Wheelies
Walking off the jetway in Chicago the other night, I hear the gate agent say “It’s not my problem!”. Now I have felt that way on several occasions throughout life, but as I look around and see a woman in a wheelchair with her son standing by her side, I take notice of the situation. Apparently we had three people in need of a wheelchair with only two wheelchairs actually present and only one woman to push all three. I guess in Chicago after midnight, they hide all the wheelchairs. The gate agent promptly disappears leaving these three people to fend for themselves.
We (the crew), go in all directions trying to find another wheelchair, and as I get back to the gate I hear one of the flight attendants say “I don’t know why we have to deal with this”. Are you kidding me?
I am fully aware that it is not in my job description to chase down wheelchairs, but in the interest of not being a complete jackass, I do it anyway. Would you really want your loved ones to get stranded in an empty terminal of Chicago O’Hare in the middle of the night? There are just some things in life you don’t do, and stranding elderly people who can’t walk in an airport definitely falls in that category.
A few minutes later, everyone is on their way to baggage claim and off we go to the hotel for our layover, but this whole epsiode got me thinking. How on earth did we become such inconsiderate jerks as a society? Has it always been this way over the decades? When did America become the land of the free, home of the rude?
we (my husband and i) just finished reading a great book aloud on a long car trip called QBQ. it’s all about accountability, and just doing what needs to be done. whether it’s your job or not! and certainly if it was their grandparent they’d be eternally grateful for someone getting them a wheelchair.
http://www.lifespearliscast.blogspot.com
Comment by Courtenay — August 25, 2008 @ 9:47 am
What a rude flight attendant! How else do you expect someone who can’t walk to get around? Should they be expected to crawl their way through the terminal? Some people really just amaze me with how insensitive they can be.
Comment by Julia — August 26, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
You are a saint. And that gate agent? Well, may he forever ride the movable walkways of Ohare, going nowhere… forever and ever. Amen. After many weeks of flying to Ohare every weekend and dealing with the hassle (on the ground) from the passenger’s eye view, if a pilot or crew member went out of their way to assist me in any way… I would buy them dinner! You sound awesome!
By the way, this is the first time I’ve stopped by. Great blog!
Comment by Melanie — August 27, 2008 @ 10:21 pm
I’ve long considered America to be in its difficult teenage years. Snarky and moody. Selfish and rude. But, then can become completely charming in the right situation. I guess we aren’t so much a society as a societme. There seems to be so many who worry more about what someone else might get or what they aren’t getting rather than what they can do to make the world a bit nicer (ie, pitch in). Are we really that empty as people or just so self-focused trying to survive that we just lose all sense of decency? Oops. Got a little dizzy up here on my soapbox. Stepping down now. No, no. Don’t get up. I’m fine. Thanks!
Comment by SAM — August 28, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
Thank you all for such wonderful comments!
Comment by Andrea — August 29, 2008 @ 4:53 pm