Wheelchair user: shows up for a flight ready to put their wheelchair in the in-cabin wheelchair closet
Gate agent: “We’ll see if there’s room.”
Move your fucking personal bags out of the goddamned wheelchair closet you ableist fucks.
Gate agent: “We usually check wheelchairs.”
And leave the wheelchair closet available for the flight attendants’ personal bags. How convenient for you. The wheelchair closet that was only ever built into the damn plane because it was required by law for wheelchairs under the ACAA.
Of course you never tell wheelchair users about it you fucking ableist shits, do you? In fact you actively argue with anyone who wants to use it. You. Ableist. Fucking. Shits.
.
“14CFR 382.67 (e) As a carrier, you must never request or suggest that a passenger not stow his or her wheelchair in the cabin to accommodate other passengers (e.g., informing a passenger that stowing his or her wheelchair in the cabin will require other passengers to be removed from the flight), or for any other non-safety related reason (e.g., that it is easier for the carrier if the wheelchair is stowed in the cargo compartment).” (Source)
“14CFR 382.123 What are the requirements concerning priority cabin stowage for wheelchairs and other assistive devices?
“(a) The following rules apply to the stowage of passengers' wheelchairs or other assistive devices in the priority stowage area provided for in §382.67 of this part:
“(1) You must ensure that a passenger with a disability who uses a wheelchair and takes advantage of the opportunity to preboard the aircraft can stow his or her wheelchair in this area, with priority over other items brought onto the aircraft by other passengers or crew enplaning at the same airport, consistent with FAA, PHMSA, TSA, or applicable foreign government requirements concerning security, safety, and hazardous materials with respect to the stowage of carry-on items. You must move items that you or your personnel have placed in the priority stowage area (e.g., crew luggage, an on-board wheelchair) to make room for the passenger's wheelchair, even if these items were stowed in the priority stowage area before the passenger seeking to stow a wheelchair boarded the aircraft (e.g., the items were placed there on a previous leg of the flight).”
It’s not the “first class closet” it’s the wheelchair closet you ABLEIST FUCKS.
“14CFR 382.141 What training are carriers required to provide for their personnel?
“(a) As a carrier that operates aircraft with 19 or more passenger seats, you must provide training, meeting the requirements of this paragraph, for all personnel who deal with the traveling public, as appropriate to the duties of each employee.
“(1) You must ensure training to proficiency concerning:
“(i) The requirements of this part and other applicable Federal regulations affecting the provision of air travel to passengers with a disability;
“5) You must ensure that all personnel who are required to receive training receive refresher training on the matters covered by this section, as appropriate to the duties of each employee, as needed to maintain proficiency. You must develop a program that will result in each such employee receiving refresher training at least once every three years. The program must describe how employee proficiency will be maintained.”
Super fucking tired of your ableist-ass “But I didn’t know!” and “Gee I’ve never heard that before” excuses. Just saying you don’t know the law is a violation of the law you ableist shits.
Adding a screenshot of this gem from Coffeespoonie on Twitter, who had the same sort of ableist shit given to them approximately 5 months before this thread came to be, and was able to get their chair stored properly:
[A screenshot of a tweet by @coffeespoonie on Twitter, which says "Oooop the flight attendant just made an announcement and very frustratedly said that "we're getting a late start with boarding", and when she closed the closet she grumbled "but now nothing else fits in there [highlighted in yellow] as if I give a shit that the wheelchair closet is full of wheelchair.]
I added the highlight to the bit about the wheelchair closet being full of wheelchair because a) I found it hilarious and they turn a good phrase, and b) it's infuriatingly pointing out that the airline crew was mad that the closet was being used for its intended and legally mandated purpose.
Because she stood up for herself and the chair was in the closet, when she arrived the chair was, GUESS WHAT, not broken!
Jsyk the flight attendants are mad every time the wheelchair closet is full of wheelchair and have on occasion been known to point out the disabled person “to blame” for this to every passenger who wants to stuff their shit in the wheelchair closet.
They’ve definitely let the whole plane know I’m to blame that the flight is leaving late. Because, ya know, I had to spend a lot of time arguing with the flight attendants to move their bags out of the wheelchair closet which slowed everything down. But of course that’s my fault not theirs, right?
There’s nothing quite like a long flight on a plane full of hostile flight attendants and passengers. Which is pretty much every flight I’ve taken since I got a wheelchair.
It’s so weird because when I don’t have my wheelchair some flight attendants are really great about stuff like me asking to stretch in the flight attendant area so I don’t get blood clots during long flights but I’ve never had even one flight attendant be anything less than hostile about mobility aids
