Well, Her Compassion Is Clearly Disabled

I flew back to the States this week and experienced this firsthand.

I am disabled from a stroke nearly three years ago. I usually walk with a cane except at places like airports, malls, or any place with slick, shiny floors, where I use a rolling walker. It’s just easier to navigate.

Right before boarding my first flight, there was a huge gaggle of folks blocking where you enter to get your ticket scanned and go onto the jetway. That was annoying. Several of them told me to go wait by the gate desk, so I did. They were entitled, not allowing me near the gate entry point, but that’s not the focus of this.

I went up to the desk and apologized to the gate agent for deviating from the plan.

Gate Agent #1: “No big deal. You can pre-board from here.”

Now, the pre-boarding. Look, I would LOVE to be the last one getting on the flight because I have no real love for sitting on the stupid plane for thirty to forty minutes before take-off, but I know I am slow because of the balance issues and have no desire to hold up anyone behind me, so I pre-boarded and gate-checked the walker. I got scanned and got down the jetway.

Gate Agent #2: “Please hold where you are; the cleaning team is still on the plane.”

While I was waiting, a couple around my age (I’m in my early sixties) came up behind me. Neither had a visible disability, but that’s okay; many disabled people don’t look disabled.

As we were standing there waiting to board, the wife called over my shoulder to the gate agent.

Lady: “Can I move forward? I’m more disabled than she is.” *Gesturing to me*

Gate Agent #2: “Sure.”

This entitled lady literally pushed me so hard that I fell right there on the jetway. The gate agent helped me up but said nothing to the lady and her husband who were now in front of me.

I decided it wasn’t even worth it to say anything to these idiots. Who pushes someone clearly disabled just to get on a plane first? I was stuck behind them for long enough that the regular passengers started boarding and I was scrambling to get settled in.