# The Problem with Planes **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 21, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244 "2011-06-21T03:37:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/101 "2011-06-21T20:14:29Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Let’s all remember this is the same **jamiemcgarry** who thinks that, because he’s disabled, it’s a violation of basic human equality to make him wait for a bathroom stall at all. > > From [Handicapped: Ok or No Way? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=475562) > > There’s no point in arguing with someone with this attitude. He wants a good 30% of the floor space in every multi-user bathroom in the world to go unused, solely so that if he happens to stop by any given bathroom he doesn’t have to wait for an able-bodied person to finish using the handicapped stall. So much for not wanting special treatment. You are something else. THe issue of handicap stalls is CLEAR and OBVIOUS. Of course, if every stall is being used, EVERYONE has the right to use the handicap stall. But ONLY then. The stall is NOT one of convenience. For ANYONE. It is a stall of NECESSITY. All I ask is that someone with the ability to use a non-accessible stall to PLEASE use that stall when available. The accessible stalls are the ONLY option for those of us who depend on the availability of those stalls to use the restroom in public buildings. How can ANYONE argue with this??? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/102 "2011-06-21T20:15:31Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > And if I were REALLY putting myself ahead of the safety of the rest of the passengers, do you think the airline would allow me to do what I do? I doubt it. There’s a very strong possibility that they would be afraid to say anything, for fear of the perception of discriminating against the disabled. And, considering your attitude here, I would imagine they’d have a handful if they did indeed say anything. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/103 "2011-06-21T20:17:48Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > It is clear that I have failed in communicating the clear wrongs that exist on airplane flights regarding handicap accessibility. I have tried to make my case but it is falling on deaf ears. Many ppl seem to think I am being “unreasonable” in wanting what I want or that I am demanding things be “perfect” for me. This is so out-of-line it’s humorous. I guess the only REAL way to ever understand certain things is to live through them yourself. I am not just “complaining” here on this discussion board. Advocacy for the rights of the disabled is one of the most important things IN MY LIFE. By no means is it limited to issues surrounding flights. I am just talking about it here, too, so that THAT many more people will begin engaging in the discussion as well. I am a 31 yr old man who has been paralyzed for the past 11yrs. I live alone. I am a competitive bodybuilder. I am NOT an invalid. No one said you are an invalid. You seem to have this impression that it not being practical for you to self-propel yourself down a very narrow aisle on an airplane implies that; it doesn’t. Considering all the other things that they have to do to make it possible, including getting the chair and ensuring both your safety AND the safety of the other passengers, yes, you absolutely are being unreasonable. That people aren’t agreeing with you doesn’t mean your argument is falling on deaf ears; in this case, it just means that you’re not doing a good job supporting your argument. > [@](#): > > Usually, when I fly, it is for a bodybuilding competition. Part of a bb-competition pre-contest diet included super-hydration with water. This means drinking 2-2.5 gallons of water per day. When you are drinking this much water, it doesn’t matter if you empty your bladder RIGHT BEFORE the flight or not. You WILL need to use the plane’s bathroom. How close to your competitions do you travel? Yes, you need to super-hydrate about a week out, you should be super-dehyrdating the days leading up to it. In most cases, body builders have almost zero liquid intake for at least one day prior to the event. If you’re currently traveling during your super-hydration prep phase, maybe you could consider adjusting your travel to be either sooner or later. > [@](#): > > And I have full sensation in my body as well and the idea of even temporarily using a catheter (sticking a tube down my urethra into my bladder to drain it) makes me CRINGE. My recommendation was not ACTUALLY cathing yourself, I was simply too lazy to find a link, but I specifically referenced that it was for sports spectators. I was referencing an external catheter, like this one: [http://www.stadiumpal.com/what-makes-it-work.htm](http://www.stadiumpal.com/what-makes-it-work.htm) . Uncomfortable, sure, but not painful. > [@](#): > > Im not asking for “special treatment” or extra stuff on a flight. I am asking for a similar flight experience of that of my able-bodied peers (who didn’t pay any more money for their ticket than I did). Im sorry for all the misunderstanding that this thread has caused. You simply can’t get the same experience and expecting it is not only naive but it’s unreasonable. By that argument, someone who is morbidly obese and simply doesn’t fit into a regular seat should expect to not have to pay more for the same experience. Hell, what if someone is so obese they can’t even fit into the bathroom? They should make reasonable accomodations, and so far your issues seem to be not being able to self-propel, and the humiliation of being strapped in. As others said, the former is not really feasible, since space limits you pushing the wheels yourself, and a large battery is unsafe. And the latter is not reasonable because you not being strapped in is unsafe for you AND every other passenger. And moreso, what about the handicapped individuals who aren’t fully independent, like a paralyzed old lady who can’t propel her own wheelchair under normal circumstances. You’d now either need to have two chairs, which wastes a lot of space, or have one that can work for both situations, which only complicates an already complicated problem. I just don’t see a reasonable solution. I have no idea how one would solve those problems, do you? Otherwise, saying it’s unreasonable and expecting engineers to solve the problem is like asking where our flying cars and hoverboards are. You really should consider one of the possible ways of mitigating the circumstances that I and others have mentioned in this thread. Frankly, I think you’re being unreasonably thin-skinned here because, as unfortunate as your circumstances may be, your disability inherently involves some manner of “public spectacle”. People see you get in and out of your car or various other activities that are trivial for normal people but stick out when someone who is disabled does them. Sure, maybe it feels a little more invasive since you have to sit next to these people for a few hours rather than them just walking by in the super market, but simply put, it’s an unfortunate side-effect of your condition, and you don’t have a right to not be humiliated. Everyone should do what they can to minimize it, else they be assholes, but expecting them to effect a change in how you feel about your condition is utterly ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/104 "2011-06-21T20:18:02Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Would you have a problem undergoing this process yourself? I think getting assistance to go to the bathroom is infinitely a better option than dragging myself down the aisle to the bathroom. I mean, it doesn’t even take a microsecond of thought. I’ve said twice already that I think airlines can do a marginally better job of accommodating handicapped passengers. But you haven’t proposed anything along the lines of a reasonable solution. There’s not enough room for someone to operate a wheelchair in the typical fashion, by pushing the wheels along. Motorized wheelchairs are a non-starter. Allowing disabled passengers to drag themselves along the floor is a non-starter. With those in mind, what is it that you want airlines to do?? Be specific – none of the “respect my dignity” platitudes. Tell me how airlines are supposed to fix this problem in a realistic way. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/105 "2011-06-21T20:19:28Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Would you have a problem undergoing this process yourself? I wouldn’t enjoy it, but I’d accept it. > [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > And AGAIN, most wheelchair users DONT EVEN USE THE RESTROOM on flights! Irrelevant. On longer flight, I’m sure many have no choice. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/106 "2011-06-21T20:21:55Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Would you have a problem undergoing this process yourself? And AGAIN, most wheelchair users DONT EVEN USE THE RESTROOM on flights! That makes this even more ridiculous! You admit you’re not complaining about something that affects most wheelchair users, but is actually fairly specific to you! You’re the one that saturates yourself with water before the flight, and who objects to being pushed down the aisle, and who refuses to use any of the other options that would avoid use of the restroom in-flight! Being disabled does not give you the right to have things just the way you want. Even if you insist on super-hydrating, you have plenty of options to choose from to solve this problem. You don’t even need a catheter, there are a number of products that will just attach externally, like a condom. Pilots and race-car drivers use them, among others. There are also absorbent materials, diapers, etc. The airline has made it possible for you to use the restroom while flying. You are unhappy with the fact that you can’t push the aisle chair yourself, even though you admit that most wheelchair users don’t even use the restroom, and most of those who do probably don’t care. Yet you still expect that all airlines modify their procedures and purchase new equipment to make you happy. You seem to think that being disabled gives you the right to demand that everyone else do whatever it takes to make you happy and minimize your distress. It doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/107 "2011-06-21T20:21:58Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > There’s a very strong possibility that they would be afraid to say anything, for fear of the perception of discriminating against the disabled. > > And, considering your attitude here, I would imagine they’d have a handful if they did indeed say anything. LOL, trust me, they aren’t afraid of saying ANYTHING! I can’t even wheel myself up the connecting tunnel onto the plane because the airlines have a protocol they must follow and I have to be pushed by an employee. When I laughingly say “Oh, it’s cool, I can handle this”, they (almost comically) tell me “Sir! We MUST escort you to the plane!” lol ---
**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/108 "2011-06-21T20:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=jamiemcgarry] Would you have a problem undergoing this process yourself? And AGAIN, most wheelchair users DONT EVEN USE THE RESTROOM on flights! [/quote] You keep mentioning this, but really it hurts your argument. You’re arguing that a subset of people are mistreated on flights because they potentially are forced to use a conveyance that works, but not to your liking. However, of that subset, only a small number actually need to use said conveyance. So, the odds of needing to use it in the first place are exceedingly small and it works. The expense of coming up with a replacement, which may not even be possible given current planes and abilities, simply does not justify appeasing a group you yourself admit is tiny. And before you come back with yet another variation of “look at it from my perspective”, I have. I have family members confined to wheel chairs or who must walk with crutches due to injury or birth defect. However, they, from growing up in society and realizing they cannot always have their way at the expense of others, realize they must sometimes rely on the aid of others in situations where able-bodied people would not have to do so. Is this fair? Maybe not. Is it the way the universe works? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/109 "2011-06-21T20:30:55Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > That makes this even more ridiculous! You admit you’re not complaining about something that affects most wheelchair users, but is actually fairly specific to you! You’re the one that saturates yourself with water before the flight, and who objects to being pushed down the aisle, and who refuses to use any of the other options that would avoid use of the restroom in-flight! > > Being disabled does not give you the right to have things just the way you want. Even if you insist on super-hydrating, you have plenty of options to choose from to solve this problem. You don’t even need a catheter, there are a number of products that will just attach externally, like a condom. Pilots and race-car drivers use them, among others. There are also absorbent materials, diapers, etc. > > The airline has made it possible for you to use the restroom while flying. You are unhappy with the fact that you can’t push the aisle chair yourself, even though you admit that most wheelchair users don’t even use the restroom, and most of those who do probably don’t care. Yet you still expect that all airlines modify their procedures and purchase new equipment to make you happy. > > You seem to think that being disabled gives you the right to demand that everyone else do whatever it takes to make you happy and minimize your distress. It doesn’t. :smack::smack::smack:Ok, this is the last such post of this nature I will respond to, its just hard not to reply to them all. ALL I WANT IS WHAT EVERYONE ELSE TAKES FOR GRANTED. My demands are NOT outlandish or unreasonable. And Im NOT saying that it is JUST ME that this would apply to. Early on in the tread I explained that I simply fall into a much smaller sub-set of wheelchair users. The fact that you (and just about everyone here) sees my grievance as “ridiculous” makes it clear that I should not say anything more here. Yes, I can get “heated” at times but that shouldn’t take away from what’s at the heart of the issue here: disabled passengers are forced to be treated as invalids, second-class citizens. I would love to see each and every one of you “naysayers” to have to be subjected to what I must endure. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/110 "2011-06-21T20:32:42Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > You are something else. THe issue of handicap stalls is CLEAR and OBVIOUS. Of course, if every stall is being used, EVERYONE has the right to use the handicap stall. But ONLY then. The stall is NOT one of convenience. For ANYONE. It is a stall of NECESSITY. All I ask is that someone with the ability to use a non-accessible stall to PLEASE use that stall when available. The accessible stalls are the ONLY option for those of us who depend on the availability of those stalls to use the restroom in public buildings. How can ANYONE argue with this??? The handicap stall is convenient for many people, while not strictly necessary (fat people, people with arthritis, people with lots of luggage, etc.). You’re asking that these people inconvenience themselves by using a smaller stall so that, if you happen to enter the bathroom while they are using it, you do not have to wait for them to finish. That’s unreasonable, and you’re demanding special treatment (that people do whatever they can to minimize how long you have to wait). Hell, a few years ago I broke my ankle pretty badly. It was possible for me to use regular stalls, but awkward and painful. So I used the handicap stall when it was available. It wasn’t necessary for me, merely convenient. You really think that, because it wasn’t _necessary_, I should’ve used a normal stall so that, on the off chance that a disabled person rolled in, they would not have to wait? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/111 "2011-06-21T20:35:06Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > No one said you are an invalid. I did, based on definitions I posted on the previous page. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/112 "2011-06-21T20:35:08Z")
> [@markm](#): > > You keep mentioning this, but really it hurts your argument. You’re arguing that a subset of people are mistreated on flights because they potentially are forced to use a conveyance that works, but not to your liking. However, of that subset, only a small number actually need to use said conveyance. > So, the odds of needing to use it in the first place are exceedingly small and it works. The expense of coming up with a replacement, which may not even be possible given current planes and abilities, simply does not justify appeasing a group you yourself admit is tiny. > And before you come back with yet another variation of “look at it from my perspective”, I have. I have family members confined to wheel chairs or who must walk with crutches due to injury or birth defect. However, they, from growing up in society and realizing they cannot always have their way at the expense of others, realize they must sometimes rely on the aid of others in situations where able-bodied people would not have to do so. Is this fair? Maybe not. Is it the way the universe works? Yes. Hey, that’s just the truth of the matter. It may “weaken my argument” but it is the reality in which I live. And there is a huge difference btwn “sometimes relying on the aid of others” and being forced to undergo humiliating treatment. I would not be able to make it through ONE DAY without relying on the aid of others. When I need help, help that I need as a result of my disability, I am the FIRST person voicing that need. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/113 "2011-06-21T20:36:47Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > You are something else. THe issue of handicap stalls is CLEAR and OBVIOUS. Of course, if every stall is being used, EVERYONE has the right to use the handicap stall. But ONLY then. The stall is NOT one of convenience. For ANYONE. It is a stall of NECESSITY. All I ask is that someone with the ability to use a non-accessible stall to PLEASE use that stall when available. The accessible stalls are the ONLY option for those of us who depend on the availability of those stalls to use the restroom in public buildings. How can ANYONE argue with this??? Okay, you’re definitely going overboard here. I don’t think you really understand what the term “right” means, as you’re using it much loose than it should be, like refering to a “right” to be autonomous, or here, with a right to use the stall. Unlike parking spaces, there are no rights associated with stalls. If someone sees you in the bathroom and takes the handicapped stall, they’re an asshole, but they’re not violating anyone’s rights. But also unlike parking spaces, if someone is in one and there’s other ones open, you can always politely ask them to hurry up or finish in another stall. Since few people actually ever use stalls for pooping anyway, chances are you wouldn’t have to wait more than a minute or so anyway. With all those caps, you’re obviously getting way to worked up about all of this. Yes, I know it directly affects your every day life, but expecting people to not use the handicapped stall, assuming they’re willing to vacate it if someone who needs it comes along, is silly. What if someone is not handicapped, but very fat, very muscular, claustrophobic or just feels more comfortable with a little more space? Can you really blame someone for using it with the space convenience, especially when in a vulnerable state like that, where the worst inconvenience to a handicapped person is maybe 15s, especially when the probability of a handicapped person needing it for the few minutes they’re in there is quite remote? Either way, even if you eliminate all the people who don’t NEED it, just like with assholes parking in handicapped spots, you’ll run into them in bathrooms or anywhere else where accessibility is an issue. Getting that upset about it just isn’t worth it, since it won’t get rid of them. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/114 "2011-06-21T20:39:14Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > :smack::smack::smack:Ok, this is the last such post of this nature I will respond to, its just hard not to reply to them all. ALL I WANT IS WHAT EVERYONE ELSE TAKES FOR GRANTED. Well, I’m sorry. I truly am, and I wish I could help you. I know how frustrating it must be. But no one is going to be able to give you that, and you’re wasting your effort if you expect them to. If you want what everyone else takes for granted, put your energy into lobbying for stem-cell research. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/115 "2011-06-21T20:41:14Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > The handicap stall is convenient for many people, while not strictly necessary (fat people, people with arthritis, people with lots of luggage, etc.). You’re asking that these people inconvenience themselves by using a smaller stall so that, if you happen to enter the bathroom while they are using it, you do not have to wait for them to finish. That’s unreasonable, and you’re demanding special treatment (that people do whatever they can to minimize how long you have to wait). > > Hell, a few years ago I broke my ankle pretty badly. It was possible for me to use regular stalls, but awkward and painful. So I used the handicap stall when it was available. It wasn’t necessary for me, merely convenient. You really think that, because it wasn’t _necessary_, I should’ve used a normal stall so that, on the off chance that a disabled person rolled in, they would not have to wait? YES! Because that is waiting that is totally ridiculous. IDK how many times I have entered a restroom, with every urinal and non-accessible toilet stall empty, with MY only option (the handicap stall) occupied by a guy who could use any and every available option in the bathroom. So I must sit there waiting, staring at perfectly usable, yet EMPTY toilets. It would SURE be nice if I could, even INCONVENIENTLY, use those regular stalls in these instances. But I can’t. The handicap stall is necessarily the only one I can use. EVEr. So please, if you can use it, even if it inconveniences you a tad for a minute, please do so. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/116 "2011-06-21T20:41:37Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Hey, that’s just the truth of the matter. It may “weaken my argument” but it is the reality in which I live. And there is a huge difference btwn “sometimes relying on the aid of others” and being forced to undergo humiliating treatment. . Again, what is the humiliating treatment? Do the flight attendants treat you in an unprofessional or disrespectful manner? Do they fail to take care with you? Do they not get you to the bathroom expeditiously? This humiliation is purely in your head (seriously, no one cares) and I hope the next time you fling yourself on the floor in a snit like a little baby, you’re arrested for disobeying flight crew instructions. I would rather than happen, than you get pulped during turbulence and emotionally scar a planeful of passengers who were busy not caring if not you are or aren’t pushed in a wheelcair device. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/117 "2011-06-21T20:43:03Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > ALL I WANT IS WHAT EVERYONE ELSE TAKES FOR GRANTED. My demands are NOT outlandish or unreasonable. Frankly, your demands seem to be in the nature of requiring the airlines to accommodate your sense of self-worth as well as your disability. I think most of us are saying that it is unreasonable to expect the airlines to be held responsible for never hurting someone’s feelings by doing things like helping them get to the bathroom. > [@](#): > > The fact that you (and just about everyone here) sees my grievance as “ridiculous” makes it clear that I should not say anything more here. I don’t think anyone is telling you to be quiet. I think we’re saying that you aren’t going to convince us that you’re right by repeating that you just want to be treated like everyone else; that being pushed to the bathroom is highly insulting to you; and that something must be done. Again, knowing that it is not feasible to have a self-propelled wheelchair operate in the limited confines of the aisle, what specifically do you want airlines to do to solve this problem? ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/118 "2011-06-21T20:43:06Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > So please, if you can use it, even if it inconveniences you a tad for a minute, please do so. So you want me to inconvenience myself so that you are not inconvenienced. Got it. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/119 "2011-06-21T20:43:42Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Perhaps there is a way of making the aisle chairs independently mobile other than fitting them with large outer wheels that are pushed by the user? Possibly some sort of hand crank mechanism? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244/120 "2011-06-21T20:43:48Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > ALL I WANT IS WHAT EVERYONE ELSE TAKES FOR GRANTED. You know what we take for granted? _Walking_. Sorry to be so blunt, but that’s the source of your problem, not the airlines. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-planes/586244.md?page=7)