yyznomad

William Shatner is a celeb in Air Canada's eyes, but not the legendary Mr. Perlman. Where were the concierge to assist at the very least?

Regarding the AC employee... CLASSY.

This is shameful. I actually felt ashamed (for AC) while reading the article.

Non-NonRev

It's quite funny to imagine either Seiji Ozawa or James Levine as that loud, obnoxious phone guy

Maybe he was on the symphony's Board of Directors?

yulred

Well I guess the revelation that this man really has a disability has deprived our fellow posters of their daily dose of judgmental vindictiveness. So let's turn it into a pissing contest about people abusing the wheelchair system.

I m not surprised by the bizarre behavior of the airport staff. Its reflective of the distinctly Canadian mindset we're seeing here: "everyone is gaming the system (except me)". Instead of giving the benefit of doubt, some of us assume the worst. Do we have a basis for making the allegations? No, but we don't need one.

It says a lot about our mindset that when we see someone in a wheelchair, we wonder if the person is sitting in it to take advantage of the system at our expense.

Of course its never once occurred to many of these folk to go up and ask why the person is using the wheelchair. That would be the logical thing to do if they actually had any courage of conviction. But they don't. They hang back. They make up stories in their minds about how these evil wheelchair abusing people are gaming the system. And they come on FT and agree with each others speculation and conjecture.

At least we're clueing in on the source of the vindictiveness: "I'm the only honest person; everyone else is gaming the system at my expense".

Interesting. I ve flown to Canada from many parts of the world and I haven't noticed more than 1-2 wheelchair s on any of those flights. I suppose the good news is that whoever you're seeing - they're not coming back.

Either that, or there is an airport somewhere out there with a large and extensive collection of wheelchairs. I've just never come across it.

SEMM

Agreed. Shame on you AC...typical unionized type of response from a bad apple employee...then again there are a lot of "Rotten Apples" in the AC network!

pedanticus

30+ on a large international flight arriving in Toronto is not out of the ordinary. Maybe they're all legitimate.

SEMM

Not if they are arriving off of flights from Athens and/or India.
Typically the children will order a wheelchair for them whether they need one or not thinking this will be easier on them while traveling.
Athens flights over the summer in YUL typically can get 40+ wheelchairs on arrival.

flyquiet

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the wheelchairs isn't for me. I've been offered an aisle chair on board in the event I need the washroom. (I am deaf, so figure that one out. But I've also been offered the Braille safety card, so...)

krayZpaving

That's not a Canadian mindset. It's (at least) a "Western world" mindset. Probably a global mindset. Everyone in Europe acts the same (I say as a European).


As for people using wheelchairs, then walking - my grandmother (90 years old) can walk, but she can't walk the distances involved in an airport. So, she gets wheelchair assistance through the terminal and someone drives a car around to pick her up from there. She can walk the 50m from the car to/from the wheelchair assistance desk, just not the 2km from the door to the gate. Seems perfectly reasonable to me - let's not rush to judgement on others.

yvr76

Wheelchair assistance at a lot of airports are not airline employees, but third party. Would this have definitely been an AC employee?

ensco

The EXACT. SAME. THING. happened to my mother last night at Pearson coming off AC 939 from FLL. Left at the end the jetway and abandoned in the deserted hallways that lead to customs/immigration for 40 minutes. Not a soul in sight.

Anyone from AC or the GTAA who would like details is welcome to PM me.

SEMM

YES 100%. ONLY AC employees handle wheelchairs in Canada. Outside of Canada is always a contracted airport service which they don't have much control over. Last week we had 17 wheelchairs on YYZ-SCL and they couldn't handle it in SCL so those people had to remain onboard that were in transit to EZE.

Stranger

Now the guy apparently wants Calin to call him and apologize. Not sure if that does not change a bit the tone of the story?

So at this point, i am not 100% sure that the story is as black and white as it got told.

The agent basically said that it's not his job to carry the passenger's bag, and that he needed to go help other people. Maybe that is correct?

Also, it is hard to get much of a feel just based upon the words that were said. Was the agent flippant? Or apologetic? The wording itself seems consistent with both possibilities.

At which point the real questions become:

1. What about "needy" passengers? With a feeling of entitlement perhaps?

2. What about how these agents get assigned, work load, job description? The thing could be more the system/the airline's fault than the agent's himself?

canadiancow

Now I feel bad for asking for a ride on an AC golf cart as it was driving past me, empty, in YVR.

yulred

I stand corrected. I've only ever witnessed it in Canada. Never heard a grumble about it in London or the BENELUX...but that's just my experience.

Definitely never heard it in India. Granted India operates on different rules when it comes to the elderly. My most bizarre experience came in a bank where an utterly chaotic line literally parted for what they call "senior citizens" and she was ushered through to the front. Once the said elderly person finished her banking and left, the law of the jungle returned (utter chaos in the line).

Suffice it to say, I don't think its a worldwide phenomenon. I just really can't see similar attitudes prevailing in many Asian countries (I've never been to Africa or Latin America, so I can't comment on them). I don't know if I was dropped on my head as a child (certainly cant remember it - a symptom perhaps?), but when I see someone in a wheel chair, I'm naturally inclined to make sure I'm not in their way and to offer my assistance if necessary. I've definitely never looked at anyone in a wheelchair and thought: 'pretender, trying to game the system'.

I think its time we return to giving people the benefit of doubt.

SEMM

Very well said!^