Comments on: Weirdness at the airport

By: Lucien

Lucien — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:36:59 +0000

I’m back! I think that this maybe should go into another topic, but, being a teen, and a 10(11th) grader, I would definitely say that most people my age are just awkward around just about everybody.

You see, even though my friends (all but 3) know nothing about devotees or pretenders or wanabees (I call it that out of habit, if it offends anyone), I can tell that they do act a bit weirder than normal when around someone with a disability. It gets even better if they have something to sit on (wheelchair) or use (crutches) or toy with (etc.)(see a pattern?).

The only reason I notice this (and I have come reeaallyy close to outing myself because of this) is because I know about it. They are just being interested.

On to the other topic floating around in this post, people in wheelchairs definitely get tons more attention than ‘other things.’

By: Ceri

Ceri — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:26:05 +0000

Ronald is right. When I use my wheelchair I receive far more attention. I’m also offered far more help. Perhaps Ilook more vulnerable in the chair.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:28:17 +0000

A small list to help with these acronyms can be found here: http://biid-info.org/Category:Acronyms

By: Brice

Brice — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:51:02 +0000

Not so much British as codespeak, it’s shorthand for an above-knee amputation. Usually specified as lak, rak or dak for left, right or double.

By: Art5080

Art5080 — Thu, 29 May 2008 05:39:46 +0000

Since I’m not conversant with code-speak or many
UK (United Kingdom) expressions, what is an ‘ak’
lady ?

/Art

By: Ronald

Ronald — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:06:10 +0000

The wheelchair users definately have a point here, which is a wheelchair attracts more attention. I was in a buffet restaurant, an ak lady came in with her party, not really atracting much reaction or attention from others in the restaurant, nor did the staff seem to be rushing over to offer help. Aside from her friends taking turns fixing a plate for her, there was nothing unusual about how she carried herself. Just blended in with the crowd.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 26 May 2008 06:19:56 +0000

If Gordo wants to write, we’re open to more writers ;) Gordo, contact me directly if you’re interested

By: Brice

Brice — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:17:03 +0000

Why not start the book here?

By: Ronald

Ronald — Fri, 23 May 2008 02:51:20 +0000

Almost forgot, I definately was fitted for forearm crutches by a lady dev. Guess she had a dream job!!

By: Ronald

Ronald — Fri, 23 May 2008 02:45:25 +0000

When I was out in public, there was attention, but judging by the facial expressions, there were obviously some who were devs, others just curious. It was actually fun, watching some give me the once over to see what my disability might be. The majority of onlookers were women, middle aged, at the time I was in my early 30′s. Not much attention from children or teens.

By: art5080

art5080 — Thu, 22 May 2008 21:00:56 +0000

Sure!

As a dev, I’m game!

No matter what your reason to wheel or crutch or brace or whatever, always interested to know
what it is like for you and what you experience.

/Art

By: Claire

Claire — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:17:32 +0000

I’ve also had encounters with people who *may* be devs, but I’m never really sure. Perhaps it’s just an interest in unusual people in general, perhaps they have a family member who is disabled so they feel a connection with you, perhaps they just like your eyes or your smile. Who knows? There can’t be *that* many devs around.

As an aside, I think it’s hilarious that these “what it’s like wheeling” posts get so many comments! Do you guys want more of that?

By: Ronald

Ronald — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:46:17 +0000

Wheelman; Relating to my very limited public experiences, that was one of the first conclusions that I drew; there are alot of devs out there.

By: aleser

aleser — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:19:12 +0000

It’s an experience I can well relate to. My most recent trip to the airport (in this month)involved, not particularly in order, having the ticketing agent repeatedly ask me if I really was flying by myself, being asked by him twice if I could manage to -walk 10 feet, turn left, and walk straight into the TSA checkpoint-, having three different TSA officers require assurance that I’m capable of walking up an escalator before they would direct me to my gate, having the brilliant flight attendant suggest that I just -let- her take my cane away (because I’m a good person!) having a different flight attendant insist on calling one of those driven carts for me instead of giving me directions (I refused to sit and got my directions, eventually) during my connection, not to mention having SEVEN different ‘good samaritans’ come and see that I really was okay and not lost while waiting for my car. And I got to do 90% of this with my hearing aids, because people have little fits if I take out my pacmate at airports where they’re in a hurry and I expect them to slow down enough to type.

In general, airports make me lose faith in the world. If it is such a marvel that a deafblind person, or indeed, just a person in a wheelchair, can manage a task so mind-numbingly simple as flying… ah, well.

There was one highlight of my trip. I sat down next to nobody in particular and asked her if she could tell me when they announced my group for boarding. She, realizing that -I- hadn’t any way of knowing, informed me that she had macular degeneration and would be no more helpful at reading my seat number printed on the ticket than I would be. Between the two of us, we figured it out, and the amusing incident served to inform me that for just that flight, I would not be the only blatantly disabled person flying.

By: Ceri

Ceri — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:57:32 +0000

Just be thankful that people offer to help. When you’re struggling up a ramp and people walk past you (and it’s certainly happened to me), that’s the time to worry. Of course there are any number of boneheads about but you get used to them and their silly comments. If someone told me that they loved my wheels it would make my day. The one thing I do notice is that when I walk on my prosthetics with a stick for aid I certainly don’t get treated as well as I do when I use my chair. People are more sympathetic to wheelers.

By: Wheelman

Wheelman — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:06:01 +0000

Maybe this shows only slightly just have many shy, unknowing, unfound, repressed devotees there are out there who find wheelchairs attractive and their users and want to help and be friends, but are too afraid about their feelings to express them because they don’t understand them becase they havn’t realized that there not alone?

-Wheelman

By: Dante

Dante — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:33:29 +0000

Jen, that would be a great advertisement!

…the airline industry wasn’t and still isn’t an industry that is prepared to give the same kind of service to physically disabled customers that they do to the more ‘mundane’ customer…statistically, the former demographic just doesn’t frequent themselves as customers. Someone I know says security can be an extra hassle when it comes to security and a chair – I’ve heard stories where chairs have been dissassembled due to ‘suspicion’ that the chair may contain ‘illicit’ substances.

By: Ronald

Ronald — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:32:58 +0000

Most AB people simply do not know what to do, when to help or when to bug off. I suspect some expect to be publicly berated if they do something wrong, or do not do the right thing. The consdescending remarks are wrong though.

By: akibare

akibare — Sat, 17 May 2008 21:25:33 +0000

Just a random lurker here, but – it’s pretty common when I fly to see the chair riders let onto the plane first. I think it’s because that way they can reach their seats before the rest of the 13481096 passengers clog up the aisle with their luggage.

Walking, you can squeeze by some guy standing and lifting his luggage into a compartment, but with the aisles these days, it’d be hard to get a chair by there I think.

I have no idea what the story is with security, though.

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:53:24 +0000

Can you imagine a commercial where people with various disabilities go up to ABs and say, “Wow, you really did well ordering that coffee all by yourself!” or “You mean you drove here? Alone?” etc. etc. All, of course, capped with “You’re such an inspiration / so brave / so independent!”

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:59:10 +0000

“You people”???!!

By: Sophie

Sophie — Sat, 17 May 2008 07:37:30 +0000

I don’t know much about airports, never really had the chance to fly, but I’m guessing there is some practicality involved in getting you through first. Does it take a little longer for you to go through security? Doesn’t the plane prefer wheelchair users to board first to make it easier? Please tell me if I’m completely wrong of course :)

By: Sean

Sean — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:34:36 +0000

All that in the space of a day! Yikes. Sometimes, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at people’s reactions. Oh hummm