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Mrs MTG is going to be in a wheelchair for a while following an accident.
She's only been out of hospital a couple of weeks and it's happened already, we were warned it would.
She had an appointment at the bank, so I tagged along as driver and wheelchair pusher.
We sat on the row of chairs by the wall waiting.
After a few minutes, Mrs MTG rolled a few feet along to talk to someone a few chairs away.
One of the bank staff came out and said to me "Sorry about the delay, he's got called away to a phone call. He'll be with you in a few minutes "
She then walked straight past Mrs MTG.
I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt and think it was because I was sitting alone and she didn't want to disturb Mrs MTG's conversation, but I suspect she would have spoken to the person who had the appointment, not the person who just happened to have arrived with them, if it wasn't for the wheelchair.
I think you may be being a tad oversensitive to the situation. Easy mistake for the bank blokie to make.
My verdict = 'not proven'
what you can talk to people in wheelchairs!!
Yes its odd I workled with people with disabilities and why do people talk to you about them..Its odd they tend to not mean anything by it when they do it and I suggest a polite why not speak to her about this
Over sensitive perhaps? Especially if she was having a conversation at the time.
It could be sexism instead.
People do this a lot to my daughter. She goes up to people and talks to them, and they purposely ignore her avoiding eye contact. Sometimes if they do look at her they then just look at me instead. FFS she's three, how can you be shy?
Oversensitivity perhaps but Mrs MTG is only right to feel that way. Sadly there is a lot of adaptation to come. I wish you both all the best in the future. As someone who has had a lifetime of visual-impairment the advice that I would give is that some times you have to politely, but firmly and assertively, make your case known.
my wife has to use a wheelchair for any significant distance due to a chronic neuropathic nerve condition affecting her right knee. i can confirm that this situation happens basically all the time.
I don't think I was being over sensitive. I wasn't offended, I found it amusing and thought "Wow, it really does happen".
On the flip side, while we were waiting, another guy came in in a pretty trick looking wheelchair.
Normally, I'd have tried to sneak a look at the chair without looking like I was staring at the guy in it.
As I was with someone in a chair myself though, it seemed perfectly natural to start a conversation about titanium wheelchairs, just like talking to another cyclist about their bike.
After a few minutes, Mrs MTG rolled a few feet along
Did you let the handbrake off? 🙂
Glad to hear she is recovering.
MTG, although there's no way of telling this time whether is was or not, I can certain that it will happen. I didn't believe it so I borrowed a wheel chair off a lady that my mother was a personal carer for and went into town with a friend. You'd be amazed how many people completely ignored me and if I asked a question, would answer to my mate. It was a real eye opener.
This was 15+ years ago and I'll bet things will have improved a bit, but I reckon it'll still happen
Did they talk loudly to her like she was hard of hearing?
FFS she's three, how can you be shy?
Some folk dont like kids
Imagine it was a friendly dog approaching folk..have you considered a lead and or muzzle in public 😉
MidlandTrailquestsGraham sounds like you have had a tiny taste of what it can be like once you step onto the other side.
I have a daughter with special needs and one thing the last few years has taught me, is not take these situations Personally, thick skin and all that.
transapp - MemberMTG, although there's no way of telling this time whether is was or not, I can certain that it will happen. I didn't believe it so I borrowed a wheel chair off a lady that my mother was a personal carer for and went into town with a friend. You'd be amazed how many people completely ignored me and if I asked a question, would answer to my mate. It was a real eye opener.
This was 15+ years ago and I'll bet things will have improved a bit, but I reckon it'll still happen
transapp, brings up a good point, my daughter being ignored is the hardest thing to deal with. Does not happen often thankfully, she has her own special way with dealing with this though, as some of you who know her on this forum, will know what I am talking about 😉
that's got my curiosity piqued.
They should make wheel chairs that jack up much higher, so that you're basically slightly taller than average person. Maybe.
People do this a lot to my daughter. She goes up to people and talks to them, and they purposely ignore her avoiding eye contact. Sometimes if they do look at her they then just look at me instead. FFS she's three, how can you be shy?
It's not shyness, it's the Daily Mail-pitchfork-wielding zeitgeist that to even talk to a child marks you out as a nonce, unless you too are in the company of a child ideally your own. Sad but I think true.
Eh? You are over-sensitive. Seriously. You need to read less into the short conversation. On a really basic level maybe the bank worker found you attractive.
Theres a thousand things you could read into a situation.
Heres one, I walk into a backstreet restaurant off the beaten track in Barcelona with two non-white girls. I ask the owner/manager if they were was a spare table, he barely concealed his disgust after a side glance at the two girls and answered "No we are full". I replied "fine fvcker" and walked out. Thats when you know somethings up.
Maybe she just needed a flag on the back of the wheelchair that said "next in que", dunno mind, just an observation.
"said in jest guys"
maybe they thought she looked perfectly calm and reasonable but felt the need to appease the scary beardyman who was starting to tut loudly at the bolts holding their chairs together ?
i always ignore the carer and go straight for the person in the wheelchair
they're easier to kidnap
So does she take sugar?
Just as likely that the bank worker saw she was talking so didn't want to interrupt IMO. No doubt it happens but it doesn't sound like it did in this case.
I'd have thought that working in a bank you'd see your fair share of folks in wheelchairs, with disabilities etc, so if anything would probably act more 'normal' than most.
Maybe the Bank Worker couldn't actually see MrsMTG, is she a midget?
It is weird, I've got a stutter, although I can keep it largely under control these days.
In the past, when I was very bad, if I spoke at a restaurant, or shop, it was the norm for any further conversation to be conducted through whoever I was with. Does he want this, does he want that. Not particularly nice, but they're not being spiteful.
As an aside, my grandmother in law, whos in her late 80s still asks my wife, "is steve OK", "does he want a cup of tea" etc, makes me laugh!
My verdict = 'not proven'
But it was in England so I'm afraid that verdict is not open to you.