Remember how I stated I do what I do for you? Well, included in that statement would be traveling. I am specifically referencing the trip I have recently taken to a certain city in a state that both starts and ends with an “A”. It wasn’t the destination itself so much as the transportation I took to get there. An airplane. Trains were out, too many people and too many stops. Cars were also not an option. Too much time out in the open. So, a plane it was by default. Let me begin by stating this is not some po-dunk little airline that nobody has ever heard of…Nope! It is a major airline departing from a major airport. This post is specifically written on behalf of those who may have restrictions while travelling (wheelchairs, canes, oxygen tanks, etcetera-etcetera-etcetera). As an introvert, I am very observant. I’d like to believe most of us are since we choose not to willingly interact with people. So, I was fortunate enough to witness the untoward maladies experienced by those destined to share my flight. It came almost immediately to my attention that the airline neither felt obliged to inform certain passengers that the flight they had booked was not ADA compliant nor that they would not have direct access to the plane from the loading dock. Oh, this airline may try and tell you that the information was made available to all passengers, but I’m guessing, if other travelers are anything like me, they have NO idea what a Canadair Jet is and ass-u-med if there’s a problem, information would be forthcoming. And I would be incorrect. I guess in their world placing individuals in wheelchairs also equals making accommodations. But that, too, would not be correct. On behalf of the travel challenged (from an introvert’s point of view), I say it is hard enough for them to make the sacrifice to leave their homes, let alone struggle with hindrances not of their own choosing. If someone asks for a wheelchair because they cannot trek through an airport while carrying luggage, then certain expectations should be considered. Namely, is the plane wheelchair accessible when a flight is booked? If the answer is “No,” then the individual booking the flight should get a heads-up prior to boarding the craft.
Unfortunately, I do not want to get my pants sued off by making accusations towards this giant nor do I want them to be off the hook since they are accurate. And I feel it’s in your best interest I warn you of these little dangers, so you can avoid them going forward. First though, I feel that the person pushing the wheelchair should get an apology. None of this was her fault, but the extra care required by the person in the seat was lacking. And the frustration by the disabled debutant grew exponentially as the follies continued to mount. The airport attendant had admitted she took this trip on a daily basis. This means she may have known there may be trouble boarding, especially from the tarmac. Apparently, there was also some knowledge that small carry-on luggage was never going to be on this flight. Instead, it was going to be furloughed within the belly of the plane with everyone else’s checked bags. Now I get to be outraged. Had I known, I would have packed my carry-on differently. Namely, my laptop would not have been packed on top of my clothing for easy access during the TSA checkpoint waltz. It would have, instead, been nestled safely under my socks and bathrobe so the other pieces of luggage tossed on top of my soft cloth carry-on would not be given the option to damage it. If you find yourself asking, “How do I know there was previous knowledge?” Well, because someone on the tarmac was standing there with green tags specifically for people with luggage (just like me 😊). Funny, I thought that’s what the over-head bins were for, but not in this instance. The excuse I onerously received when I baulked at my luggage being taken away? It’s a small plane. Really??? It’s on the tarmac unable to reach the loading ramp. I would never have guessed. Now back to the person in the wheelchair. How is that wheelchair reliant individual supposed to get into the plane? Well, there’s a plank you can walk up. A very long, very steep, very narrow plank. Let’s think about this, shall we? If a person needs a wheelchair to get through the airport and onto a plane, what makes the airline, and airport personnel, think they can walk up a plank to the plane? Anybody? Thankfully, the person had a cane. But I am voicing frustration for those without that ability. What if (s)he couldn’t use, or didn’t have, an alternative device to ascend the ramp? I was looking around for someone who might be able to carry them up the incline if necessary. People, unless the ground crew had hidden strengths equivalent to a superhero (MC or DC, that argument is irrelevant), I doubt this was an option. If you couldn’t get up to the plane on your own accord, I figured they would just leave you on the runway to figure it out for yourself. Certain jobs ended with getting a person to the ramp and tagging pieces of carry-on luggage to throw into the hollow gut of the plane. Did the wheelchaired individual make it onto the plane? Yes. Was it a small plane? Oh, yes it was! My knees were in my chest and my head hit what should have been where my carry-on luggage resided while sitting down. If the oxygen masks were to fall, they could potentially render a person unconscious. No worries. One less passenger to give stale pretzels to and the ticket was already paid for. Hey, is it safe to see daylight through a plane’s floor while flying at 34K feet? I hope so.
A Sop's Foibles 