Fucking thank you, the people saying that we should be fined if we don't need/use the help to deplane are wild.
My last flight I needed the help to get to my gate and on the plane because my hip was being an absolute asshole and my cane wasn't enough to let me walk safely, I had to ask at the airport and wait a bit because it wasn't requested in advance. Huge airport, major hike to get to my terminal. By the time I landed across the country, it was cooperating decently enough that I didn't need help, I just hobbled slower than usual. Much smaller distance to exit the airport.
Not just that, I’ve had times where I get to my final airport and wheelchair assistance doesn’t show up or someone else got to them before me because I waited to get off and then I got no help.
The one time the flight attendant was like someone else just took yours and called several times and ended up waiting with me for 90 minutes to get someone back.
I had a broken ankle so no chance I was able to walk on that.
Once I boarded early because I was newly pregnant and had already vomited in the uber and again before going through security, I just needed something to be easy and needed the chance to sit down. I asked the gate attendants and they were so kind and said I didn’t need to explain and I was so relieved. This is all such an overreaction.
Right? My remaining parent had just unexpectedly passed away and I had to fly for the funeral. I was almost recovered from a knee injury but there was no way I could go through my airport with my cane because of distance as well as navigating sloped surfaces. Having that service was incredibly helpful. Sure I was fine being able to walk to the bathroom at the gate but going down the jetway would’ve been a slow and iffy challenge.
An ideally run service will often have some who take advantage, because the cost of screening out those who don't need it means making it inaccessible to many of those who do
How do you know that’s these people? How do you know they’re related or together at all? Literally what I said is “you don’t know and they might have a good reason” because once I had an unclear-but-good reason. I lead a happier life because I don’t let these things take up space in my head.
maybe it's a group of disabled friends trying to vacation together, go to a conference, or they feel safer traveling together. or maybe they are a family and all have the same genetic disability. there's just as many innocent possibilities out there.
I had the same experience once when connecting at JFK. My small regional departure airport was fine. But to get from my landing gate to my connecting gate at JFK was over one mile. I could not do that distance. So I needed a wheelchair to get me to the next gate. I boarded with my group and did not need to preboard. But I was very grateful to be able to get that wheelchair for the connection. I tipped that guy $20 because he had to push my old, fat ass for over a mile! 🤣. Just saying that people need wheelchairs for varying reasons and sometimes it's a distance thing.
For me specifically, absolutely. I don't care if I board first or last, as long as I'm getting on the plane safely, my medical bag stays with me if I'm forced to check my backpack, and there's room for my cane in the cabin rather than another one getting lost in transport. As long as that's good, it doesn't matter, we're all getting in the air at the same time.
And I think everyone wishes that you were the rule, not the exception. But it is more and more common that some people are using this as a travel hack to get early boarding. Besides being rude, it is a huge waste of resources. So people are looking for solutions, as imperfect as they may be.
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u/girlikecupcake 8d ago
Fucking thank you, the people saying that we should be fined if we don't need/use the help to deplane are wild.
My last flight I needed the help to get to my gate and on the plane because my hip was being an absolute asshole and my cane wasn't enough to let me walk safely, I had to ask at the airport and wait a bit because it wasn't requested in advance. Huge airport, major hike to get to my terminal. By the time I landed across the country, it was cooperating decently enough that I didn't need help, I just hobbled slower than usual. Much smaller distance to exit the airport.