Luton Airport - Wheelchair

[Bangers&Mash]

This could be a cracker of a discussion for a Friday night - who's right and who's wrong here?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45765767" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Personally would've thought the fact that Luton Airport has provided a wheelchair and a pusher means he's being a bit picky really?

Edit - just to add it's pretty shitty that his wheelchair was left behind, but this isn't the basis of his claim

[bfcjg]

Agree. Did he think he was competing in the Invictus games ?

[FactualFrank]

The first thing that struck me is that it happened well over a year ago, yet it's only now making the news.

"I was angry that none of the staff seemed to understand the position or seemed to have any empathy for what was happening."

That doesn't really surprise me.

[JohnMac]

Firstly I would like to applaud him for not allowing his disability to hold him back and also for his dedication to helping others.

However I think he is being a complete and utter tool and is endemic of the various minority groups ruining our Country with their whining demands and clamour for compensation.

As stated, it's not his wheelchair being left behind that was his gripe, bad as that is. He was demanding something which according to the story, the Airport didn't have (strange as I find that) and a valid alternative wasn't up to his ego .

[dushanbe]

His wheelchair got left behind, someone cocked up and its foreseeable that it might happen when travelling. The airport offered him an alternative and he refused it, preferring to make his life as difficult as possible for no real reason to make a point. I hope he sees sense and drops this case and if he doesn't then I hope he loses.

[Billyblah]

I completely agree with John Mac. His case against Luton Airport is based on his feeling humiliated because they were unable to provide an electric buggy. They were however able to offer him a standard wheel chair and an attendant to push it.

Instead there are a series of photographs in circulation which show him crawling through the airport and at one point he is using a luggage trolley.

Surely this self imposed humiliation would be worse than being pushed in a standard wheel chair.

As has been reflected on the above posts, he is a guy who has clearly helped push back the boundaries of people competing in sport despite disability however, basically with regard to his attempt at legal action, he is a twenty-four carrot plonker.

[TheFamilyCat]

Dragging himself round the airport on his arse can't be any less degrading than being pushed in a wheelchair can it?

[dsr]

If he was so concerned about his independence, how did he get on the plane in the first place? Obviously he didn't ride his motorised scooter up the steps. He must have accepted being sat in a wheelchair and taken up in the service lift.

Where he is wrong is in thinking it is a humiliation to be pushed in a wheelchair. It's undesirable, but when needs must it has to be faced. He himself would rather drag himself along the floor than be pushed in a chair, even when there are no other options; he is entitled to choose that, even if he's the only one that would. But I hope the judge remembers that when assessing blame or damages - it was his own choice to drag himself on the floor. The only question Luton Airport have to answer is whether they should have provided a wheelchair powered by an engine instead of a wheelchair powered by a human.

As for being strapped in, that's easily avoided. My mother uses a wheelchair in airports because the distance to walk is a bit much, and she has rarely been asked to strap herself in and has always easily refused. It's not like there are any slopes - it's all level ground or lifts.

[Dark Cloud]

He was clearly making some kind of statement/point and in fairness he may have one as it seems disabled access to planes (and maybe airports) is sadly lagging behind other modes of transport and public places/amenities. But when people go about highlighting it it in the way he has done, then it tends to turn a lot of people off because he just appears belligerent and deliberately awkward in turning down the help/solutions offered in order to drag himself around on the floor and "prove" his point. It's a no from me!

[TVC15]

He got himself on one of the baggage trolleys...which was very selfish and disrespectful to those needing it for their luggage (i’m joking btw)

Anyway he succeeded in his mission of getting lots of publicity

[piston broke]

I can’t believe this was tonights lead story on the news.
Feel for the guy but just get in the effing chair and take a ride.

[hampsteadclaret]

A pathetic little story.

Some sympathy, not much..essentially another 'entitled' minority seeking publicity for a minor issue [he was offered a chair]..and it's an old story isn't it?

[yorkyclaret]

So he thinks people using attendant wheelchairs are humiliated? Should have more thought for all the people who don't have the option.

[ClaretDiver]

Having had to use assisted boarding in the past with my ex, I can safelysay there are so many holes in this story. He has made a deal of this purely for a compo claim......

[Stockbrokerbelt]

Another snowflake, he stated he could not use the standard wheel chair because the back was to high causing him to sit at an angle which would cause a pressure sore, than drags his arse across the floors in Luton airport & then pushes himself around on a luggage trolley. Now I have sympathy that he has no use in his legs after a botched operation but I feel he needs to discuss his attitude with a councillor.

[Goalposts]

total tool...and endemic of the modern youth millenials of today...its always somebody elses fault

[IanMcL]

His action suggests that anyone using a standard wheelchair and getting a push, should feel humiliated.

Scooting along the floor and then a luggage trolley, seems rather a silly alternative and does not help in any way.

[deanothedino]

Having read his backstory I'm afraid to cough ever again.

He's being nuts with this. The airport offered a solution, he would have been in his taxi in 10 minutes - no fuss.