This week USA Today had an article about the problems of the handicapped travelling by airline. It reminded me of a story (doesn’t everything).
Note: The following was written at a time and place that will never be revealed. It could have been at many different regional airports at most any time.
I just took a new look at one of my favorite regional airports and saw things never noticed before.
Today, I am handicapped. I need help. One leg will work fine for a few minutes after I stand up, then it goes into a state of what can only be described as horrific pain, and stays that way until I sit or recline.
I called the airline last night to arrange for a wheelchair at each airport to be used today. That was the friendliest woman. She answered, "No problem, Mr. Hood." She said at your departure airport just drive up to the terminal door and ask a skycap for a wheelchair. Then one will await you at the other two airports." Great.
At the first airport there were no skycaps in sight curbside. No real problem, I could hobble inside and find one. But wait—the big sign said any cars left unattended will be towed immediately at owner’s expense. You could sorta tell they were serious, and that "owner’s expense" would look kinda like a day’s interest on the national debt.
I drove into the parking lot. The only vacant spot—this is true—was in the most distant row. Then came the job of towing three pieces of luggage—two heavy pieces and one not so heavy—uphill across the parking lot and into the terminal. I was almost at the point of tears.
Guess what—no skycaps inside the terminal either. I sat for a minute ‘til the pain eased to a level comparable to natural childbirth, then hobbled to the ticket counter, where—oh happy, happy—there were wheelchairs. I sat in one and whimpered while the agent ticketed me. He explained that there are no skycaps, but he would have an airline employee push me to the gate. I tried to kiss him, but he escaped. It was a gruesome experience, and I still had to deal with two more airports. The wheelchair did arrive at the second airport but not at the third.
How could airports solve this problem without spending a fortune on people and equipment? Maybe the airport could have a much-advertised phone number—at the airport—so handicapped folks could call in the event of a problem. Yes it would be trouble, but it would also be greatly appreciated.
Or, we could just wait until some top dog in the handicapped movement reports the entire industry to the guvmint. It'd be our own fault.
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