ECV abuse caught on camera...

[mouselvrmom]

Hey guys, wait a minute. If you go back and watch the video again it will be clear he has a disability and probably is in need of assitance.

Of course the ECV isn't going to help his MENTAL disability, but it is clear to me that he has one that he needs help with.

:lol: Good one. :sohappy:

 

[firemandisney]

I'll assume you meant "weren't", as I had mentioned "challenges", clearly plural.
However, I think the phrase captured exactly what I wanted it to. Not everyone is handicapped, but it doesn't mean their need for assistance should not be met if the resources are available.

:snore:
P.C.

 

[krazyfordisney]

I am unable to view the video; however based on the posts I've seen, I just have to comment.

When I was a pre-teen, I went to Disney for the first time. My stepfather was handicapped and required a wheel chair at Disney World. He was also a different race than myself...and in the mid seventies that was a very big deal...and in my pre-teen mind I was VERY aware of both of these things and the attention it brought to my family. We utilized the "front of the line" benefits for those in wheel chairs. At the time, all I wanted to be was like everyone else and to wait in line. It brought us way too much attention. (Please keep in mind...this is the view point of a selfish 12 year old...not my current view).

With that said, I needed to rent an EVC during my last trip to Disney in December of 2007. I was on my third day of visiting parks and was in extreme pain. The condition I have only flares up when I have been on my feet too much and is extremely painful (on top of a recent sprained ankle that ached, but I wasn't limping anymore). Outwardly to the rest of the world, I looked fine. I must say that was the best day I had in the parks...the most pain free day I had (the pain disapears when you are sitting). The use of the EVC can also assist someone like me from getting to the point where I was in such pain. At home I walk 3 miles a day, but have a job sitting. It's the All Day On Your Feet thing that is the issue! I still stand in lines to get on rides, I walk into the park, I walk into restaurants, I park the EVC in tight spots to stay out of the way and try to be as considerate as possible.

I will be visiting the parks in 3 weeks...and I hope I dont' have to rent and EVC, but I may have to.

If you see someone get off an EVC and they seem fine, please don't assume that they don't have an underlying issue that isn't apparent. I am sure there is some abuse....but I am willing to bet that most are not. The stigma alone of having to rent one of those things and be looked at differently is enough to keep some people away. For me, it was a big deal to overcome what I had to deal with when I was younger...and it was a lot of pain that took me there.

So please don't bash someone about renting an EVC, unless you know for sure they don't have a medical condition.

Thanks for listening....

 

[MAF]

Was it really necessary for certain people to defend that they use ECV's? I clearly stated that this was created to point out this tool and not to start a debate on "who needs them, and who doesn't".

 

[Elonwy]

So please don't bash someone about renting an EVC, unless you know for sure they don't have a medical condition.

Hi krazyfordisney,

I also have a family member you occasionally requires the use of an ECV for our trips and since her condition is not visible I certainly would bash anyone for using an ECV. Believe me I know you can't judge someone's ability to get around the parks safely and easily by their looks.

However...count me as one of the bashers of this particular video because this person has said (& these are direct quotes)

"don't tire yourself out...$40 bucks and you get the best ride in the park"

"You don't even need to have a medical condition to get one"

"It gets you to the front of all the lines"

These are either lies or just plain wrong and that is why i find the video distasteful. Whether or not he has a disibility is a non-issue for me. I don't like him promoting the use of the ECV's to people who don't need them because then they are not available for people who do.

 

[TinkerbellK]

i cant get to the video, but i must say to those here who said "i saw people get up right off the ECV..." that does NOT mean they don't need it. I use my personal wheelchair at disney, and i stand up to walk into the TTA and HM, because you cannot use a wheelchair with those... i also used to go to PI or the pool and not use my wheelchair there at all.

i am 23, thin, blonde, and pretty, and i don't look sick. just remember you can't know by looking.

Also, you do NOT get head of line access for using a wheelchair or ECV. in fact, i generally wait longer to get on the rides.

for the record, they cannot ask for proof you need a wheelchair or scooter. that is against the law.

having been many places with my wheelchair, i have never been a place that handles wheelchairs better than disney! yes, they can probly do things better, but right now they are doing pretty good. i would rahter allow 2 or 3 fakers to use a scooter, rather than me lose my ability to enjoy the parks. scooters are upwards of $80 a day now, so not too many people are going to spend that much just to be lazy!

 

[mickeymaniacs]

Sigh...like I have said before, it is what it is.

Does the system have flaws? Yes.
Is there a better way to do it? Probably.
Are we going to see a change? Doubtful.

When it is all over, I believe people will have to answer for doing stuff like that.

I agree with you completely! btw love your little tag line at the bottom.:wave:

 

[disneydiva72]

Last August we took a trip to Disney World. My husband was in the advanced stages of stage IV colon cancer. We used a wheelchair for Epcot because of the long walks at that park. We did not get front of the line on a lot of rides, and we weren't looking for it either. My husband walked all the other parks and refused to use a wheelchair as he wanted to prove to the kids and I that he still could do it. He went to be with the Lord in November of 2007 with pride, and we are so very proud of him too.

*hugs to you and your kids*

 

[Sam02]

Was it really necessary for certain people to defend that they use ECV's? I clearly stated that this was created to point out this tool and not to start a debate on "who needs them, and who doesn't".

Can you add to post....Was it really necessary for certain people to bash the people who use ECV's that don't look like they need them? Don't blame one side of the debate without blaming the other if you don't like the debate.

The people who felt is was necessary (myself being one of them) did so because of all the other posters who made comments about how upset they are by the fact that people who don't look like they need ECV's are abusing them. What we are stating and defending is that there are plenty of people who need them but you wouldn't know it by looking at them.

Yes this guy is a complete idiot, gives everybody else who uses an ECV a bad reputation. Because of him and other idiots my husband will have to deal with stares, whispers, and dirty looks.

I understand and agree with the posters who are upset with obvious abusers, but sometimes this anger is misplaced. Not every healthy looking individual is in fact healthy. If the abuse isn't obvious don't be so quick to judge.

 

[Hrudey3032]

I am a bigger guy myself and I have always had back problems(I have a narrowing of my spinal column) but I must say when I am at Disney I refuse to move around in one of those things. My pride alone would not allow me to use that.I feel when I am at WDW I can get alot of exercise by the amount of distance between rides,countries,hotels,etc... and lose a few lb's while doing it.So this guy talks about how he lost alot of weight due to exercise yet he rides one of these when he could be getting a great workout by walking around WDW.:shrug:

 

[bassman02]

people like this guy really annoy me,what was worse is how he blatently admitted that you dont need a medical reason to have one and therefor that he is just lazy.:fork:

on a lighter note did anyone watch the vids of the talking trash can in tommorrow land?

i have never seen this when is it usually about?

 

[bgraham34]

Laziness makes the world go around. I have seen people using them before who had no reason. Really fit people too. But I could have been wrong about them but after seeing this guy my gut feeling is probably right.

 

[raven]

Laziness makes the world go around.

That's America for ya!

One a side note, I was at Cedar Point a couple of months ago and we saw that they were making overweight people get off of one of their coasters. Basically it's a rule there if the safety bars don't click then you can't ride. And everyone watched as the fat people left.

But then Cedar Point also promotes obesity by selling more fried food than any other park I've seen.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY!!! :fork: but if you can't say anything nice, then you shouldn't say anything at all-Thumper:zipit:

I agree with you! I'm outraged.

 

[rileyspaw]

I dislike the little smile or smirk on his face because he knows he's getting away with something he shouldn't be doing. By the looks of the guy a little walking wouldn't hurt him!!:lookaroun

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I had mentioned this on another post, that Busch Gardens Tampa was terrible last year with this. When trying to walk down the walkways you felt like you were in a traffic jam with all the scooters.
As I said before, if they only rented out electric wheelchairs, the danger of being hit by a scooter would be over.

 

[jmicro59]

Number one, I'll bet none of you read the comments written by the creator of the video ... he DOES have medical conditions that make it difficult or impossible for him to walk or stand for long consecutive periods of time.

Number two, he's just plain wrong about an ECV getting you automatic front-of-the-line access. Judging from the position of the sun and shadows (if you stand in the middle of the hub and look at the center of Cinderella Castle, you are facing north, and the sun rises in the east and takes a southerly course towards the west during the day), it was mid-to-late morning, and he probably just made his way up Main Street (the rental place is under the train station) and hadn't yet tried to get front-of-the-line access. Almost all of the rides and attractions have mainstreamed queues that everyone can use ... if an ECV can fit through a queue, then there's no need to give the user special access.

Oh I read all of the comments but I, unlike you seem to have a good grasp on when someone is, oh I don't know, how do you say it?? LYING! You know what I have a hard time standing for hours too and it makes me tired. But again me, like alot of people on this site just make due. If you don't like standing in line well then maybe WDW isn't the place for you.

 

[jmicro59]

Ya, I generally find these kinds of threads to be very pointless and are basically nothing more than a cyber-lynch mob. Kind of like those pedophile threads where everyone and their grandma has to take their turn saying what vile filth these people are. Granted, I'm not attempting to defend pedophiles, or lazy people who rent ACV's or whatever other type of "bad guy" is being targeted in that particular thread. I'm just saying I don't understand why the need to line up and make sure you're heard (or in this case, seen) denouncing someone. I guess it makes us all feel more righteous about ourselves if we can pound on our chest and make sure that everyone else sees us talking about what vile scum these people are.

Threads like this generally get locked because there is no discussion value, other than trying to see if you can outdo everyone else in the manner in which you condemn a person. :lol:

I just have to http://bubba.org/bb/sounds/illnazis.wav :ROFLOL:
God love the Blues Brothers.

 

[The Mom]

Yeah...is that because some of the moderators are folks that may happen to use these things...but dont really need to?

EXCUSE ME? I happen to be the oldest moderator, and forum members who have met me can attest to the fact that I have never used one, nor have any other moderators on this board.

I will confess that I did use a wheelchair (but not a WDW) when:

1. I was on complete bedrest due to a pregnancy which could have killed both myself and my unborn son had I gone into labor. My OB (who was also a friend) pushed me herself so that a could see my daughter dance in her recital. She stayed by me in case anything went wrong.

2. I used one during the first 48 hours after completely blowing out my knee while skiing a dozen years ago.

I was also forced to ride in one while being discharged from the hospital after both babies.

I also would not allow my mother to use one on her last trip to WDW, as I was afraid that she would not be able to control it. Instead, I pushed her around in a wheelchair for 3 days.


This topic always ends badly, but if we lock it preemptively, people complain. If we let it run its course, we get complaints.

Just be thankful if you do not have a real need for one, or that you're not the sort of person to think that using one when you don't need it is fun. I feel compassion for the former, but really pity the latter; what a horrible way to go through life.

 

[MAF]

One a side note, I was at Cedar Point a couple of months ago and we saw that they were making overweight people get off of one of their coasters. Basically it's a rule there if the safety bars don't click then you can't ride. And everyone watched as the fat people left.

But then Cedar Point also promotes obesity by selling more fried food than any other park I've seen.

I'm sorry, but I don't see what this comment has to do w/ this thread. Seems kind of rude/sad as well...

*Sigh* I knew this would turn into yet another, "Who needs/Who doesn't debate"...