Ugh, Another Airline Powerchair Horror Story
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 11:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jesse_the_kThe more I read about airline travel these days, the gladder I am I haven't had to fly recently. Here's a local news video plus a transcript.
Power wheelchair user abandoned on plane at O'Hare
Do read the comments on the story, as (naturally) the TV show didn't have time for the full details.
It surprised me when I learned that the airlines don't direct the actions of the ground personnel, so each trip requires at least two successful hand-offs: between the airline and the departing terminal folks and the airline and the arriving terminal folks. Which is how Pete Boulay was boarded on the plane with a straight back aisle chair, but abandoned on the plane when it arrived at O'Hare.
As I mentioned in a comment there, airline services have gone way downhill recently, but most flyers don't have to worry about being trapped in the plane! Whenever I have flown there's been one flight crew member who sits down and asks me what will work best if there's an emergency evacuation. After that discussion, I make a point of asking that attendant, "Will you stay with me until I'm off the plane?" and they've always said "yes." (Maybe because they're already in a "time to talk one-to-one" headspace at the moment.)
Then when there's been a delay in my chair showing up, I have an ally who knows how to get in touch with the folks in the terminal. It's saved my sanity twice.
The "straight back" is my least favorite bit of assistive technology. It's a very narrow, not-really-padded hand truck that airline personnel use to move a passenger from xir own chair at the plane's doorway to xir seat.
Photo description: steel frame, 16 inches wide, with two thin pads on seat and back. Two chest seat belts cross in front, with one leg seat belt at mid calf. Pair of wheels in back and tall handle permit handler to tip rider back and move them like a refrigerator.
Here's a useful "when wheelchair users fly guide" from Spinal Injury Net
Power wheelchair user abandoned on plane at O'Hare
Do read the comments on the story, as (naturally) the TV show didn't have time for the full details.
It surprised me when I learned that the airlines don't direct the actions of the ground personnel, so each trip requires at least two successful hand-offs: between the airline and the departing terminal folks and the airline and the arriving terminal folks. Which is how Pete Boulay was boarded on the plane with a straight back aisle chair, but abandoned on the plane when it arrived at O'Hare.
As I mentioned in a comment there, airline services have gone way downhill recently, but most flyers don't have to worry about being trapped in the plane! Whenever I have flown there's been one flight crew member who sits down and asks me what will work best if there's an emergency evacuation. After that discussion, I make a point of asking that attendant, "Will you stay with me until I'm off the plane?" and they've always said "yes." (Maybe because they're already in a "time to talk one-to-one" headspace at the moment.)
Then when there's been a delay in my chair showing up, I have an ally who knows how to get in touch with the folks in the terminal. It's saved my sanity twice.
The "straight back" is my least favorite bit of assistive technology. It's a very narrow, not-really-padded hand truck that airline personnel use to move a passenger from xir own chair at the plane's doorway to xir seat.
Photo description: steel frame, 16 inches wide, with two thin pads on seat and back. Two chest seat belts cross in front, with one leg seat belt at mid calf. Pair of wheels in back and tall handle permit handler to tip rider back and move them like a refrigerator.
Here's a useful "when wheelchair users fly guide" from Spinal Injury Net
