Wheelchair Abuse

[MissM]

Hey I hear ya! It hasn't always been that way, but in my last 2 visits it has seemed to get pretty crazy. It's like when you go to a mall at Christmas time and circle the parking lot for hours and you someone pull their handicapped hangtag out of their glove compartment and park right in front. Now they could have some handicap that you can't see with the naked eye, but when they walk like there is nothing wrong with them!

I take extreme offense to this. My mother is disabled. She has Mixed Connective Tissue Disease which is a range of auto-immune disorders where her own body attacks itself. Some days, she can get up and walk pretty normally, others she can't even get out of bed for the pain and swelling and fevers she suffers. Do you honestly believe at age 51, she wanted to be crippled? Do you honestly believe that she'd rather her body be literally killing itself (because auto-immune system disorders destroy your joints, muscles, organs and related?) just so she can get a parking space? That's just effin' insultive of you to make judgements like that. You don't always see the disability. You don't see her sick, you don't hear her crying from being in pain, you don't know the hell she endures with drug after drug that doesn't help watching her body not-so-slowly die as it destroys itself from the inside out.

Don't pass judgement on someone until you effin' know the facts. My mom would take the furthest spot away if it meant she were healthy.
-m

 

[Kadee]

I try to not pass judgement as you really have no clue what could be wrong with them. Sure there has to be some people doing it, but you might be wrong when trying to guess which ones were. I mean you could see someone in one who gets right out and walks on the ride with no problem then get off and walks fine to the chair to get back in. But they could have some sort of issue where if they try walking for long periods they could have some sort of severe pain.

I guess, just don't let it get to you as it is not worth getting yourself so upset for.

I agree. They could have a heart condition or severe asthma or something. You can't always see a disability. Like my husband and daughter, for instance. My husband has had three knee surgeries and has a hard time walking around anywhere all day. So sometimes a wheelchair is necessary for my very healthy looking husband. My daughter recently had knee surgery from a soccer injury. She may not be able to walk around all day when we go in December. They may even take turns in the wheel chair, but that doesn't mean they don't have reason to use one.

Now, that said, I know people do take advantage of this courtesy WDW extends to disabled people and I do NOT like that at all. But you can not order someone to have morals. They are the ones who have to live with themselves. If they don't eventually feel bad about cheating the system, then they have some major problems.

 

[Becky]

Ok, I know i have not been on this site for very long now, but I feel I deserve my one chance to rant. I just got back from a week at WDW (my 21st time there) and I have never seen so much abuse of the wheelchair. . So you know what I did, I rented a wheelchair for just a day to see what would happen. Any one care to comment?

The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. It is not fun to be a wheelchair user at WDW

By the by, your "Test" to me is a disgusting abuse of a wonderful oppertunity Disney has made available to it's guests with disabilities.

 

[barnum42]

I think the problem is Disney letting people to the front of the line if they are in a wheelchair.

HOW MANY TIMES MUST IT BE REPEATED IN THIS THREAD? DISNEY DO NOT LET WHEELCHAIR USERS TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF ATTRACTIONS.

 

[McArcDes]

If people are going to "cheat" by renting a wheelchair so what? Like others have said I go to WDW to have a great time not worry about how I am being short changed because some one may or maynot be getting something I am not.

What we all really need to talk about is getting a training program in place for those people who rent ECVs and dont regularly use them. We have to do this to save the poor Trash Cans through out WDW. When I was there this past Christmas to New Years week I saw a great deal of ECVs ramming into these poor defensless trash cans over and over and over.....The people who were driving their rented ECVs seemed to hate the trash cans. What did the trash cans ever do to the ECV drivers? AND there was not one case where I saw one of the trash cans jump in front of an ECV. This is what we must be talking about people! What is going to happen when someone takes out that talking trash can in Tomorrow Land? We will all be sorry then!

Really, I almost got my leg broken by a elderly man on an ECV on Main Street while I was there. I was walking up the side walk in front of the Emporium and he was going in the opposite direction. He tried to stop before hitting me but if I had not jumped up and stood on one leg lifting the other over his head he would of broken it. I dont dispute his right to use an ECV, but I did see many older people that had a great deal of trouble stopping them. They are a great thing for people of limited mobility but because of their weight and forward momentum they can be very dangerious too.

 

[McArcDes]

Oh, and by the way, the thing about the trash cans was a joke. Although I really did see a lot of people hitting the trash cans with the ECVs that part is true.

 

[barnum42]

If people are going to "cheat" by renting a wheelchair so what?

As you can't leap to the front of all the queues there is nothing to be gained by "cheating" when renting a wheelchair. THAT'S why it's not something to worry about.

 

[Marge10369]

It is threads like this that stopped me from using a wheelchair twice at Disneyworld. 1st time was a short time after knee surgery - I looked fit as a fiddle but if I walked for too long of a time I was in some serious pain. Rather that risk the looks of others I iced my knee every night. The second was shortly after my open heart surgery - again I looked like the picture of health - (no big rides this time though) short of showing my scar - people again would have questioned why I was in a chair. By the way this trip was a family celebration for making it through the operation. So I never judge people who are in wheelchairs specially when I'm in WDW - I'm just happy to be there!

 

[MommytoMJM]

The one's who get up out of the wheelchair and throw something away right in front of you aren't handicapped. Yes, that's happened before.

I can get up out of my chair to throw something away, even to walk into a short bathroom (meaning not standing for a long time) My daughter can play out of her wheelchair for about 30 minutes (on a good day) before she starts to pass out or fall and hurt herself....this doesn't make us any less disabled....

 

[Kadee]

I think people are too quick to judge others for whatever reason. There are too many stereotypes and assumptions made and it just makes people upset or very hurt. I admit, I have been one to judge BUT I have also been the one to be judged. When I find myself judging others, it is usually because of inadequacies I see in myself and not really because of them. Whatever the reason, it is not right. WE don't know what others are like, who they are inside. WE don't have a right to judge them. So, when you see someone in a wheelchair, an overweight person, a person of a different race or ethnicity, just smile at them like you would anyone else. They are people just like you. And probably have more in common than you think. Please don't be offended by this post, I'm just trying to spread a little understanding.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Some of the comments made in this thread disgust me. You know who you are. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Please out the people who disgust you because I am sure we are all disgusted by the same people...

 

[pinkrose]

Medical proof can get certain people to the front of some lines. But they must have provided medical proof.
.

A little girl in my son's class and her brother have both had liver transplants. They were given those front of the line passes on their recent trip.

I think WDW has a good system, Six Flags in Ga. is one that I don't agree wtih. My sister in law is in a wheelchair. Six Flags gave them front of the line passes (Her, my brother, and her kids...including one teenager). Now most of the rides aren't even accesable, so she couldn't get on even if she wanted to. So, she spent the whole day sitting there while my brother and the kids jumped on ride after ride without waiting in line. To me... that's not fair. I feel my brother (and her teenage daughter) took advantage of her special needs. The made her pay full price to get into a park that they KNOW she can't ride hardly anything and to make it up let the rest of her party jump on every attraction.

When ever you see someone in a wheelchair or on a EVC and they walk around some, that doesn't mean squat. They could have something wrong in which they can't walk long. You never know and shouldn't judge. As for the people who rent them to try and take advantage of the system, I think that WDW has a good system set up and they don't gain anything from trying to take advantage.

When I'm at WDW, I'm like the person in the thread above. I focus on my family and what we are doing.

 

[Computer Magic]

A little girl in my son's class and her brother have both had liver transplants. They were given those front of the line passes on their recent trip.

I think WDW has a good system, Six Flags in Ga. is one that I don't agree wtih. My sister in law is in a wheelchair. Six Flags gave them front of the line passes (Her, my brother, and her kids...including one teenager). Now most of the rides aren't even accesable, so she couldn't get on even if she wanted to. So, she spent the whole day sitting there while my brother and the kids jumped on ride after ride without waiting in line. To me... that's not fair. I feel my brother (and her teenage daughter) took advantage of her special needs. The made her pay full price to get into a park that they KNOW she can't ride hardly anything and to make it up let the rest of her party jump on every attraction.

When ever you see someone in a wheelchair or on a EVC and they walk around some, that doesn't mean squat. They could have something wrong in which they can't walk long. You never know and shouldn't judge. As for the people who rent them to try and take advantage of the system, I think that WDW has a good system set up and they don't gain anything from trying to take advantage.

When I'm at WDW, I'm like the person in the thread above. I focus on my family and what we are doing.

:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

Outstanding this sums up the theard perfectly.


THE END

 

[speck76]

If people are going to "cheat" by renting a wheelchair so what? Like others have said I go to WDW to have a great time not worry about how I am being short changed because some one may or maynot be getting something I am not.

It is the whole "false sense of entitlement" that is infecting Americans....it is epidemic.

People should focus more on having fun, and not concern themselves with what others are doing.

Not everyone in this world is honest.....many people are cheaters. If nothing else, just be happy you are not one of them.

 

[DisneyFreak529]

THE END

I agree lets just leave it were it is. Lets not get our selfs all worked up.
I think it's sad that some people judge people in wheel chairs!!
I think it's sad that some people would judge fat people too.

 

[Dwarful]

Ok you know what bugs me is when the parks close and the lines to the buses get outrageous esp. at the value resorts and they take all of the wheelchair/scooters first w/their families. Everyone should wait in line for the buses equally and when the wheelchairs/scooters get close to the front of the line they would board the next available bus first. on our last trip we stayed at Pop in May and there was a family of 6 who had 4 rented scooters. we got stuck behind this family almost daily, it really slowed things down for everyone. I got really burned when i bumped into the woman one night in the laundry and she was talking to her mother about thanking Julie for the tip about renting the scooters being worth the money. go figure.

 

[DisneyFreak529]

we got stuck behind this family almost daily, it really slowed things down for everyone. I got really burned when i bumped into the woman one night in the laundry and she was talking to her mother about thanking Julie for the tip about renting the scooters being worth the money.

You never know she really have a problem with her legs. The thing is YOU DON'T KNOW?? Maybe she was going to bring her wheel chair but some one suggested renting one at WDW. They she was talking about thanking the person in the laundry room.

The thing that bothers me is unless you are 100% postive that they are faking and cheatting the system then you can't say anying. Anything you say can be rude to them, you never know they might be handy capped, or have a problem.

 

[NTI2002]

I saw some kids one year abusing the wheelchair, they went right past us into Alien Encounter. I later saw them pushing a different friend around tomarrowland. Things like that truly disgust me, I never met my grandfather thanks to polio, so when i see a wheelchair in the wrong hands it really gets my blood boiling!

 

[speck76]

The thing that bothers me is unless you are 100% postive that they are faking and cheatting the system then you can't say anying. Anything you say can be rude to them, you never know they might be handy capped, or have a problem.

Sure you can......it may be rude, insensitive, or whatever, but stuff can be said.....should it be said, that is a personal choice.

Some people are upset that there is not a level playing field between the disabled guests and the temporarily able-bodied guests....

Well, get over it.

Some people are upset because they feel others cheat the system and are not really disabled

Again....get over it.

 

[Dwarful]

Sorry maybe I wasn't clear, I would never say anything to anyone, my nephew is very young and has serious health issues but you couldn't tell just by looking. The thing that burned me was that they had 4 scooters, mom and grandma were riding one each and the 4 kids shared the other two rotating use. If we hadnt been there for 10 days I probably wouldn't have noticed.