Their Ableism Doesn’t Have A Leg To Stand On

Customer: “Excuse me, I can’t reach the cereal on the top shelf. Can you get it for me?”

Me: “Of course!”

I’m about to reach up and get the cereal when another customer a few feet from us has an accident. He’s in a wheelchair, and in my peripheral vision, it looks like he turns too sharply, hits the corner of a display, and knocks himself on the floor.

Me: *Immediately rushing over* “Sir! Sir, are you all right?”

Before the poor guy can answer, the customer I was helping starts shrieking in my direction.

Customer: “Excuuuuse me! You were helping me first!”

Me: “This customer fell and requires assistance!”

Customer: “What, so he gets special treatment because his legs don’t work?”

Disabled Customer: *Getting back into his chair with my assistance* “And you deserve special treatment because your arms are too short?” 

The customer looked shocked before stamping their foot (yes, seriously) and storming off. The disabled customer was fine (he’s only recently got a new lightweight wheelchair, and it was taking him some getting used to), and he thanked me for defending him. I told him that with a snapback like that, he did not need defending!