GeezerCouple

Very sorry... I can't see it either! Must have been a "misfire", as DH calls errors.
Would you like for me to edit and delete the quote? Nevermind; I probably can't edit it now (another forum allows edits "whenever", which causes other problems, of course}.
You are correct; my comment doesn't really follow from what you wrote, unless I had planned to write more and then didn't...
(I'm guessing I clicked to quote the wrong prior post, but no point in trying to rewind my mind now.)
Again... apologies!

GC

Jimmie Jet

Grog

And now I'm left to ponder the cumulative reading time of nearly 4,000 views on this thread.

No, there's no rule. So, no enforcement necessary. Never ceases to amaze me all the situations by which people allow their goat to be gotten.

Jed

The point in question should be what constitutes needing special assistance and should that confer boarding / disembarking benefits? There is no assessment before this service is agreed. This thread shouldn't be about generalising disability, as this is a wide spectrum. We weren't there so can't judge how 'disabled' the individual in question was. From the OP's description of him jumping up, it is difficult to assume he was at the more 'severely disabled' end of the spectrum.

chrismk

Yes, that irritates my Wife more than just about anything else!
It's not done with intended malice or disrespect but is something that training should put right.

Lomapaseo

It takes all kinds to fully understand.

With me, I can usually board fine walking down a jetway. But I often have problems getting off and walking up the jetway. In neither case do I use a chair in spite of my wife's pleas, The problem getting off is worse after a flight mostly because the blood won't pump. If I'm in the front of the plane I clear the aisle as fast as possible so as not to block those behind and try to make it up the narrow jetway crammed with Wheel chairs on one side. I sometimes can't quite make it all the way to the concourse before leaning against a wall and letting those behind me pass.

And all this while trying to make what they call a legal connection

lorath

I am with the OP and agree with his observation. However, anyone who knows or follows this board will recognize the zero tolerance policy of its posters to any criticism of any passenger remotely disabled or with the most minor accessibility issue. Sad!

lamphs

I normally would not post in the BA forum, but this thread was in 'trending'. The poor OP should have stuck with asking about the process and not 'observe' the additional time that this singular event cost him.

That said, I do not recall a circumstance (US domestic) where those passengers requiring wheelchair assistance did not wait until all other passengers had deplaned. I always have assumed that it was first on, last off for wheelchair passengers.

Anyhow, if an otherwise disabled passenger can get up and walk, go for it. Likely great exercise!

hotturnip

I did not discern any hostility towards the disabled in the OP's post. People have focused on the idea that this is a complaint about a 3-minute delay. S/he was not complaining about the delay itself, but about the principle behind the idea of allowing this particular disabled passenger to board first (because he needed extra time in boarding, theoretically), but not doing the same at the flight's conclusion. The whole reason for allowing such passengers to board early is so that they will not hold up the line, and will have space and room to be seated safely and comfortably. So why should that not apply at the end as well? Makes sense to me. But I don't see any practical way in which airlines could enforce this, So I imagine there will continue to be rare instances such as this one. As others have noted, pax wihtout disabilities frequently hold up the line as well. It's mystifying how so many people want to immediately go on the attack and accuse people of being petty, or even of bigotry, here on Flyertalk,a place where people complain bitterly about not receiving their PDB, or that their cashews weren't warm enough.

HilFly

I'm afraid I can't juggle. Everything has to stay in my bag until I get to the security trays. On the other hand, I don't wear anything that has to come off.

IAN-UK

I think our frustration is that anybody should presume to judge the degree of remoteness of a stranger's disability and the nature of accessibility issues, based on simple observation on a single occasion.

Using extemporary, ill-informed judgements of this nature as a basis for criticism is crass.

NWIFlyer

Folks, any semblance of a BA connection has long since disappeared, we have been in OMNI territory for a while now without any new points being brought forward, so this seems like a good time to close this down before we spiral downwards into personal abuse.

/mod