What really sticks in my throat is the fact that he said it would be degrading and humiliating to sit in a wheelchair and be pushed by the staff.
I’m sure other wheelchair users who accept that that’s how they have to get around, will love that. Able-bodied people on the whole feel sympathy and respect and try to help, but another cripple thinks they’re degrading and humiliating themselves.
Respect to the man for what he has achieved but my personal reaction is that he’s let his achievements go to his head, he’s become arrogant and developed a very large chip on his shoulder.
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Yes, I agree, but it was probably the temper/anger talking…
Hopefully, this happening will highlight deficiencies (if any)… and there will be no more talk of suing…
I don 't have problem with the question made.
I reacted more to the heard mentality of ALL of us. One question answered/commented not thoughtfully enough leads us to wind up and stop thinking of the consequences.
Maybe not everybody sees my point but this behavior leads us to things like voting for Brexit or Trump , by otherwise nice and thoughtful people.
As for the cat pictures, I just finished my tea and watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg7ftpjhJ08
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The incident happened in August 2017. It has taken him a long time to decide to stand up for equality (or have so many people he has talked to about the incident said ’ you need to sue them for that ’ he has thought yes I do )
Who filmed him? It’s not a selfie ,someone was obviously following him with a mobile phone had I been a fellow airport user I wouldn’t have approached him to offer help in that situation. He obviously wasn’t abandoned without his wheelchair, on his own ,someone must have been with him.
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I hear what you say…and agree in the main…
However, when someone throws a tantrum (child or adult) … I tend to lose sympathy and my patience is stretched…
and this applies to all and everyone… not just the chap in the Article…
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There is a lot about the article and Julien’s attitude that stick in my throat too Anna, especially the following -
"And to be in one of the chairs they were offering would make me feel humiliated and degraded.
“They insisted in trying to strap me down in it”
A chair was offered with assistance, why should that make him feel degraded and humiliated? All wheelchairs have lap straps and some have the additional safety feature of a shoulder strap, like in a car. If Justin had accepted use of the chair then of course a lap strap would be insisted on. After all if he fell out he might sue them for lack of personal safety ! His words make it seem like he would be held down and tied into a chair!
"If something does happen, no-one should be put in the position that they are forced to crawl through the airport or drag themselves along the floor.
No one forced him to crawl through the airport, it was his choice !
“And there should be some form of equipment to move themselves independently. Someone whose chair is their legs shouldn’t be forced to be reliant on others for help.”
Well I’ve got news for you Julien, many thousands of wheelchair users have to rely on others for their help !
A chip on his shoulder indeed !
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I read it as if he was strapped in he wouldn’t be able to adjust his position,and therefore be at risk of developing one of those terrible pressure sores that affect young, healthy, well nourished,hydrated people in a matter of minutes
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You don’t much of illnesses, do you.
I think the point is that his independence is a really big thing to him - to the point that he would rather drag himself through the airport under his own steam than accept help in a chair he felt was a) unsuitable and b) he could not propel himself.
Many young people in his situation feel very strongly about maintaining independence, perhaps even more so if they have achieved as much as he has - and I’m sure his view was that a piece of equipment that was as important to him as your or my legs had, by conspiracy or cock-up been denied to him.
It doesn’t say whether he has lost sensation as well as power in his legs but it is almost certain that he has - if he thought that some bit of metal could stick in without his realising a pressure sore could, indeed, develop in minutes.
His reaction probably didn’t help the situation, given that his wheelchair had been waylaid more by cock-up than anything else maybe some compromise could have been reached but from the photo I saw the chair offered did not look suitable for a paraplegic.
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Peter what are you saying? It is impossible to understand that comment
But this is a fascinating link… perhaps the airport can check their equipment…
It’s funny where your thoughts take you sometimes isn’t it - I started off idly thinking along the lines of “well if he’s so set against the idea of anyone else ever helping him to get around it was big of him to let himself be carried in a plane, perhaps he should sprout wings and learn to fly”, which made me think about Daedalus and Icarus, which brought me back in a full circle to the dangers of arrogance.
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My mother was 76 last week and has Pick’s disease, she has a PEG because she stopped being able to eat 6 years ago and went down to 23 kg for 1m62, horrendous. Otherwise she has oxygen when her sat level goes below 92 or so. I am dreading what will stop working next.
Oh Vero Picks is a horrible illness I did home care for a couple of years for a man with it
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Good grief Vero… some of us have experience with such things… some of us have no idea…
I’ve just googled the disease… sounds awful… so sad, but glad you are there for your Mum.
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How awful for her and more so for you too Véro as it appears that maybe your mum isn’t even aware of what is going on…
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Hi Ann, I think she has sensations of discomfort which manifest as physical reactions (twitching, grimacing) to eg digestive problems, but I think those are reflex actions, there isn’t anything we could define as actual consciousness or awareness of anything or anyone.
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How did it go for him? If you would pm me I’d be grateful.
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I totally agree. The airline or baggage handling were at fault for leaving his chair behind but we are all human and mistakes get made. I’m sure no one left it behind intentionally . From what I’ve read he was offered the only alternative means of getting him around that the airport had available. IMO he’s trying to make money (or a point) or perhaps both. Whilst I wouldn’t want to HAVE to drag myself along - he DID have a choice and CHOSE to drag himself along. I can’t help but draw a comparison to the state the East of England Ambulance service and Basildon Hospital left my 88 yr old mum in a few years ago. She most certainly had NO choice. She was extremely frail , had several health conditions and dementia . Early one morning she slipped , breaking , as it subsequently turned out, her knee. Dad (himself aged 90) had called 999 but somehow had managed to get her onto a chair in their hallway. I arrived about an hour and a half later but the ambulance still hadn’t arrived . I couldn’t get her into my car. She was in agony, breathless, very confused and couldn’t stand or bend her leg. In the meantime some woman rang every hour to inform us they couldn’t send an ambulance! During this time I’d had to lift her onto a commode in their hallway 3 times and she was in an awful state. Dad and I were exhausted and frustrated by the lack of response and called 999 again only to be told the call couldn’t be updated and we’d have to just wait unless mum was unconscious , bleeding or having chest pains. After 5 hours paramedics arrived assessed her as having either a broken knee or ligament damage or both plus her breathing was by then very bad. They couldn’t get her in their car so they called for an emergency ambulance. That took another 2 hours to arrive tying up the paramedic crew in the meantime! Eventually 7 hours after ringing 999 mum was carted off & dad went with her as I had to get back to work. They were discharged 8 hours later back home with mum plastered ankle to hip. She couldn’t make the stairs so they slept on chairs in their living room. That’s what I call lack of care and respect . At no point did we even think of suing anyone. We sadly just accepted that’s the way things are unless you’re literally dying . Sadly the situation hasn’t improved in the intervening years and the trust concerned is still one of the worst performing in the country.
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We have had very similar experience with an old relative going through a terrible ordeal. We did not think of suing anyone either, but because we did not sue I don’ t expect others to do the same, on the contrary, only way companies learn and improve their routines is by having them to pay for the experience.
It is a myth that you can get 50 million for having a hot coffee, the sum you get is much less, so you won’t get rich by suing, if anyone would think so.
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