about that? Its not the restaurants problem that he feels like asking for his wheelchair is like asking for permission to go to the bathroom. No one is asking him to “hurl” and “flop”, or have his date carry him. There is nothing hard about it, but he shouldn’t have to ask for permission to move from the table. And what if he is sick or something and needs the bathroom right away and he can’t get the waiter’s attention to bring over his chair? ---
**Author:** ![pakalolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pakalolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pakalolo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/48 "2011-06-24T16:05:45Z")
> [@](#): > > OK Pakalolo - Due to our new “Terrorist Diner Code” we have some new rules for our diners to follow. If you’ll have a seat, I’m going to padlock you to your chair, and leave the key with the hostess. > > You have to find her, flag her down, and get her to bring you the key if you need anything over the course of your dinner. She’s busy, so it might take a few minutes to get to you, but I’m sure you’ll be fine. > > And now, our specials for tonight are… > Due to your posts so far, I am under the impression that you are going to be perfectly fine with dining here regularly? What? That’s just being ridiculous. There is no need to be padlocked to a chair in a restaurant. However, there is a need to keep large obstructions out of the way in the aisles of a restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/49 "2011-06-24T16:06:11Z")
> [@](#): > > what if he is sick or something and needs the bathroom right away and he can’t get the waiter’s attention to bring over his chair? Then he can ask his able-bodied date to walk over to the bar and get his chair from the bartender. I don’t think they necessarily should have taken his chair, but let’s not pretend that they hid it and he has no access to it and this is a dire threat to him. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/50 "2011-06-24T16:07:21Z")
A folded up wheelchair isn’t large, and it shouldn’t be hard to seat him someplace where his chair does not block the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/51 "2011-06-24T16:08:29Z")
> [@pakalolo](#): > > What? That’s just being ridiculous. There is no need to be padlocked to a chair in a restaurant. However, there is a need to keep large obstructions out of the way in the aisles of a restaurant. I did notice how you didn’t actually answer the question, and simply responded by calling the restriction ridiculous. Which, I note, is pretty much the position taken by the OP about the initial circumstance. See? Isn’t that wonderful? Everyone here agrees that the restaurant was in the wrong to require a patron to request help from an outside source before leaving his table. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/52 "2011-06-24T16:09:42Z")
> [@](#): > > A folded up wheelchair isn’t large, and it shouldn’t be hard to seat him someplace where his chair does not block the aisle. I don’t disagree. He probably should have asked to be moved to such a seat, instead of simply refusing to give up his chair. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/53 "2011-06-24T16:11:56Z")
I gotta say, if I were 100% dependent on a wheelchair or crutches or some other mode of conveyance to get around I would want it right where I could get at it at all times. However, I would be more open to working with the staff to make that happen than the OP was. Couldn’t you have asked if there was somewhere else you could sit that was not against the fire code? ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/54 "2011-06-24T16:13:04Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Then he can ask his able-bodied date to walk over to the bar and get his chair from the bartender. > > I don’t think they necessarily should have taken his chair, but let’s not pretend that they hid it and he has no access to it and this is a dire threat to him. Yeah, that would be a nice conversation with your date. “Honey, please get my chair NOW, I’m about to have explosive diarrhea.” Give me a break. There is no reason why his chair couldn’t be placed near him, or they could have moved to a different table where his chair would not be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![pakalolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pakalolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pakalolo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/55 "2011-06-24T16:14:42Z")
> [@](#): > > There is nothing hard about it, but he shouldn’t have to ask for permission to move from the table. And what if he is sick or something and needs the bathroom right away and he can’t get the waiter’s attention to bring over his chair? Again, he does not have to ask “permission” to move, he merely needs to ask for the wheelchair. They are not hiding his wheelchair from him or locking in away, if he really needed it and didn’t see the waiter, his date could have gotten it for him. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/56 "2011-06-24T16:16:47Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > I don’t disagree. He probably should have asked to be moved to such a seat, instead of simply refusing to give up his chair. Yeah, I think that’s the general trend I’m getting with the OP’s threads. People may be in the wrong but he doesn’t make it any easier on them, but rather, seems to escalate the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/57 "2011-06-24T16:16:55Z")
> [@pakalolo](#): > > Again, he does not have to ask “permission” to move, he merely needs to ask for the wheelchair. They are not hiding his wheelchair from him or locking in away, if he really needed it and didn’t see the waiter, his date could have gotten it for him. Are you dense? SAME THING. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/58 "2011-06-24T16:17:30Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Yeah, that would be a nice conversation with your date. “Honey, please get my chair NOW, I’m about to have explosive diarrhea.” It’s the potential _conversation_ that worries you about the sudden explosive diarrhea scenario? ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/59 "2011-06-24T16:19:08Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > It’s the potential _conversation_ that worries you about the sudden explosive diarrhea scenario? Well partly. I just think someone in a wheelchair should be able to have their only mode of movement available at all times. That doesn’t seem to too much to ask. I do have to say, based on this guy’s others posts, there is a high chance he antagonized the staff immediately and they set out to make life difficult for him. If that’s the case, I fully support hiding his wheelchair in a back closet somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![pakalolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pakalolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pakalolo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656/60 "2011-06-24T16:20:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Yeah, that would be a nice conversation with your date. “Honey, please get my chair NOW, I’m about to have explosive diarrhea.” “Will you please get my chair” would suffice…no need to get into details. > [@](#): > > I did notice how you didn’t actually answer the question, and simply responded by calling the restriction ridiculous. That was my answer, your scenario is ridiculous. Keeping the aisles free of large unnecessary obstructions, per fire code, is not ridiculous. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-part-of-me/586656.md?page=4)