The problem is that car/ train/ bus are only an alternative inside the continental US, not for flights across the ocean. Most ships covering the transatlantic routes are cruise ships that are very very expensive, normal ship routes having died out with cheap air travel. So in many cases and for many people, there is no alternative to the TSA, or planes.
Nothing is going to change the fact that it is unbelievably difficult to get a quadriplegic in and out of an airplane. A small adult would be like handling (3) 40 lb bags of salt. It sucks for all concerned and there is no way of doing this gracefully.
As far as airline personnel goes, each person is different so it’s not going to be a function of smiley faces for every attendant who has to deal with what is a very difficult situation.
Then contact the authorities. There isn;t anything we can do on a message board.
There isn’t??? Really? Oh, on! Well thank you, Smart man! :rolleyes::rolleyes:
A whim??? A whim. And what, pray tell, other “whims” do you envision wheelchair users having when it comes to this issue? Please tell me. And keep in mind, my “whim” is simply the desire to take myself to and from the restroom on flights.
Which is why I’m not really seeing the oppressive humiliation the OP keeps complaining about.
What have you done in that area? Which officials from what businesses have you contacted? What have you done to further your cause?
I don’t think its second class citizenship but I can see how airplanes are more of an inconvenience for you than it is for most riders (its an inconvenience for all of us). But, boycotting air travel by the disabled isn’t going to make a lick of difference to the airlines. That is why they had to pass the ADA to begin with. If given a choice between losing business from the disabled and not having to double the size of bathrooms, a lot of businesses would probably just live without the business from the disabled.
When you say “I don’t feel I am demanding too much when I say I should be able to take myself to and from the restroom ON MY OWN” you are implying that you are making a reasonable request.
Perhaps you can invent the next big thing that will allow airlines to meet all their safety regulations while accomodating you but right now it seems like you have a complaint without a ready answer.
You do realize that noone is TRYING to humiliate you right? We recently had a pit thread where a guy got cricified for using a disabled parking space for loading and offloading even though there were plenty of other disabled parking spots available, just on the principle that someone might come along and want to park in those specific spots rather than any of the empty disabled parking spots that were available.
I don’t think anyone looks at you with any more pity or scorn for using the aisle chair than they would if you used a self propelled wheelchair.
You’re not the only one with rights, dude. I have the right to fly on a plane and not have your sorry ass land in my lap when there’s sudden turbulence. So you don’t like being buckled in the aisle chair. Boo fucking hoo. It’s for your own safety as well as the rest of us. So you don’t like getting pushed by an attendant. Cry me a fucking river. With the available aisle chair, that’s your only option other than wearing a diaper. Your needs are being met with reasonable accommodation, that’s all you’re entitled to. If you can think of better ways, then contact the aircraft manufacturers and they might put you on an advisory panel. All I’m seeing here is a bunch of petty whining.
I think you’re shocked because you never hear this sort of stuff in person. Who the heck tells a disabled person they have an overdeveloped sense of entitlement to their face. But in reality some disabled people do have an overdeveloped sense of entitlement. The fact that noone tells you this to your face sounds like something that would offend you rather than surprise you.
Everything from contacting the airlines themselves to the overall FAA and my local disability advocacy groups. And it is startling how little traction I have been able to muster. It doesn’t mean I am stopping, or giving up, it just means I must try other, more effective means. This here (on this board) was nothing more than my attempt to guage the public’s reaction to some of what I’m going through. I will be the first to admit I may have not done this in the best way, my emotions have broken through at times. But my intent here was nothing more than to get a slice of the typical person’s thoughts.
And how did the airlines respond?
There you go. Build a better mousetrap and see if there is a demand for it.
The courts, generally.
It has no effect on me whatsoever when someone tells me I’m “entitled”. I know it better than anyone on the face of the earth that the truth is the polar opposite. I feel it down in my bones. I feel it in every fiber of my body. I am not just fighting for myself, I have lots of handicap peers who are rallying me and supportive of my advocacy. I am not swayed in the least by anything anyone has said here in this thread. I hope people understand this. I wasnt’ coming here looking for answers. Go back and read my OP. It wasn’t framed as a question, it was an informative, revelatory post. Oh, and TRUST ME, I absolutely hear that sort of stuff in person…all the time
What about my suggestion earlier? A seat that could be used by ordinary passengers, but can also be unsecured and rolled down the aisle to assist wheelchair passengers loading and unloading (and going to the bathrooms). This doesn’t address the OPs need to propell himself but it would make the trip a hell of alot easier for other disabled passengers and the only hurdle I see is designing a way to secure the seat to the floor that satisfies the FAA.
Uhhhghh…Yuck
They told me there was nothing they could do but offer me a free flight. :smack:
You know, I think I somewhat understand the OP’s position. Clearly autonomy is important to him – despite his paralysis he lives alone, and he must invest a lot of time and effort in bodybuilding to make himself as physically able as he possibly can.
I find that admirable.
And that probably means that that autonomy and self-reliance and self-competence is very important to his sense of self. So suddenly having to submit to being strapped into immobility and pushed around by some else…yes, I can see he finds it humliating.
But… I really can’t see the airlines investing much time or money in changing the situation. It’s a number thing: people needing wheelchairs are a very small percent of their clientele. People who need wheelchairs AND who also have very strong upper bodies are (guessing) a small percent of all wheel chair users. People who use wheelchairs AND have upper body strength AND have ego issues tied into having their chairs pushed in this one, relatively short-termed situation…
A minority of a minority of a minority…what are we maybe talking about? Are there ten people in this subset in the entire country?
I simply don’t think the airlines will retool to fix a problem that rare, and I don’t think you’ll be able to get the government to pass laws to force them to help just a handful of people either.
Perhaps swapping some of that Gatorade for a beverage with more kick would help you endure the situation with less aggravation.
On behalf of all those who sincerely tried to help you with with your problem, thank you for wasting our time.