On July 20th, Julianna’s (delayed) Delta flight landed in Atlanta at 7:30pm, with a connecting flight scheduled for 8:05pm. Julianna, who has muscular dystrophy, missed the connecting flight because nobody came with a wheelchair until 8:05—the same time the connecting flight took off. To make matters worse, the plane crew told Julianna she might make the flight anyway if she stopped waiting for help and got off the plane right now, so she crawled down the stairs on her own. When the wheelchair came she was “wheeled into a back room and advised” that her plane had taken off. But that was just the first half of her ordeal, and the next eight hours only got worse.
The employees in this room were debating who would get me to the ticket gate to be re-ticketed because it was no one’s job and the appropriate personnel were not responding to their calls. After that was resolved I was given a new boarding pass for a flight expected to leave at 12:55 AM. Then this person advised me she cannot get me from a D Gate to Gate A9. She again called for the appropriate personnel who never showed. We waited by an elevator for someone she convinced to bring me over to Gate A even though it was not his job. I had to beg him to stop at a bathroom entrance and to wait for me and then he finally delivered me to Gate A9.
I was given a meal voucher for my INCONVENIENCE but could not purchase any food because again there was no one to bring me to an eating establishment, never mind wait on the long line for me to make a food purchase.
At 11:15 I advised the gate attendant I was dehydrated and cramping because I could not purchase any water. This is the only nice employee that treated me with dignity. The flight I was transferred to was supposed to leave at 10:22 PM but was delayed until 1:30 AM. This gate attendant went and brought me water off of the plane.
This gate attendant also made sure she finally found some one at 11:15 PM to push me to obtain food and another bathroom break. I arrived in West Palm Beach at 3:15 AM with no ride and had to again crawl into the shuttle service to get home.
I understand plane delays and waiting at airports, but is this how you treat your handicapped passengers???
The text above is from a letter Julianna has sent to Richard Anderson, Delta’s CEO, who we hope will do more than send her another food voucher—like take real steps to make sure handicapped passengers are treated with a minimum of respect when they’re traveling.
(Thanks to Chris)
(Photo: Andrei Dimofte)
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There are few words to describe how bad this is, many of you have posted thoughts similar to mine.
One thing I’d like to add is this – the one employee who did treat her properly deserves a BIG BONUS, a VERY BIG BONUS. This gate attendant did her job, did it well, and treated the customer respectfully – it’s a shame that she was the only employee to do so, but she should get recognition from the very top of the organization for what she did.
Simply put, Delta screwed up, but it’s NOT their job to chauffeur someone around to the restrooms and restaurants. They are only responsible for getting handicapped people from gate to gate and on/off planes.
1. Delta is at fault for the breakdown in their support system (aka the wheelchair pusher guys). They should have had a supervisor take charge of the situation.
2. Not to bash on the OP, but generally if you have severe impairments its extremely UNWISE to travel alone. While society provides many rights and conveniences to disabled, you can’t expect to be chauffeured around everywhere and need to plan accordingly.
@Hogan1: Actually, if the airline promises to take care of you — via Delta’s policy — you SHOULD be able to expect them to fulfill their end of the bargain. And don’t you think the woman would probably prefer not to be traveling alone? There’s not always somebody with the time/money/etc. to go where you may need to go.
And while they may not, strictly speaking, be required to help her to food or a restroom — if you were ever in her shoes, and nobody had the decency to take these fairly minor steps to help you with basic human needs, I think you’d change your tune PDQ.
can we re-open the worst company in america voting? because this is kind of a 100 yard hail-mary touchdown pass, Delta FTW.
I think you’re making unfounded assumptions. You could be right…but I don’t think you are.
1) Delta actually asks people to check their personal chairs as luggage at the ticket counter, assuring them that alternate service will be provided. Maybe it was naive to trust this assurance, but they did make the promise.
2) If the personal chair was checked through, she might not have had it available at the connecting airport. It looks like that is an OPTIONAL thing, and Delta apparently discourages it especially for tight connections (due to the time necessary to stow a wheelchair in the cargo hold).
3) If she arrived at a small airport in the middle of the night, it’s entirely possible her chair arrived hours earlier on her original flight, and was locked up in the baggage claim area when she got there, with no employee around. That could easily explain why she didn’t have her chair then, either. It’s at least as plausible as your theory that she didn’t have one at all.
It would be nice if we could hear some more details about this from the original person. But I think until/unless we do we shouldn’t assume their story is full of lies and “holes” just based on possibly incorrect assumptions.
@johnva: Sorry, that comment was meant to be directed at @Fly Girl.
They actual watched her crawl…how nice, Delta…
@Fly Girl: You really know your stuff. As an alumnus of 2 legacy carriers, you are dead on. Future disabled passengers, if you feel you are not being assisted, ask for the CRO (Complaint Resolution Official) immediately. That will set a chain of events in motion swiftly.
@picardia: You can make assumptions about wording in policy all you want, it doesn’t change the fact there are limitations on what they will and won’t do. If you think people are entitled to essentially what amounts to bedpan service everywhere they go because they are disabled, more power to you but prepare yourself for disappointment. The fact remains that it’s unwise to travel alone with you have significant disability.
This is freaking unbelievable. It makes me want to never fly Delta again.
Something has to be done to repair the airline industry.
You mentioned West Palm Beach…I’m from that area!
You should have gotten the local media like WPEC News 12 or the Palm Beach Post involved…
@Consumerist-Moderator-Roz: I accept your apology
I am appalled to have read this article. Unfoturnately, I have to
say that with the current economic situation, the airlines are doing
nothing more than flying the big routes and nothing else. All of the
employees are scared to deviate from their specific assigned job
duties because they may lose their jobs. Everybody in the airline
industry ( except company officers) are on edge every day, the
slightest deviation from your assigned job will be grounds for
termination. In reality, this has been the case for atleast 15
years, just recently has it been put in the spotlight due to the
economic disaster our government is going through.
There was once a time where Delta had amazing service…the flight
crew was courteous, the drinks were free, and they actually served a
meal that was edible. Unfortunately, the airlines like to make
profits. The executives take huge salaries while the flight crews
are taking pay cuts. Take a look at the salaries for pilots/flight
attendants/ground crews…It’s sad to see how little these people
make. Even pilots are just being taken advantage of. Making it to
the airlines these days requires at least $100,000.00 in training and
time flying old training aircraft that are marginally safe, only to
be hired on and make poverty level wages for two to three years.
So, this ranting is justified to help understand why this poor woman
had to suffer. Do I agree with it? NO!!! However, that is just the
way that the industry is at the moment. I beg you to try and make a
complaint with the DOT or the FAA. It’s very difficult, and if you
try to look for a way to file a grievance with the FAA on their
website, it literally becomes a dog and pony show.
I truly hope that Delta gets off its duff, rectifies this situation,
and fires the people who should have been involved in helping this
poor woman.
For those asking “why coudn’t she have psuhed herself?” and why didn’t she have her own chair. They make you check them. They are too wide to nav the aisles.
Ever see the wheelchairs they make you ue on the planes? There is usually one at the end of the ramp next to the place as you turn to enter.
[www.petertan.com]
They are a straight back padded lawn chair, with small wheels, more like a hand truck with a seat installed on it.
There is no side wheels for the rider to wheel themselves and they are required I believe to be pushed by airport/airline employees. They strap you in so you don’t fall over, they look to me more like a device you strap Hannibal Lechter to.
she needs to contact her congressman, senator and alt hat was well, they woudl get a nice diversion and it might get somethign done.
To everyone who is assuming that she doesn’t really need a wheelchair since she didn’t appear to have her own, and sees that as a big hole in her story – is it possible that her wheelchair, since it’s considered checked baggage, was loaded from the plane she deplaned from directly to the plane for her connecting flight? The airline assumes that you’ll be taken care of with their (contracted) wheelchairs.
As far as the charge that she should not be traveling on her own, well, that’s just silly. It would be wonderful if there were always someone willing and able to travel with us, but that’s not the case. I mean, should she just never go anywhere?
I know that sometimes people want to help but don’t know what to say. If you see someone who is disabled and appears to need help, just ask them, “Can I help you with anything?” Some of them will tell you to buzz off (being disabled brings with it a hell of a lot of frustration and sometimes embarrassment), but there will be some who will be profoundly grateful. There were plenty of times that I was struggling through the airport with my cane and my bag, wishing someone who was walking in the same direction as me would offer to carry my bag for just a couple of minutes. Never once did an airline or airport employee offer, that’s for sure.
Definitely an ADA lawsuit in the making. Having escorted my own handicapped grandmother through a harrowing cross-country trip, I know you should never rely upon airline personnel to do their jobs. I think this story deserves more attention, so I’ve e-mailed a couple of the West Palm Beach media outlets and CNN about it. Hopefully Delta will be offering her more than just a meal voucher when this is all over with.
“I hate to think what would have happened there if I hadn’t made them admit me to the gates.”
@kristin876: I’d like to imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t returned the wheelchair! Maybe the skycap would have been fired.
S-U-E
@hexychick, and debegray, and The Cranky One and johnva:
Thanks for the reference that just proved MY point– Delta asks that people with motorized wheelchairs *CONSIDER* checking them at the ticket counter, as they require quite a bit of extra work and (possibly) disassembly to place in the cargo hold. HOWEVER, the passenger has the right to check it at the gate if that is what they choose to do. Regardless of where the passenger chooses to check the motorized chair, it will be brought to them at the gate, which means at the DOOR of the aircraft, just like the strollers and car seats that are GATE checked.
They do NOT request that personal manual wheelchairs be checked at the ticket counter, only state that it is available should the passenger request it. And, like the motorized wheelchairs, they are brought to the passenger at the door of the aircraft, never EVER at baggage claim– unless the passenger specifically REQUESTS that they be sent to baggage claim. (And why would they want that, knowing how easily things get lost/stolen from baggage claims?) Oh! And if the wheelchair is collapsible, it doesn’t even have to go in the cargo hold. The flight attendants will store it in their closets for the passenger, further ensuring that the person is separated from their chair for the smallest amount of time possible.
As far as the “ticket gate” goes… Well, that’s a place that simply doesn’t exist. You claim that Delta forces you to check your wheelchair at the “ticket gate,” but no where does the policy state that. For future reference: ticket counter = pre-security, gate = sterile area.
Perhaps YOU should read articles more thoroughly before commenting on them, because I stand by everything I said and I know that I have my facts straight.
Text from Delta’s site:
You can check your wheelchair at the ticket counter or the gate. We appreciate your checking powered equipment that may require disassembly at the ticket counter so we can arrange for proper handling. You may use our wheelchair equipment after checking your personal wheelchair. Detachable items such as seat cushions and footrests can be carried onboard or checked with the wheelchair in the cargo compartment.
We will not need to disassemble your electric/battery-powered wheelchair and will leave the batteries attached if the wheelchair will fit upright through the aircraft cargo compartment door or if it can be stowed upright in the cargo compartment.
If we do need to disassemble the wheelchair, our employees may need instructions. Attach assembly/disassembly instructions and your wheelchair’s specific battery type to the wheelchair. For help identifying your specific battery type, see Batteries below.
You can arrange to have us check your personal wheelchair at the departing gate and return it at the destination gate when you arrive, or at a connecting airport. Let us know in advance if you prefer to use your own personal wheelchair at your connecting airport. However, you should be aware that the time between connecting flights may be insufficient to provide this service during layover, especially if disassembly and re-assembly of your wheelchair is required. If time is a factor, we recommend that you take advantage of our wheelchair service instead.
[www.delta.com]
Also: the theory that she had, and checked, a personal wheelchair, that it ended up on the flight she was *supposed* to be on, and then got locked up when PBI was closed upon arrival just doesn’t hold water.
The airport doesn’t close until the last flight has landed– what happened to all of the other people on her flight? Baggage claim was just “closed,” so they left without their bags? Nuh uh. And don’t you think THAT would have been a part of her complaint letter, had it been the case? Because if my flight was delayed three hours and then baggage claim was just “closed” when I got there, I’d be pretty damn pissed about it– especially if I had a wheelchair that they were holding hostage.
No, she didn’t have her own wheelchair, which begs the question: how does she *normally* get around? How is the airport any different than the mall, the grocery store, or the local Wal*Mart?
I don’t know where they hell people are getting this idea that the OP originated in Hartford or “Hartsfield” and are then talking about the service that she must have received when she STARTED her trip… I see that someone made a comment about a collision in Hartford involving an elderly man and the name of the airport in Atlanta is HARSTFIELD, so that’s probably where the confusion came from, but, um, we don’t know WHERE she originated. And, if we did, we’d be able to get a better idea of what might have happened and how delayed her originating flight really was.
On that note, I do *temporarily* rescind my criticism of her short connection time. We don’t know by how much her inbound was delayed, and if we don’t know that, we don’t know whether an adequate connect time was booked or not. It could have been delayed by five minutes, it could have been delayed by five hours. That’s something that wasn’t *necessarily* due to any fault on the part of the OP.
Although, I still don’t understand why she got off of the plane alone. I believe that the flight attendants coerced her into doing it, but why did she agree? There was no way she would have made the flight on her own, and a wheelchair was already on its way. The OP doesn’t deny that. If she couldn’t walk to the bathroom, how did she think she was gong to sprint to her next gate?
Story just doesn’t hold up.
Isn’t it commonly accepted protocol for a person in this situation to bring someone along to help them? I am not excusing the airline, but I can’t imagine someone as completely helpless as this passenger expecting the airline to be their personal care giver. A broken arm or paralysis from the waist down is one thing, but it seems like this person was completely incapable of taking care of themselves. So why fly? I am sure there are plenty of people in the passenger’s situation who wouldn’t go on a trip without someone coming along to help. The airline should have been more accommodating, but the passenger shouldn’t just expect everyone to bend over backwards to help.
Having given this story some thought and thinking this is almost unbelievable, is there any independent confirmation that this is true? I googled delta/muscular dystrophy and the only sites I can find on this seem to be taking the story basically from The Consumerist. This has the smell of an Urban Legend.
@Fly Girl You obviously don’t know muscular dystrophy very well. Most people with MD can still walk, but with great difficulty. The great problem with MD patients, are stairs! When she got on the plane, there was a gate and no stairs, when she arrived at the smaller airport, guess what, there where stairs and she couldn’t get down them without help, and wound up crawling.
But if you would have read Mr. Walters comment you would have seen that he told the readers that already. But obviously you’re more concerened with getting your own selfish comments out, rather then reading them.
I’ve worked for Delta, in reservations, ticketing and as a gate agent. Each airport has a hired service (i.e. Prospect, Airserve) whose specific job is to assist disabled or elderly passengers with wheelchair or motoized cart transportation from as early as the point of check-in to as far as assisting them onto the aircraft in cases where a person is unable to walk. They also assist with unaccompanied minors, escorting them to and from their gate.
Airline gate agents have limited time to work a flight, board it and see it off. Agents greeting a flight may be expected to move to another gate to work a different flight, and cannot stay with a passenger to see that she is taken to the bathroom and to get something to eat. Agents call the appropriate company to send staff to assist, but they can be spread thin and are not always readily available as they may be assisting another passenger.
Obviously no one should be treated with disrespect. Don’t get me wrong, it makes me sad that this happened to this woman.
It is unfortunate that this passenger did not have a friend or family member available to assist her. One friend or family member would have been allowed to take her to her gate and a friend or family member at her destination would have been allowed to pick her up at her gate had it been arranged in advance during the reservation & ticketing process.
If I needed to rely on assistance to fly, I would:
make sure there is an appropriate amount of time available between connections — 35 minutes in Atlanta is way too short — don’t do that to yourself!;
bring a family member or friend with me to drop me off — get their security clearance at the ticket counter when you check in;
arrange for someone to pick me up at the airport — they can get their security clearance at the ticket counter when pre-arranged and can meet the passenger at their gate;
you can travel with your motorized wheelchair or scooter — it can be gate checked
Also, the airline crew cannot leave the aircraft until every passenger is off. They can radio a supervisor or even the tower to get someone’s butt moving.
@Fly Girl: If Delta “appreciates” that people check their wheelchairs at the ticket counter (per the passage you quoted) why does it not “hold water” that this is what the OP did? And isn’t it likely/possible that her wheelchair wound up in the unclaimed baggage area, due to being on the flight that left without her? That area can most definitely “close” before 3 am.
Mostly I’m not clear on why you’re so hell-bent, frothing at the mouth in an effort to discredit this story. If even a fraction of it is true, it’s a disgraceful way to treat someone with a disability. I find your statements more than a trifle off-putting.
As a 9/11 survivor who suffers from a broken back among other things, I can confirm after a lifetime of autonomy that being disabled brings out someone’s true character. Having experienced a number of horrific situations which left me helpless and that years ago would never have occurred, but do now on a regular basis due to the lack of society’s common sense, decency and civility, I can suggest the following. Send cc’s of the letter to the Attorney General in each state (yours and the one that Delta is based in which I think is GA) and address the letter to the AG by name. Then go to all of the national news departments of the 3 networks. Also cc the groups in Washington D.C. that address the rights of people with disabilities, C.O.R.D., etc. They will sue for you and more importantly, will get the ball rolling to change the laws since people apparently are too stupid to use common sense and take initiative when dealing with obvious issues. As for the person who suggested the disabled traveled with someone, I have a hard enough time finding people to run errands let alone travel from state to state with me. My husband died shortly after 9/11 of a brain tumor and I have no family. My landlord illegally sold half of our building (my home of 25 years) to a hotel and then began removing tenants illegally until 110 tenants had been thrown on the streets including 80 year olds. Now living in MA, the state motto is “if you’re poor or disabled, we don’t want you” so while it is easy to say travel with someone, I live in a state where they will not give me a motorized wheelchair because they think despite my on-going letters and my doctor’s that I am an ex-Marine who is a parapelgic who wants to play basketball instead of a 50+ year old woman who struggles to walk and cannot push a wheelchair up a hill. Until you lose the ability to walk or function, no one can imagine what it is like to be disabled and unfortunately you do have to rely on the kindness of strangers. There is nothing worse than spending your life working, paying taxes, being an advocate and then suddenly seeing your entire life and all of your co-workers bombed out of existence. So for those who do not understand what it is like to suddenly be unable to go to the bathroom yourself, or boil water, I suggest you try it for a week and do it alone without any family or friends around. Her situation mirrors mine a while back of being released from the hospital without my wallet, had no way to get home which was 30 miles away. After falling with my cane on the side of the road which was only 2 lanes and a speed limit of 30 mph not one person in their huge brand new SUV’s stopped to help including the police and I was in Hyannis, MA, home of Ted Kennedy. So for those who criticize or stand around doing nothing, you ought to try walking (or sitting) in someone else’s shoes first.
To those of you who have made the most incredibly insensitive comments like “find alternative forms of travel” or “no one should expect people to bend over backwards to help them” I only pray that you do not lose a foot, or a hand or the ability to walk or an eye, because what a nightmare it would be for you to be unable to open a heavy door somewhere and need help because no one should “bend over backwards”. As for alternative travel, when my father who lived in FL, a decorated WWII veteran died last year, I should have what? Taken a train down and taken my time? Jewish law demands that the dead are buried within 24 hours unless it is the Sabbath, so I should have missed his funeral because the “able-bodied” consider me to be an inconsiderate nuisance when flying because I need a wheelchair? People who believe these things only further my belief that we don’t stand a chance as a civilization and that we are definitely on the way out. Hold on to that property in Michigan. It’s going to be beach front soon because these must be the same people who do not believe global warming is real What ever happened to the 10 Commandments, do unto others… It’s a pretty sad state of affairs when those still lucky enough to be able-bodied tell those that aren’t to not impose themselves on their travel plans or miss the fact that the most gratifying part of being human is giving aid and help to those who cannot help themselves. What pathetic excuses for human beings.
Anyone still think Freddie Prinze (Sr.) saying “ees not my yob, man” is funny? Context is everything.
@Youthier: Having flown through West Palm Beach, I can assure you that it’s pretty empty at midnight, let alone 3 AM. I’m surprised there was a shuttle there for her at all.
Once again, God Bless America. No one else will.
I had a similar problem with Delta after being assured a wheelchairs would
be at my gates. A fellow passenger whom I did not know assisted me boarding and
un boarding plus making my connections. Thank goodness for this Angel as
Delta could not give a hoot that I was visibly disabled. My whole round trip
was a fiasco. Have not flown Delta since and this was 1999. Things remain the
same I see!
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My first wife had MD, and it progressed from a bad limp to being confined to a wheelchair with no ability to walk at all before she passed away. We went on many trips by air, and all airlines have a special wheelchair for the planes to fit down the aisles (really a reinforced hand truck with a seat and restraining belts), and at airports without jetways, the special vehicle with a vertical lift to get to the plane. This woman needs to be compensated, as the law requires the airlines to take care of them, as their own personal equipment is sent as medical luggage.
The story she relates is horrible, but I’m curious how she manages to care for herself otherwise. If she can’t wheel her own chair to use the restroom or obtain food, how does she do this at home? If she needs continual round the clock nursing care, should she not travel with that care provider rather than expect the airline to act in that role? After all, the only thing they are in business of is transporting us from place to place. And I can’t imagine the airlines or the FAA would prohibit disabled people from traveling with their own wheelchairs or similar devices. What would they do when they arrived at their destinations?
..
I recently flew DELTA (May 2008), for the last time. My little girl all 35 pounds of her, flew from St. Louis to JFK/New York. The flight attendants refused to help us, when they couldn’t find my daughters bright pink infant sized w/c in the cargo hold. When we arrived in NYC they insisted that I carry my daughter down the airplane steps to the tarmac without her w/c. Then because they couldn’t find her w/c immediately, all the other passengers had to wait on the shuttle bus for us. They finally retrieved her w/c. We were dropped off in a remote area with a broken escalator. I asked the DELTA rep. where the elevator was, she said “oh I don’t think there are any in this terminal.” She then told me to carry my severely disabled child up the broken escalator steps, then she said I should leave her at the top of the escalator, on the floor by herself and then come back down the broken escalator to retrieve her w/c and carry it up the broken escalator. When another kind family on our flight heard this absurd woman they offered to help us. When I asked this DELTA person where the luggage carousel was she said “oh I don’t know.” and she walked off. We had nothing but trouble on this flight as well as our flight back home a week later, also on DELTA. The employee’s that we came across were terrible human beings, and I use the word “Human” very loosely.
Are you kidding me with this? We live in America where you can sue for ADA violations. I effing hate Delta anyway, they are the worst airline to fly on.
I am so afraid to fly anywhere anymore because I am scared that I would beat someone within an inch of their life. There is no excuse for behavior like this.
I’m disabled, from a spinal cord injury. I fly a fair amount, often alone. They gate-check your chair. I wouldn’t get off the plane without it. I have great luck with airlines and staff 95% of the time. The problem is, when your body is a wreck, bad times are REALLY bad! There are ppl in the airport paid to transport wheelers, just like the ones you see in the golf carts. Probably a series of balls was dropped, it surprises me a bit to read this. I hope I didn’t jinx myself w/ this comment!
@Hogan1: Bedpan service? Now that’s a nice turn of phrase. If she got stuck in an airport chair, she may not have been able to get to the bathroom w/out a push. If you get disabled, will you stay home forever, lest you need to pee? A push to the bathroom is not bedpan service.
@Hogan1: it’s funny, but “not to bash/blame the OP, but….” is 100% of the time followed up with a post bashing and blaming the OP. Whether or not it is “unwise” to travel alone, not everybody has the option of traveling with a companion 100% of the time. So your point is, what? She was asking for it?
@synergy: Yes, most airport wheelchairs have small back wheels, not allowing the wheeler to self-push. Same thing at hospitals, prob. prevents theft.
@Hogan1: I have to agree with mythago here. Posting “not to bash the OP” and then proceeding to do exactly that is not a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Don’t blame the victim. It’s as simple as that and you know the rule. Behave yourself.
I’ll refrain from opining on the veracity of the story, but as someone who has Spina Bifida (I’m an incomplete paraplegic), I can relate a bit. I’ll share my flying experiences with you, see what you think.
I’m lucky, in that I’m pretty independent. I use a manual wheelchair (I push myself) but can’t walk. I can take a few steps, but must hang onto some stationary object (e.g. a chair). I can get my own food & use a restroom independently. I’ve also learned that I have to be a “defensive flier”; traveling while disabled often leads to problems/indignities even in the best of situations.
When I fly, I’m usually with family or friends because I fly for pleasure. However, I’ve always felt lucky that I was traveling with able-bodied people, because sometimes people simply aren’t helpful or generous. Here’s how things are supposed to work:
Immediately after I purchase a ticket, I let the airline know that: I use a manual, folding wheelchair, I cannot walk, & I want my wheelchair to remain on the plane, as is offered. I also tell them I’ll need an aisle chair (looks like the thing used on Hannibal Lecter, only it allows me to sit) to get from the door of the plane to my seat & back. They “yes” me & I cross my fingers.
Then comes the day of the flight. I get to security, I’m patted down (I can’t go through a metal detector); I then head to the waiting area, where I tell the ticket agent that I’ll need the aisle chair. I’m allowed to board first; I push myself down the jetway to the door of the plane. The aisle chair & two knowledgeable attendants are waiting for me; I transfer myself into the aisle chair, they cart me to my seat, and I transfer myself from the aisle chair to the seat. When we land, I’m the last one off the plane. The aisle seat scenario is played out in reverse, my chair meets me at the door to the aircraft, & I go on my merry way. Everyone is willing to help & is understanding of my needs. People don’t rush around me when it’s obvious that I need to get on first.
Sometimes things work perfectly. Oftentimes, things don’t work as perfectly. I’ve never had them lose my chair, but I’ve had them tell me at the gate that I couldn’t have my chair stowed on board (despite the fact that I was told something else when booking the ticket). I’ve never dragged myself down an aisle & off the plane in order to make my connecting flight, but only because I was physically unable. If it was between dragging myself off the plane & missing a connecting flight, I’m not sure what I’d do – I came very close once because my originating flight was very delayed.
I’ve had plenty of problems with aisle chairs not being there when I needed them (despite being told they’d be there). I once had to be carried down the stairs of a plane – I wasn’t informed when booking my flight that the second leg would be via a plane that would exit on the tarmac. That would have been okay if either of the lifts used to help those with mobility impairments off the plane had been operational. As it was, I had to be carried down by two employees who were none too pleased to do so. “Don’t panic, okay?”, one said. “‘Cause one lady was panicking and it wasn’t good, y’know?”.
So. Those are both ends of my experiences with flying in the United States. Don’t ask me about commuter trains, buses & subways.
K. Campanella
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http://www.windowslive.com/family_safety/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_family_safety_072008
OK, I posted early on about this [[consumerist.com]] with links to the appropriate *Federal* DOT (that’s Department of Transportation) LAWS that require airlines to help disabled people.
I’m really, really, saddened and disappointed at the number of people who then commented, “It’s not the airlines’ job to take care of disabled people.”
The airlines are not required to do things like help with personal care issues (feeding, toiletry, etc.). They *are* required to help with mobility. If they contract with a 3rd party company to have this stuff handled, the responsibility still lies with the *airline*.
Sometimes I wonder about the ability of reading comprehension of way too many posters on this site. It makes me sad for the universe.
And as for “Why doesn’t someone in a wheelchair just push themselves?” Again, people are waving their ignorance flags. People who self-propel themselves in wheelchairs are almost always in a chair that was fit exactly to their needs and specifications. You will also almost always find that they have enormous upper body strength. “Generic” wheelchairs found in places like airports (or sometimes stores) aren’t designed for self-motivation. Try it yourself, sometime. You’ll find that after about 10-15 minutes you’ll be exhausted, and your arms will be quite sore.
im glad they are treating the physical handicaps like the mental handicaps. at least its fair.
Bravo, Delta.
Bravo. Do you feel big about yourself now?
This story doesn’t surprise me one bit. Why would they give a shite about some handicapped lady when they haven’t given a shite about ANY of their customers for years now? I’m telling you RIGHT NOW, the ONLY way to get change will be if we can all boycott the airlines for a lengthy period. Just imagine, as I have done, that we live 100 years ago, and adjust your desires/’needs’ accordingly. Even if 30% of all Americans who will fly in the next 1 year period just DIDN’T, it would hit them very very hard. And THAT’S the only way to make ‘em change – hit ‘em in the pocketbook.
according to the law:
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§ 382.39 Provision of services and equipment.
Carriers shall ensure that qualified individuals with a disability are provided the following services and equipment:
(a) Carriers shall provide assistance requested by or on behalf of qualified individuals with a disability, or offered by air carrier personnel and accepted by qualified individuals with a disability, in enplaning and deplaning. The delivering carrier shall be responsible for assistance in making flight connections and transportation between gates.
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says right there that they are responsible in getting her on and off the plane AND in getting her to her connecting gate.
my parents tend to book family vacations for us all and book me flights with less than two hours connecting time. considering i have MS, use a cane to walk long distances [like across a large airport, the atlanta airport is a NIGHTMARE if you happen to have difficulty with distances] and often have to sit and rest for a while after walking for a few minutes, 2 hours is barely enough time, even without delayed flights.
but the number of times i have fallen, lost my balance, had to crawl in a public place when my legs suddenly gave out….
lets just say i am glad to work where i do, because thursday, when it happened at work on my way to the bathroom, one of my coworkers saw it and although she was in the middle of a call and couldn’t help me herself, she wrote a note to the girl sitting next to her, who came after me to help me back from the bathroom. but i work with people who were hired for empathy.
that doesn’t EVER happen outside of work. people just watch me. sometimes they stare. once in a while they ask what happened to my legs but i’ve never had a stranger stop to offer to help me crawl across a parking lot from the grocery store.
When they were ‘debating’ about who would be forced to deal with the crippled woman, how the fuck does she not scream bloody murder about discrimination….
i would be livid and on the warpath, taking employee names and demanding “your supervisor” of everyone who attempts to pass the buck until it was dealt with.
This is insane. fuck delta.
I use a wheelchair because of nerve damage. I can push my chair, but I can’t push one of the airline chairs because they tend to look like this: [www.1800wheelchair.com] and the armrests get in the way. So it’s entirely possible that she checked her wheelchair through to her final destination (I once had an airline do this even after I told them not to) and was dependent on their service, when normally she could get around. It’s also possible that by the time she got down to baggage claim the chair was locked in the “unclaimed baggage” area and she couldn’t get it. Or it’s possible that normally she could walk short distances, but that at the end of a long and hard day she didn’t have the strength left. All of these would explain why she had to crawl out of the airport at the end of the night. (And I’ve been abandoned by my rides before, so I don’t find that unbelievable)
Sadly, I find this story very believable. I spent about 30 minutes once arguing with a flight attendant that the airline needed to bring my wheelchair to the door of the aircraft, not the top of the ramp. I can walk the length of the airplane (especially since I sit up front), but not up the ramp. The FA was insistent. Until I pointed to the law in the copy of the Air Carriers Access Act (always carry a copy when you fly). Oh, and they broke my chair, so I could also see it being possible that the woman had a chair, and it no longer functioned, but that probably would have been mentioned in the letter.
By the way, it’s the air carrier’s access act that rules here, not the ADA. Which is good, because the ACAA has more “teeth”.
I’ve dealt with flights where they wouldn’t let me preboard, where there were stairs that I was not informed of (I can’t do stairs), where I was left on the aircraft after the FA have left (not legal), and where I was treated as an annoyance.
I don’t need someone to travel with me. But if they told me that they would take care of me between flights I would believe them. That includes a trip to the bathroom and a chance to get food.
Shame on Delta! Shame on those employees!