People's Attitudes Toward Wheelchair Users

[veggiepatch1959]

Having pushed countless people with disabilities in wheelchairs over 20 years on the job, the boot's now on the other foot.

Having suffered a severely broken ankle on Father's Day, I have found myself using a wheelchair to get around over the past six weeks. Crutches are out of the question due to moderate osteoarthritis in both hips.

The poor attitude and ignorance shown by members of the public is outstanding. They will walk straight towards you while looking at you at expect you to move out of their way.

Then there's the mobile phone users who are oblivious to everything except their screens. I ran into one such idiot a couple of weeks ago. In his Oriental English, he accused me of not watching where I was going! Dandenong Plaza was the scene of these events.

Then there was the episode on a crowded bus. My wheelchair was folded up and in the space for wheelchairs where you can put the seats up. I was painfully standing on my good leg when a woman shoved the wheelchair out of the way without warning, folded a seat down and plonked her ugly arse on it. She copped an unrestrained barrage of expletives from me until a young woman gave her seat up for me.

Understandably, my disability work was in country areas where people have much more compassion and tolerance than their city counterparts who are mostly from non English speaking backgrounds. Trouble is people have such a heightened sense of self importance, that they cannot show any respect for others.

 

[Lambretta]

I noticed a few years ago the fascination young people from certain regions of the planet had in their mobile phones and their insistence in looking at them at all times regardless of what they were doing

In the spirit of making Multi Culturalism work seamlessly, this habit has now stretched to younger Sydney-siders regardless of their origin

Miserable old f**kers still cling to their age old habits of actually looking where they're going. But as they walk at the same speed as a young person looking at their phone it all seems to work

Except for me. I do not walk at the old f**ker speed that corresponds with my chronological age, nor do I look at my phone whilst doing so.

Much tutting and get out of my f**king way-isms ensue

I did however stand for a lady on the bus the other day and moved a fellow male passenger to let a pregnant lady sit down.

 

[veggiepatch1959]

I did however stand for a lady on the bus the other day and moved a fellow male passenger to let a pregnant lady sit down.

Good man. I take my hat off to you.

Meanwhile, I got a CAM (controlled ankle movement) boot fitted yesterday and will have to wear it for the next three weeks. No crutches required!

A bit slower than the wheelchair but more maneuverable. Still have to battle with some ignorant merkins.

 

[muzby]

I feel that as a society we’re just becoming more selfish and that is starting to show through..

I’ll hold the door if someone is either following close behind or entering from the other direction.. Just something I’ve always done.. But more often I’m finding no polite thank you, nor repaying of the favour..

But the phone thing shits me no end.. I’m relatively solid enough so if I see someone walking towards me, looking at their phone and not paying attention, I’ll take the impact to wake them up..

I award myself bonus points if they drop their phone..

I’m even worse towards people who handle their phones in the car.. I’ll drop in front of them and keep hitting the brakes till they either drop the phone by accident or put it down by choice..

Yes, some may call me a jerk but I’m not fussed..

 

[jim_57]

The footpath is definitely a Melbourne thing and probably most cities in general I guess. When I'm walking it's amazing how many people walking in pairs or with their dogs won't move over to one side when you're walking towards them until you're on top of them and they look suprised/offended you haven't stepped off the footpath for them. I'll move aside for a pram, wheelchair or parents with small kids but that's about it.

Same with cars parking across footpaths, that one gets me as well. Or cars turning without an indicator in to a street you're walking across then looking at you like you're the dick.

I can only imagine what's it's like in a wheelchair.

 

[horrie hastings]

I feel that as a society we’re just becoming more selfish and that is starting to show through..

I’ll hold the door if someone is either following close behind or entering from the other direction.. Just something I’ve always done.. But more often I’m finding no polite thank you, nor repaying of the favour..

But the phone thing shits me no end.. I’m relatively solid enough so if I see someone walking towards me, looking at their phone and not paying attention, I’ll take the impact to wake them up..

I award myself bonus points if they drop their phone..

I’m even worse towards people who handle their phones in the car.. I’ll drop in front of them and keep hitting the brakes till they either drop the phone by accident or put it down by choice..

Yes, some may call me a jerk but I’m not fussed..

Yes exactly to just about every point you make except maybe hitting the brakes to a car behind you if someone is on the phone, if they are so engrossed with the phone if you slow down or break in front of them they could so easily run up the back of you because they are already distracted by their phone.

I just got back from 6 days in Singapore and found 99.9% of people were so curtious and respectful, I wasn't looking forward to coming back home to rude disrespectful people especially around where I work.

 

[horrie hastings]

But the phone thing shits me no end.. I’m relatively solid enough so if I see someone walking towards me, looking at their phone and not paying attention, I’ll take the impact to wake them up..

I award myself bonus points if they drop their phone..

Lol, I did that to someone who had the phone and coffee, both went to the ground , the look on their face was priceless and they didn't know what to do, I Just kept on walking after that and it did make me smile.

 

[Lambretta]

There doesn't seem to be an enforced etiquette in Australia for anything

Escalators are a bug bear of mine. If someone is standing, stand on the same f**king side so others can get past if they wish.

The other thing I don't understand is the relationship between the speed over flat ground and the speed going up stairs when they alight from a train. People are f**king Usain Bolt between the train and the stairs yet once they've comfortably blocked your ability to get past them, they walk up, side by side with some other slowcoach and proceed to ascend the stairs as if their going up the North face of Everestin a blizzard. Why on Earth do they do that?
Walk behind other slow walkers you rude f**ks

I hold doors for others. It doesn't bother me if someone doesn't say thanks, but it makes me smile when they do.

 

[soc123_au]

I've been in a chair for about 15 years now. I find it a mixed bag. Most people are pretty considerate, but you do get quite a few that see the chair & want to race you to the next doorway and let it slam on you & shit like that. Its taught me to be very patient. Ha ha.

Also the endless questions, what happened to you etc etc & then the sympathising because they had a sprained ankle when they were a kid & it was hell on earth being immobile for a week. Most of them mean well, but some days I want to headbutt them.

I've had some moments of extreme kindness as well. Mostly little things, but a few things have made me a bit emotional about how kind strangers can sometimes be. One was in China of all places. I was dragging myself out of a cab while my mate was grabbing the chair out of the boot. A guy in suit & tie, briefcase the whole bit spotted me from across the street. He came running over, dropped his expensive looking briefcase in the gutter & tried helping me get out & into the chair. He probably made it harder, but it was a gesture that has stayed with me for a while now.