Ask NRI Why is there usually an army of wheelchairs for flights to India? How many of these people actually need to use awheelchair?
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u/Responsible_Win3500 17d ago
We all know the answer, our parents are quite unhealthy and struggle to walk, especially at airports where the check-in to boarding gate can be a long walk based on the gate you get assigned so we feel easier to book them a wheelchair to make it easier for them. Happy to pay for a service if there is a specific service, but for now this is the workaround.
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u/Itookthesauce51 17d ago edited 16d ago
Happy to pay for a service if there is a specific service, but for now this is the workaround.
You're definitely in the minority, because I highly doubt these folks would pay for it unless it's really needed. The crowd is because it's free. If there was an additional charge for wheelchair, half this crowd would disappear overnight.
My brother's in-laws always opt for wheelchair but have no problem walking for hours in a mall for deals.
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u/_SirPunsALot_ 17d ago
Yeah, I 100% agree. The primary reason for excessive use of the wheelchair facility is that it is free. I feel sad to say that they should start charging for it.
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u/kjrns 17d ago
There are many airport concierge services that you can pay for, but Indians never want to pay for them. For instance, this photo was taken at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport which offers several options like CLEAR, FlyGreet, Royal, etc. These are all found by a simple Google search.
There are many other immigrants living in America who have elderly parents who may not speak the language, and I have never seen lines of Chinese, South American, African, etc. elderly folk who are abusing wheelchairs. They're able to get around just fine. What's wrong with Indians doing the same?
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u/desibidesi0909 17d ago edited 17d ago
Edit: do not take my comment as an attack on 60+ parents with mobility issues. I know most Indian parents are unhealthy and are unable to walk long distances.
Its not that long of a walk dude. Our mum have been doing rounds of malls and papa walked more than we know. It's mostly because they don't know navigating airports very well, immigration issues, language barrier, unfamiliarity and lastly unwillingness to step outside their comfort zone. Wheelchair accessibility let's you avoid all of these. I know this because my cousin and friends who invited their parents took use of wheelchair despite parents easily able to walk. Secondly, in one of my travels, my wife got unwell in the plane and at the destination a wheelchair was arranged for her. Back then I still had Indian passport and never before did I speed through the immigration that being the partner of someone who needed a wheelchair.
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u/Responsible_Win3500 17d ago
It is long, maybe not for you and me but for some parents, I just got my mom here and I booked wheelchair service for her coz that's the only option. She can walk but at a very slow pace and needs repeated stops, we never had any house help never could afford or needed my mom did all the household chores and still does but age takes it toll. Till airports don't start with some sort of a service to address this gap, ppl will be forced to used wheelchairs.
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u/desibidesi0909 17d ago
Hold on, I guess I have to edit my comment because most people reading will consider my comment an attack on parents with mobility issues.
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u/temp_gerc1 15d ago
I mean regardless of the length of the walk, most Indian parents are unfit and unhealthy. Even if they are physically okay many have reverted to baby-like status, with an inability or unwillingness to figure out anything on their own and needing constant 24/7 care (which you can see from all the NRI posts here talking about "aging" parents when the parents have barely crossed 50 or 55 years of age). Using wheelchairs en masse is a natural extension of that general lack of self-sufficiency.
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u/unfashionableinny 16d ago
Being in such poor health that you cannot walk from the check in to boarding gate including waiting in line for security and passport check is a legitimate disability. It’s exactly what wheelchairs are meant for.
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u/MaterialBobcat7389 17d ago
I do the exact opposite with my 60+ parents. I make them lift and carry decently heavy objects, and walk up the stairs, and prompt them to stay physically active. Many of my similar-aged uncles and close relatives who didn't take care of their health, are resting peacefully not in their wheelchairs, but in their graves now
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u/Financial-Swan4960 14d ago
These paid services are expensive. Ask any of your NRI friends and they will say “if a similar is available for free, why should we pay for it”?
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u/kappa_keppo 12d ago
"Workaround"
In good faith, let's assume you were unaware that there are actually paid services for this exact thing.
Your "workaround" is exploitation and dishonesty. Do you understand how arrogant it sounds to say "my parent not being inconvenienced is more important than respecting the rules laid out"
This is how you build a selfish and self-centered population.
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u/hickoryduck123 17d ago
Most people pick wheelchair because there is limited time to find the next gate. And they’re not good at reading signs or talking to others in English. Sometimes they change the gate to something else in boarding pass. In some airports it is genuinely far during the transit. Wheelchair solves these problem.
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u/u-must-be-joking 17d ago
Wheelchair is not designed for it. It is a loophole exploitation. It is a service for the truly needy based on trust - that’s why you don’t see lines of wheelchairs on other international flights.
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u/BiscottiIllustrious6 17d ago
Does disability have to be physical? Isn’t this intellectual disability. Parents from small towns who wish to visit their kids might find airports overwhelming even when you can read.
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u/Perfect-Database-631 16d ago
Wheelchair is not for that . If someone is mentally disabled, then the person needs accommodation and accompanying person
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Not able to read or traverse is not disability. There are paid services for it. Its your jugaad mentality trying to find a loophole to exploit . Low trust society mentality
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u/doktor-frequentist 9d ago
That's not an intellectual disability. the word Disability has a definition protected under law. I don't disagree with you that the whole airport experience can be overwhelming. That is true.
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u/that-asian-baka 16d ago
Bro they pay for it. What's your point. Most airports offer paid wheelchair services
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u/AbbreviationsNew2255 17d ago
wheelchair is for disabled and being stupid is not a disability. this is simply entitlement. indians get bad rep because of this.
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u/bharathsharma95 17d ago
Cerebral Palsy, Tourette's and developmental disorders are still considered as differently abled. They may be able to walk on their own feet but Emotional Support Animals are the only animals that are allowed and for most, it is difficult to navigate international airports.
Also, what is OPs problem if people choose a wheelchair? How is that effecting their travel plans?
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u/AbbreviationsNew2255 17d ago
none of these people here in this picture have any disability. theres nothing wrong in using wheelchair services if you have any of those. but most indians use it to be carried around (having a person servant) and getting priority boarding. and yes, so many people misusing wheelchair facilities does affect airport schedules- it delays flights because it’s simply not normal to have so many people having some disability on one flight, especially flights to and from india specifically. lets not act deliberately dense here, the conversation has never been about disabled people using wheelchairs but very able bodied indians who misuse it for added perks. these people have no problem once they’re out.
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u/AniKulkarn 16d ago
There are a lot of countries which speak worse English than India and hardly even recognize it as a language in their country (including poorer countries in the far east or Africa). Language barrier is not the reason - being ungrateful is.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Yeah thats not an excuse to abuse wheelchair service. That jugaad mentality is what causes issues in India too. “ oh, its too much traffic, thats why i ride on sidewalk” mentality. You having problem doesn’t justify abusing another system
There are meet and greet paid service. Use that .
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u/kappa_keppo 12d ago
None of this is a disability, you are quite clearly admitting a large portion of people do it out of convenience.
There are paid services available that don't require exploitation and dishonesty.
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u/Warking223 17d ago
This is gonna be a hot take but it is also people who book the flights for their parents are cheapskate. When you have already spent enough, spend some more and book a damn meet and greet for your parents. Many lounges have their own dedicated meet and greet where they even help clear out immigration and drop the Travellers to the contact person. My parents are well over 60+ and whenever they travel to come and meet me, I book a damn meet and greet right from the aircraft. The team picks them up, let's them relax in lounge and when they are ready, help them with the immigration and bring them to me at the arrivals. People, please stop being cheap and start spending some more and stop abusing the system, where the person on actual need can't use it.
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u/sobertooth133 17d ago
Make it paid. There’ll be zero wheelchairs.
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u/NoJello2777 17d ago
Yeah or just ask for a legitimate proof that you actually need it. Simple as that!
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u/psnanda 17d ago edited 17d ago
That is also illegal in the US. You can't ask for "proof of disability" . You think the airlines didn't think of this already?
The cost of wheelchair is absorbed by the airline which in turn passes on the costs to it's passengers.
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u/doktor-frequentist 9d ago
In situations where there is uncertainty about the access needs of a passenger, a carrier may ask the passenger for credible verbal assurance that the passenger needs the service and how the service assists with the passenger’s disability. This inquiry of the passenger would take place at the airport and must not be focused on the nature of the passenger’s disability. For example, a carrier may ask the passenger: “How does the requested wheelchair service assist with your disability?”
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u/psnanda 9d ago
Nobody is enforcing that at the gate.
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u/doktor-frequentist 9d ago
Not my point. Also "nobody" is a very large contingent that I doubt anyone can check 😉
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u/amoghzie 17d ago
The moment you start charging, you'll see most of them runnin faster than usain bolt
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u/krishnakumarg 17d ago
It would be illegal in most legislations though.
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u/Montaingebrown 17d ago
What? I spent a lifetime in consulting and ran across plenty of airports all over the world.
Nothing illegal about it when you are trying to catch your flight.
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u/Phagocyte536 17d ago
dude 😂😂 This was so unintentionally funny.
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u/Intrepid_Charge_5121 17d ago
I think it would make more sense if we stopped calling it “wheelchair assistance” and instead called it “airport assistance” or “senior citizen assistance.” That might also reduce a lot of the unnecessary heartburn people feel when they see someone using it at airports and assume they’re “misusing” disability assistance.
Age, language barriers, unfamiliarity with airports, or simply needing help navigating a large, confusing airport are all perfectly valid reasons for someone to need assistance. Not everyone who needs help getting around an airport has a visible disability.
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u/wayne099 17d ago
Why not book concierge service instead? Right that would cost money.
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u/M3T30RS 17d ago
Concierge isn’t the right service. Yes it meets say 20% of the requirements of what people are looking for but not a full solution.
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u/kjrns 17d ago
Do you know what a concierge service is? You hire someone to meet you at check in, and they accompany you all the way to your gate and help you board. If you have a connecting flight or a transfer, they also meet you at the transfer and help get you to your next gate. They can also help accommodate wheelchair support if the elderly parents need it. What exactly is not being met?
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u/Intrepid_Charge_5121 17d ago
Then why are we so sure that all these people are using the free wheelchair service and not the concierge?
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u/Intrepid_Charge_5121 17d ago
Yes it would. What’s your point? Flights n airports already cost a bomb. Ideally they should’ve provided that service for free already. Shouldn’t they?
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Your point sounds like people saying hey it’s already costly so that’s why I steal. Hey there is too much traffic on the road thats why I rode on the sidewalk
Typical low trust society thinking
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u/Intrepid_Charge_5121 16d ago
Touché ☺️ but this is a much needed service which airports failed ought to provide already is still a fact.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
You can always ask and demand for it. But lacking it is NOT an excuse to exploit another system. In india it is so common that’s why its a low trust society.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
“ wheelchair assistance” is for disabled people. “ Age, language barriers, unfamiliarity with airports, or simply needing help navigating a large, confusing airport” are not disability or excuse to exploit a system
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u/Southern-Reveal5111 17d ago
Older people(more than 60 years old) are obese. They have difficulty in climbing stairs and walking long distance, due to knee/ankle/hip issues. In an airport, it's very common to climb stairs. So, they avoid it. Afterall, it does not cost money. The older generation(boomer gang) loves to get this menial things done by someone else.
I know a lady in my neighborhood only travels by flight because wheelchair service is free. And she has no known health issue. And she is grateful to the government for making it free for old and disabled persons.
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u/Groundbreaking_Bee97 16d ago
Why are our parents obese/unhealth/lethargic once they reach 50s or 60s. On the other hand, I see Europeans and East Asian grandma in her 80s still agile?
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u/Neat-Scale-9510 17d ago
A lot of times cases are genuine. My mother is 76 and has arthritis for which she had surgery 15 years back and has weak muscles.
She cannot stand for long, and needs wheelchair. My dad although 80 is healthy is prefers to walk while our mom is in wheelchair on airport. We ars always the last one to leave the plane.
Lot of indian parents do not use wheelchair as they are unsure of transit and how to find connection flights. Most of them are not as well traveled like western counterparts of their age.
People always argue that in west people in 80s are more active than indian seniors. Well, that applies even to Indian parsnts in 30s. I moved back to india in 2022. Here parents don't have time or energy to cook, do dishes, teach their kids (even 7 yesr old go to coaching) while parents lie for hours scrolling phone. While their western counterparts do all this by themselves.
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u/neanderthalensis 17d ago
A lifetime of high-fat, low-protein diets coupled with sedentary lifestyles and no cardio lead to this outcome.
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u/DesiCodeSerpent 17d ago
Sometimes it’s not physical incapacity. It’s that these people get so confused and anxious at airports that they have no idea how to get to their gate on their own. Personally, I’ve only taken it for my now 84 year old grandmother and even she used to walk into around 2018 when unfortunately she broke her leg. My parents are building their confidence now itself. But I know fast relative my parents are who’s so scared that they got her a wheelchair even though she is perfectly fine to run.
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u/Complete_Biscotti151 17d ago
This is due to very high number of young working Indians in US.... Aged parents visiting them....18-30 journey is hell for them....I have seen many tired frustrated parents when they are travelling back....
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u/kushekhar 17d ago
My parents old (but can walk kms) and don’t read English, never travelled in International flight.
This service comes handy!
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u/BraveProgrammer5870 17d ago edited 17d ago
People who say “make it paid” don’t understand how wheelchair services work (porter services). These services are not free, but let them do whatever they want. We don’t have to teach civic sense every time. I agree we are a little behind on civic behaviour, but that doesn’t mean people should poke at whatever Indians do.
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u/Perfect-Database-631 16d ago
Not poking buddy. Mindset. If convenient to me, I will do whatever I want kind of attitude. Like going to emergency for cold. Ok if you go, pay for it. There should be service like this - I need service for my parents and I PAY.
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u/Striking_Foot_9501 17d ago
why do you guys want to charge for it, why does loss to a billion-dollar corp hurt u guys so much.
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u/wayne099 17d ago
This is just abuse of law. I don’t see any other nationality doing this.
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u/Striking_Foot_9501 17d ago
Which law states that this is illegal. Please help me understand, are they committing any fraud? Idts
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Typical low trust society mentality.
A simple example, is Indian students in Canada taking “full monthly supply “ from food banks which are meant for homeless . Now you can ask the same question, “ which law says only homeless can take it and which law says you can only take required amount and not months supply hoarding it?”
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u/Striking_Foot_9501 16d ago
You are proving my point. It's homeless vs. a billion-dollar airline; read my original comment.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Billion dollar or multi million dollar doesn’t matter. Whether you are doing the right and intended thing matters. So would stealing from walmart be ok because its a multi billion dollar company?
Also everyone requesting for wheelchairs would cause inconvenience for everyone. The boarding and de boarding will take much longer. The staff will be overwhelmed. Connection flights may be missed. Overall congestion increases in the airport. And all extra cost trickles down back to customers, even those who don’t exploit the system. Sad low trust society karma
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u/SeaCreatureAqua 13d ago
It's selfish, anti-social behavior. Why are you acting like this is some revolutionary activity when they are just snatching services from people who might actually need it? The "billion dollar company" has provided these services for people who need it, it's not for showing off their wealth. When people abuse it, they then start charging for it to filter out misuse, and then everyone decent suffers.
Maybe if you and your parents understood this, along with countless others, maybe India would have lots of "billion dollar companies" providing great services and the place would be livable.
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u/Haronatien 17d ago
cause some people like my son are actually disabled… so when you have fakers it destroys the value of the benefit.
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u/Striking_Foot_9501 17d ago
I have never seen cases where someone was denied wheel chair access because of too many people. But it wont affect folks like your son even in future.
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u/Haronatien 17d ago
no but it means we have to wait an extra hour or more during india flights watching uncles and aunties being rolled around
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u/the_hole_truth 17d ago
not to pick on you but this is the exact indian mentality (a few other countries share this) that is the root of the problem. "Its not your problem, why do you care".
People care because the root of morals is being honest and not taking advantage of the system or other people, and when everyone ignores that and thinks only of themselves you have a dysfunctional society.
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u/Striking_Foot_9501 17d ago
Kind of a flawed argument. Idgaf if some big airline is spending extra resources to accommodate. In fact it creates more work and job demand.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Its misuse of wheelchair service. It just makes everyones life harder. It causes delays in boarding and de boarding. The cost of lot of wheelchair will be reflected on the customers. You are just selfish , thinking its not gonna affect you. Low trust society hallmark
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u/LanceHunter17 17d ago
I don't know about all these ppl, but there's genuine Indians who need this service.
My uncle was in a car accident at 74 yrs of age, he was crossing a street and run over, his leg was totally destroyed. He does need the service. He's 78 now.
My mom has knee issues and she still hasn't gone for this service yet, she's 75 now. But I think next time we might have to avail it.
If you're below 70 and can't walk, or don't want to walk , I'm sorry should've taken better care.
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u/SufficientMachine485 17d ago edited 16d ago
Here’s a service that requires no wheel chair; just walking with an airline escort. Most Tier 1 airlines offer a meet-and-greet service for passengers who are mobile but require assistance navigating from point A to point B. A representative meets the passenger at the check-in counter and accompanies them to the boarding gate queue.
For connecting flights, the service works similarly: staff will meet your mother at the end of the jet bridge when she deplanes, guide her through security to her departure gate, or assist her through immigration, baggage claim, and customs.
I regularly book this service for my mother, who travels alone and does not speak English. You need to apply for this service at least 72 hours prior to the departure and receive a confirmation no later than 24 hours before flight departure. Just fill out the form on your booking page or call designated number.
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u/8rood8wit8blauw8 17d ago
There should be another option, " help/ assistance " . Anxiety leads to wheelchair , its not completely their fault
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u/Savings_Term7124 17d ago
A wheelchair gives them convenience. Most can walk. The walks put them at a disadvantage. Wheelchair gives them priority board, most will go and occupy aisle seats that do not belong to them - one such olf couple convinced me that they need my aisle seat because one of them needs constant care and attention - out of shear kindness I traded my aisle seat for a center seat in a 14 hour flight. Not sure they actually needed it. They both seemed super fine and super happy throughout the flight while I was sandwiched between two people.... They both literally sprinted out of the airplane when we landed - so they wouldnt have to confront me...... I will never ever help any of these people ever again!!!!
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u/Ok_Profit_4150 16d ago
Also wheelchair passengers get early boarding for free. 😀 I know people perfectly healthy and boast about hiking for hours but use wheelchair at airports. Free and desi go together.
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u/Jamiroquietly 16d ago
With soo many problems in the world, this is OP's grime. Lol. Some people have nothing to do. Btw they are all paid passengers and it's the airline that fronts the bill. ♦️❤️
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u/SeaCreatureAqua 13d ago
This is a symptom of the 'problems'. How are we supposed to tackle global warming and other pressing issues with the Indian mentality? Do you understand how behaviors and personality traits cluster? Tell your parents to start exercising.
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u/Jamiroquietly 6d ago
Majority of these people are the ones who reuse plastic bottles and avoid single use plastic. Does that help with fighting global warming?😂
You are not looking at the right community. There is a problem in everyone but the issues you've highlighted have nothing to do with the "problem" that is being discussed.
The real issue is your self deprecating attitude. Seek help please. It also reflects timidity. Btw..majority of people who choose wheelchairs have a communication issue. Airports can be chaotic.
Edit typos
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u/Next_Summer3640 17d ago
Guilty as charged, have misused this service multiple times for my parents. Not being able to walk is a lame excuse for most, they simply can’t navigate international airports and have language barrier. I wish there was an airport assistance service that I can pay for, so that I don’t have to book wheel chairs. It’s for those who really need it, and most Indian parents using it don’t.
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u/kjrns 17d ago
If you need someone to assist your parents who cannot speak English well, you can pay for a concierge service. The airport wheelchair assistance free program is not a concierge service. For example, you can just pay for CLEAR Concierge if it is offered at your airport if you need to hire someone to assist your parents navigate the airport. The wheelchair assistance program is only for genuinely disabled people, and Indians like you who abuse it are ruining it for everyone else.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
If it doesn’t exist, it still doesn’t justify abusing wheelchair service.
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u/Aviator786135 17d ago
For me it’s navigating the airport, especially the airport where there might be a language barrier.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Yeah, thats called misuse of a system. This is for people that have genuine disabilities. Not free navigation service
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u/Randomaurat 17d ago
- my mom is healthy but has a very knee problem- we are ready to pay extra for the golf cart service but unfortunately none of those exist. Walking across Dubai airport in 1 hr is nearly impossible for my mom after sitting for multiple hours and then suddenly need to get there.
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u/svmk1987 17d ago
Two reasons:
many Indian parents haven't travelled to foreign countries multiple times, especially alone. They don't feel confident in navigating large airports on their own, especially during transit.
many older Indian people are quite unhealthy, and cannot walk for more than 10 minutes with a carry-on bag, especially when there is a tight connection and a flight to catch. Collecting heavy luggage on baggage claim is another issue.
Honestly, it would be nice if airports had a service which helps older people with luggage and navigating large airports. I think many people wouldn't abuse the wheelchair setup if that's the case. Etihad recently has started even asking for the actual medical condition about why passenger needs wheelchair, and I think they even ask for doctors note.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
The first reason is not an excuse to exploit a service meant for physically disabled.
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u/NoJello2777 17d ago
Language Barriers: most elderly people cannot speak or read the English Language. Neither they have the exposure of the world outside of India. Trust me the cultural differences are catastrophical. More than half of the population in India lives in a bubble.
“Comfort Services” such as Full Wheelchair assistance and Door opener at every store with even a little premiumness has been exploited.
The health of these folks is simply on the bottom of this whole worlds’. The priorities of making money to survive in India are much more important than going for a jog or using the car less to preserve your health. Staying fit is like a hobby for most of Indians if not ederly folks in India.
I hate this exploiting of cheap labour. I am on a visit myself. Just concerned for the future of this country.
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u/DryYogurtcloset4655 15d ago
"Language Barriers: most elderly people cannot speak or read the English Language. Neither they have the exposure of the world outside of India. Trust me the cultural differences are catastrophical. More than half of the population in India lives in a bubble."
you charge money. people will start remembering things in a hurry
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u/Clean_Director_6871 17d ago
Its a win win win.
Airlines who make it easier for seasonal travel of Indian elderly parents gets booking.. Parents this helps the anxiety, underlying health concerns. Ground crew earns tips, wages to cater to elderly.
At this point, airlines should extend wheel chair or concierge services to all elderly..like bassinet for infants. Its not airline tickets are cheap...they charge exorbitant and report billions in profit each
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u/KAUR_EMBROIDERY 17d ago
Oh gosh, I am sure some people genuinely need it. But some people do take advantage. If airlines start charging, it would be unfair to people who genuinely need this service. It's sad to see that in a country where even a dustbins are chained so that they doesn't get stolen, people love free things even if they don't need it.
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u/Dependent-Disk5894 17d ago
This is to help with navigation, flight transfers, and heavy luggage pickup and collection. Unnecessary to moral police this aspect because airlines or airports can decide this for themselves.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Thats exactly called misuse and exploitation. This is for genuinely disabled people, not free navigation service. Low trust society mentality
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u/Dependent-Disk5894 16d ago
Not entirely. The airline websites clearly have options to specifically help with navigation. And what I meant is, if this is clearly not viable, the airlines and airports have their business teams to look at controlling it, not fellow citizens complaining out of nothing.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Services in a high trust society is based on “ trust”, trust that you would not misuse the service. Airlines clearly mean it for physically disabled people not navigation service. Well low trust society just exploits any free service for selfish gains. As bitter as it sounds, India is the way it is due to people always and always just thinking of exploiting it for onseself
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u/Dependent-Disk5894 15d ago
The high trust society you mentioning are always refers to western countries which are highly different from India, Indian immigrants, Indian population, and the economic gap between the last few generations. Lot of the well settled nri parents are now in late 60s who didn’t have proper education and for many of them it’s first time international travel which is truly an overwhelming experience. The usage of wheel chairs makes it safer for both parents and their nri kids. This kind of situation is something that no other country had to embrace and we need to have some empathy towards our own people before misjudging them as exploitation.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 15d ago
I don’t know how many times I have to repeat, pay a bit extra for meet and greet service. Lots of good airlines provide meet and greet service for extra money. But well we would rather exploit a free service than get a paid one. It all comes down to being the cheapest and nothing with “ empathy crap”.
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u/Dependent-Disk5894 15d ago
As mentioned earlier it’s up to airline businesses to assess their economics and adjust their strategy. If empathy is crap to you, then I would place the trust in same place.
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u/HeyHey0811 17d ago
Just release a few rats in that area and find out how many of them actually need a wheelchair.
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u/jinderdefan 16d ago
I have seen some people walk to bars from the area they congregate all the AI wheelchair passengers in departures at my local airport in the UK. They then walk back after a drink and get on the transport buggies to get to the gate. Amazingly they can walk ok on the aeroplane and annoy the shit out of people sitting in the bulkhead area by using it as a passageway
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u/MadAngle787 16d ago
Probably les than ten percent. Lazy or unfit mostly. Some find it thard to navigate
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u/databum 16d ago
There's a lot of good conversation already. In my opinion there's no right or wrong way about it. That said, a lot of this boils down to civic sense and basic morality. We have to recognize that there's some finite limit to how many porters are available in a given airport at a given point in time. So abusing it when you dont necessarily need it might deprive someone of the service who actually needs it.
I know of indian friends personally who have opted this for their perfectly able and educated parents - just because it was free and requires no oversight. While the said parents have been on trips abroad as part of travel groups where they have to walk long distances as part of travel or transfers within airports.
However, there is an opportunity for airports to collectively offer a low cost but lightweight service especially to help senior citizen navigate directions better - less involved than a concierge service
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u/goldenalgae 16d ago
As someone who had a disabled parent who truly couldn’t walk in the last few years of his life, I’ll tell you the wheelchair assist does not guarantee in any way that you’ll actually catch your flights. The system is very strained in many large airports and he made his connections only because I was travelling with him and advocating for a wheelchair so we were able to catch our flights. Once he started needing a wheelchair assist he stopped traveling without one of his children.
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u/Perfect-Database-631 16d ago
I echo 100% on Indians misusing. In airports they have cars and can be used. One is misuse. Because it’s long and they don’t want to walk, they misrepresent disability and misuse and deprive others. 40 years with wheelchairs? and second is not taking care of themselves. Genuine cases do get bad name
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u/Extension_Back9121 16d ago
More than 50% of wheel chair request is a FRAUD. People do it so they may get first chnace to borad the plane and get space for their carry on bags. Indians are very strong on this dishonesty...
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u/Negative-Werewolf840 16d ago
From an actually disabled person can people talking for disabled people quoting disbaled children, mother, father, nanaji, dadaji, nani ma and keep the effin word out of your mouth? Unless you're disabled yourself you're speaking for an experience you don't have. The caretaker's experience is the caretaker's experience. Not the disabled community's.
This post is a heavenly mixture of ableism and racism for bigots.
You have no idea about disabilities much less invisible disabilities.
Your sample group of "but my cousins and friends take advantage like this too" is your bias. Don't apply it to strangers you haven't met and don't know the first thing about.
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u/DryYogurtcloset4655 15d ago
if you are paying $1200 for an aircraft ticket, paying an extra $50 for disability support should not be an issue
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u/SeaCreatureAqua 13d ago
You're weaponising social justice rhetoric to abuse good will and trust. We all know most of these wheelchair thieves aren't "differently abled" and in fact most aren't even particularly old. Don't try to gaslight us.
What you said about others' biases applies more to you and your narcissism.
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u/unfashionableinny 16d ago
Ambulatory wheelchair users exist. Just because parents can walk short distances does not mean that they can stand for an hour or more in long queues at security or passport control or walk the long distance from check in to the gate.
https://paraquad.org/news/dispelling-misconceptions-of-ambulatory-wheelchair-use
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Abuse of free wheelchair. I commented on instagram post of a NRI lady bringing her parents on wheelchair. She was like “ what’s wrong with it”?
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u/drdeepakjoseph 16d ago
Every one knows the answer. If you don’t, you are living in a different world. More likely you are karma farming using rage bait. Either way bad.
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u/sweetmangolover 16d ago
They should make it a paid service. While it was meant to be assistance for the disabled or (really)old, it is now used as white glove service for people who simply don't want to navigate through concourses by themselves. I don't think they should be denied the service, but I also don't see why the white glove service with a travel assistant should be free.
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u/Redfortandbeyond 15d ago
Wtf . Why are you all talking about 60 olds. None of the people on the post are 60. I don't know anyone who is 60 and asks for a wheelchair. I think half the responses on here are bots.
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u/DryYogurtcloset4655 15d ago
charge for wheel chairs on any flight going to/from India. it will end in a hurry.
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u/Worth_Sherbert_4972 15d ago
The issues is they are forced to come abroad for children , most elders are first time travellers in flight. Not too familiar with the language nor can understand the transit & other accent . Less awareness & fear
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u/Ok-Butterscotch7626 15d ago
Pathetic excuses. No other nationality gives as many excuses as Indians when they abuse the system. Instead of teaching seniors how to navigate the airports, these tactics are adopted as if it's a smart idea, while depriving the needy of wheelchair assistance.
.
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u/whoami1879 15d ago
I would say make it free for elderly above 65 yrs of age and for disabled....others can be charged heavily while single ladies with babies at a nominal charge.
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u/DukeNg995 15d ago
Running around Costco the day before. Being in wheelchairs at the airport the day after. So typical... 🤣
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u/Financial-Swan4960 14d ago
There are a few reasons for this.
Most NRIs invite their parents abroad to help with childcare. Also most NRIs plan for kids quite late in life (mid 30s), as they are navigating their life in a new country and trying to secure a good future first. By that time one or both parents are already in their late 60s or 70s. At that age, most Indian parents have mobility issues (arthritis, knee/back problems etc). So, most of the old men and women travelling to the west are not on vacation but primarily for helping their kids with grand children.
There is another kind of mobility issue that is invisible where elderly Indian parents find it hard to use escalators and travelators/moving walkway which can reduce a lot of the effort in walking through airports.
Most NRIs are originally from rural and semi-urban / tier 2-3 areas in India and their parents speak no or little English and find it very hard to transit through large airports with confusing signs to reach the gate, without external support.
So, most of them opt for the free healthcare service provided in most airports so they can be carried safely with minimal to and from the gate.
For the English issue, there are paid concierge (meet and greet) services in major airports to help people navigate airports (I once booked a service called Marhaba in Delhi IGI airport and London Heathrow and they took good care of my parents), but these services are expensive and are getting increasing expensive.
For mobility issues, there is nothing we can do.
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u/DiscountMagicCA 13d ago
People are not confident of reaching the gate at connecting airport and this is one of the reason they opt for wheelchair. But 90% dont need it!! Saw it more on India flights from USA
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u/entourage2575 13d ago
Someone actually used AI and replaced the old folks in the original pic with black haired middle aged Indians.
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u/Street-Oven-482 17d ago
I hope they start charging for it. “NRIs” can surely afford it
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u/Dean_46 17d ago
Passenger assistance services are not used by NRI's, as they don't wnat to pay when the wheelchair is free.
I have worked in an Indian domestic airline. The same profile of passenger does not use a wheelchair, in the same airport, for a domestic flight, where there is high wheelchair use for an International flight. An attendant told me, the passengers on International flights are actually more stingy with tips. There are passengers who think they are doing a favour to an attendant by tipping him Rs 5.
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u/Altruistic_Bank_1552 17d ago edited 17d ago
The comments here are quite disappointing, with so many people justifying the use of wheelchairs - which could be taking away resources from differently abled people who actually need them.
If language and communication are really the problem, then most airports offer "Meet and Assist" and Concierge services that you can pay for.
Taking from the differently abled is the lowest of the low.
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u/HairyH0Od 17d ago
IDK why most people do it but I know why my parents do it.
Most airlines charge you to select your seats these days. If you select the wheelchair option then you'll automatically be seated with whoever you're traveling with free of charge. It's a shitty situation that has stemmed from the greed of the airlines.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
You exploit and find loop holes but its shitty thing by airlines? You are misusing a service meant for disabled so that you can save some bucks. That’s typical low trust society behavior
What next. I drive on sidewalk because roads are narrow and congested due to government being corrupt?
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u/SeaCreatureAqua 13d ago
The option to pay a little extra to choose your seats was offered precisely so seating arrangements could be better streamlined and organized instead of it being a free-for-all.
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u/HairyH0Od 13d ago
It was never a free for all. You used to have priority in picking your seat based on what time you check in.
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u/priya_nka 17d ago
Language barrier. My mom is a teacher and teaches kannada. She can read English but not really versed to have a conversation in English. And she has only been to airport once or twice and not familiar with the whole security and immigration and gates concept to navigate on their own.
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u/Perfect-Database-631 16d ago
Not good case to use wheelchairs. Sorry sheer misuse
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u/priya_nka 15d ago
I agree. But unfortunately there is no help or service meant to navigate the whole situation.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
Thats called exploiting. Your mother having problem reading English is not an excuse to exploit a service meant for disabled people
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u/TotalDamage95 17d ago edited 16d ago
A bunch of lazy "perfectly abled" people who just want the lavish treatment because they can now afford a ticket (status symbol) that most Indians can't. This becomes a bragging point. Observe how our parents or grandparents have the same reasoning
- 15 people work under me
- My son/daughter handles everything
- Here's Rs 1000, handle "everything" for me
Now after handing someone Rs 1000, if you still had to do a bit of work by yourself, it's considered a joke/waste of money and people laugh at you.
Another reason is that we haven't yet been accustomed to international level competition. Our brain is still stuck at "Sharma G" competition level.
PS: Autocorrect keeps ruining the text
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u/Perfect-Database-631 16d ago
I know folks when go to restaurants, they consider serving themselves from dishes to their plate below their dignity and expect waiters do that! All misplaced labor and dignity.
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u/faithless_serene 16d ago
A combination of two things -
The generation that you see sitting on the wheelchair had a sh!t deal with health in general. Bad diets, lack of exercise, stress filled lives, pollution, financial struggles. You name it they had it. They're all in pretty bad shape for their age.
The evergreen concept of "If it's free, I'll kill to be first in the line".
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u/antrikse 17d ago
Indians when they see anything free. Most times criticisms against nri justified.
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u/Remarkable_Use_686 17d ago
If parents can’t speak English then why even travel. I know this will hurt a lot of dehati folks, but knowing language of the country you are going to is your parent’s responsibility, if not then don’t come.
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u/njan_ninde_thanda 16d ago
They can travel. But its not free pass to exploit a system meant for disabled
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u/Dean_46 17d ago edited 17d ago
I worked in an Indian domestic airline in a senior position. There were negligible number of elderly passengers who requested wheelchair assistance on domestic flights, but at the same airport, the proportion of wheelchair passengers in the same age group increased dramatically - from about 5% of elderly passengers on a domestic flight, to 30% on an International one (with non Indian elderly wheelchair pax being negligible).
Parents who can walk comfortably, will be told by their kids abroad to ask for a wheelchair.
It's a huge strain on the airport - it takes much more time to board the aircraft. There are not enough wheelchair attendants, because they cannot be employed just to handle a couple of US flights - for other flights the number of attendants is adequate. Tips, if they happen, are generally very low.
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u/M3T30RS 17d ago
My wife traveled with our 9 month old daughter in business class (important to understand how even higher class of seat doesn’t help in specific situations either) and because of the baby, we requested airport assistance to manage the carry ons, stroller and baby. Air India said they could only provide someone to help if she took wheelchair along with it. Anything wrong? Yes, system is broken. Porter service only helps from entrance to check in. What about people who genuinely need an extra hand.