Wheels in Motion July 2018

I'm over it!

Hey everyone, this month's newsletter is going to a big whinge… I know I seem to whinge a lot but I feel that I have the right to whinge about some of the things that make my life harder than it would be if I had not had my accident.

First whinge is Don’t offer something you can’t provide!

A couple of times this month I’ve booked a wheelchair accessible room only to turn up at the hotel and it either be NOT accessible or they have given it to someone else! Seriously!.... I don’t have the option of just staying in another room or finding another accessible toilet. I’d much rather you just say "No we don’t have one" then I can make other arrangements!

Next whinge is about airline travel

I normally book a window seat on a plane. Because they get me on the plane first and then I wait to get off the plane last at the other end... this works for me. Other passengers don’t need to climb over me to get to their seats.

But recently I had no option but to fly Shitstar Airlines and the cabin manager told me that I had to sit in the aisle seat in case there was an emergency and they had to assist me to get off!... I said "What about the other two passengers that would not be able to get out because I’ve blocked them in!" He said "Oh they will be right."

I said "But I don’t want to have people climb over me to get in and out of their seat" he said to me "You will just have to deal with it."

That was it…. I said to him "Can I speak to the captain?" His face went red and I could see he was angry, he was obviously not used to a passenger questioning his authority. He stormed off and a few minutes later the captain of the plane came to see me. I explained to him that I have been flying for 30 years and I normally sit in the window to avoid embarrassment to me by having to explain that I can’t stand up and to other passengers for having to climb over me.

The captain then said "Yeah that's no problems, just sit in the window seat I’ll sort out the cabin manager"..... Could have easily been avoided if the cabin manager had spoken to the captain before confronting me!

P.s. I didn’t eat on that flight just in case the cabin manager "Sabotaged" my food. Hahaha

Third Whinge….Is taxi drivers have refused to pick me up

I flew in from interstate last week and wanted to catch a cab home. It was late at night and I lined up at the rank. There are 6 or 7 spots that passengers wait at and the cabs pull up and passengers get in. I was at spot number 3 and as a line of cabs came in to stop at the rank the one who was meant to stop at my spot saw me sitting in my wheelchair and then just took off away from the pick up spot! The other passengers saw it too and could not believe it.

Then the next cab pulled up and argued that my wheelchair would not fit in his car (he didn’t want to take me either) I told him to F#*K off but I would be reporting him to the taxi directorate. Luckily the 3rd cab that pulled up at my spot was great, he got out and put my chair in the boot and drove me home. I gave him a $20 tip.

Whinge No. 4... People using wheelchair dunnies when they don’t have to

Did you know that some people with injuries have very limited bladder and bowel control. If I get the urge to go to the loo I need to find a toilet quickly or I will have an "Accident" so I get really pissed off (Literally) when I see people using the wheelchair loos that are not supposed to.

I recently asked a guy who came out of a disabled toilet "Why do you use that one and not the other one" he said to me "I like that one there is more room"

F#*K you mate, I hope one day you realise the importance of being able to find a loo that you can use in time….. D@*K Head.

Now all 4 of my whinges are related to the fact that I got hurt at work and now have to use a wheelchair!

Don’t hurt yourself people…. I’ve got to put up with this shit for the rest of my life!