Rude Passengers

[shredie]

She would have gotten the "f" bomb from me! I've spotted enough of these fakers.

 

I wonder how many people in wheelchairs would love to get up and walk away if only they could. Calling someone with a physical limitation a "faker" seems rude to me.

[giftforacoach]

I dont think its about that

 

Some people just feel ss thou u h they are entitled to do what they like and stuff everyone else

[GUT2407]

Please don't paint everyone with the same brush. There are people who do need wheelchairs for medical reason even though they are capable of walking a few steps. You seem to imply that unless someone is a quadriplegic, they have no right to use a wheelchair. I worry when people begin to think using a wheelchair is rude behavior. Possibly everyone with a medical condition should carry a note from the doctor to show the judgmental that not every physical limitation is visible.

 

So true.

 

I had 5 years in a chair, I could walk, but there was a serious risk of further injury even death, however even worse than walking was sitting on most public seating or standing for more than a few minutes, so facing the option of waiting for the wheelchair I had ordered, or walking, walking it would be. Now 9 times out of 10 all would be Good, the tenth would see me taking a nasty fall, at times resulting in broken bones or blood gushing from my nose if I did a face plant or a cut if I landed wrong.

 

I have, at times, been challenged by judgemental people about my need for assistance, my reply now is "Show me your medical degree and your opinion may matter to me, for now I will just follow medical advice".

Edited November 28, 2015 by GUT2407

[GUT2407]

I wonder how many people in wheelchairs would love to get up and walk away if only they could. Calling someone with a physical limitation a "faker" seems rude to me.

 

Rude puts it mildly.

[giftforacoach]

So true.

 

I had 5 years in a chair, I could walk, but there was a serious risk of further injury even death, however even worse than walking was sitting on most public seating or standing for more than a few minutes, so facing the option of waiting for the wheelchair I had ordered, or walking, walking it would be. Now 9 times out of 10 all would be Goid, the tenth would see me taking a Nast fall, at times resulting in broken bones or blood gaming from my nose if I did a face plant or a cut if I landed wrong.

 

I have, at times, been challenged by judgemental people about my need for assistance, my reply now is "Show me your medical degree and your opinion may matter to me, for now I will just follow medical advice".

Well said

[GUT2407]

Well said

 

Thank you, I know that some people take advantage, but you know in criminal law they saw "Better that 99 guilty men go free than one innocent man be convicted" well I feel the same about this issue.

 

Better for 99 to abuse the system than one person in need be abused for their disability.

[GUT2407]

She would have gotten the "f" bomb from me! I've spotted enough of these fakers.

 

Now had this been me and you dropped your "f" bomb, you would need to hope that my DD Or DW weren't there, they are very protective.

 

I actually have some doubts about the story (as if she would leave her wheelchair behind, any idea how much they cost). But accepting the story at face value maybe she was desperate to gt to the rest room and when she couldn't get through had to either walk or have a rather embarrassing accident.

 

Again being in a wheelchair doesn't mean you can't walk, generally just that it causes problems, normally pain or the risk of a fall, or the distance ine can walk is severely limited.

[moki'smommy]

Again being in a wheelchair doesn't mean you can't walk, generally just that it causes problems, normally pain or the risk of a fall, or the distance ine can walk is severely limited.

 

This! I told some of my daughter's story earlier in this thread. Today I made a copy of her parking permit and a letter that I always carry when we travel in case someone should question her need, her medications, etc. And I assure you that she would love to be able to run all over the ship...but you're likely to see her walking sometimes as well as using a walker or wheelchair other times. She HATES to use the chair, but equally is not comfortable using a scooter or motorized chair in crowded situations because she is afraid of hitting someone who rapidly steps in front of her. The greater the distance, the more likely she'll be using the chair.

[GUT2407]

This! I told some of my daughter's story earlier in this thread. Today I made a copy of her parking permit and a letter that I always carry when we travel in case someone should question her need' date=' her medications, etc. And I assure you that she would love to be able to run all over the ship...but you're likely to see her walking sometimes as well as using a walker or wheelchair other times. She HATES to use the chair, but equally is not comfortable using a scooter or motorized chair in crowded situations because she is afraid of hitting someone who rapidly steps in front of her. The greater the distance, the more likely she'll be using the chair.[/quote']

 

Whereas I am a big fan of the smaller, folding, electric chairs, set the speed to low if you're worried, but manual chairs either need both hands to use, which leaves you without a hand to carry things, or reliant in someone else.

 

People don't realize that when you are in a chair you also loose the use of at least ine hand (to control it or two to propel it).

[daveispar]

That wouldn't work with me.

 

Harry

1st of all thank you for your service in the Military !! Thank you very much !! But, why wouldn't that work for you ? Big deal ! Who cares, move over somewhere else !! Why make a big deal of it ? I treat everyone the way I would like to be treated !! You know what, it works, you get what you give !! There aren't enough please and thank yous to go around !! I'm appreciative of anyone that does something for me ! I let them know it, too !! Chill out !! We are so lucky, 99.9999% of the people in the world wish they could be us, but, no, so many people have to be mean and demean people below them ! I guess, it makes that feel like they're more them they are !! I feel sad for them !

[TracieABD]

Please don't paint everyone with the same brush. There are people who do need wheelchairs for medical reason even though they are capable of walking a few steps. You seem to imply that unless someone is a quadriplegic, they have no right to use a wheelchair. I worry when people begin to think using a wheelchair is rude behavior. Possibly everyone with a medical condition should carry a note from the doctor to show the judgmental that not every physical limitation is visible.

 

Thank you, Shredie, for the compassionate response. My mom was in a chair for the last year or so of her life. Yes, she was capable of walking a couple of feet, but with 2 (yes, 2) broken hips, a shattered shoulder, heart by-pass surgery, and complications for diabetes, she required assistance.

 

And I never mind yielding to a person with disabilities, even if I am inconvenienced, for I am fortunate enough to know that I will be walking/jogging the track in the morning. If a person feels a need to exaggerate their condition, so be it. I don't need to be first or lay claim to whatever little piece of real estate I am standing on.

 

The truth is my mom hated being confined to a chair, but in the end, it was the only way could travel a bit. She could be, at times, a bit off-putting. She was in pain. She was also at most people's waist level and felt "unseen".

 

And, I will continue to honour her memory by offering as much comfort to people who need assistance. Call me passive or a sucker or weak... maybe if we all focused on a bit more kindness, we would not need a thread about rude people.

[daveispar]

So, lets move this thread in a slightly different direction. Over a lifetime we have learned that most folks will ignore rude folks and just move on with whatever they were doing. We have long thought that many folks who are constantly rude...act that way because nobody has ever told them they are rude :). But sometimes it can be fun to be a little assertive with these nasty folks. A few cruises ago we were waiting at the breakfast Eggs Benedict station (on HAL) and witnessed an elderly lady (probably mid 80s) being very rude and nasty to the cook who was trying to do everything to her very exacting specifications. After making the poor cook toss away 2 plates of eggs (not exact to her specifications) she finally accepted the plate and turned to walk away. I quickly said (loud enough so the lady heard) "she meant to say thank you!" The cook broke into a big smile (with a nod and wink), the lady gave me a dirty look, and she stomped off (yes, even some folks at that age can stomp). I know the cook felt better...and I was laughing to myself for hours.

 

Hank

Thank you very much !! How hard is it to be nice to the staff, let alone everybody in general ? Am I the only one that says please and thank you to everybody !! I went to a Basketball game last night and the guy in front of me actually said excuse me and thank you for crossing in front of the people he passed !! Wow, am I the only one that does that ? And him too !!

[Pierlesscruisers]

Please don't paint everyone with the same brush. There are people who do need wheelchairs for medical reason even though they are capable of walking a few steps. You seem to imply that unless someone is a quadriplegic, they have no right to use a wheelchair. I worry when people begin to think using a wheelchair is rude behavior. Possibly everyone with a medical condition should carry a note from the doctor to show the judgmental that not every physical limitation is visible.

 

Go back and reread what I wrote. Nowhere in there did I say anything even remotely implying that I believe any thing even coming close to that and nothing could be further from the truth. But I do stand by my statement that a number of people do take advantage of using a wheel chair when they not handicapped. So please do not read something in to what I have written. For those who do "work the system", they know who they are and somewhere along the line it will come back to "bite" them.

 

Tom

Edited November 29, 2015 by Pierlesscruisers

[Bemidji Ty]

While this is an intersting thread, a new cruiser might get the wrong idea that cruises are loaded with rude people. My experience, based on 50 plus cruises, has been that the overwhelming majority of passengers are well-behaved, wonderful people who enjoy the sea, traveling, good food, relaxing, some entertainment and meeting new friends.

 

Smooth Sailing

[crochetcruise]

Sometimes rudeness is in the eye of the beholder.

 

On a recent cruise, my wife and I were wandering the buffet in search of a table. I spotted one nearby, and as you do when seating is in short supply, made a beeline for it. I did not sprint, bowling people over in the process, but I did speed up. As I sat down, I heard, in a very load voice, "That terrible man just rushed in and took our table!"

 

I looked up to see three elderly women, at least TWENTY feet away. The speaker, while ostensibly talking to her companions, was quite obviously (from the volume) directing her words to the room at large in an attempt to embarrass me.

 

I had not seen them approaching the table. They were, in fact, at that moment, further from it than I was when I first spied it. And it was not a case of them returning to a "saved" table.

 

I'm sure that many people who looked up at the sound of her voice jumped to the conclusion that I was indeed a "terrible man" acting rudely to three seniors.

 

Just seeing a table doesn't make it yours. And someone beating you to a table doesn't mean they intentionally scooped it. Had I known they were headed to the table, I would have differed. But they were not in my field of vision and I don't read minds. Had she spoken to me in a civil manner, I would have surrendered the table. But she didn't.

 

I did not engage with this woman (You never win in these situations), but, ironically, I did encountered her and her posse again on multiple occasions during the 18 day cruise. Each time I found an opportunity to go out of my way and be polite. Holding an elevator door, stepping aside at a narrow pass way... Not only did she not recognize me as the "terrible" man, she never once acknowledged the small courtesies, let alone voice thanks.

 

Sometimes those quickest to accuse are the worst offenders.

 

YES! And more often than not, it's those old enough to know better and set a good example, who are the worst offenders in my personal experience! THANK YOU for discreetly reminding me to make sure I have my Visually Impaired Person badge on my jacket, and a spare packed in the carry on case, so people, hopefully, are alerted to my limited eyesight, the Rollator is fairly obvious. Because of your post, I have remembered something in plenty of time to organise it. Trust Cruise Critic to help out!

 

348 days to Sailing for me.

[GUT2407]

While this is an intersting thread, a new cruiser might get the wrong idea that cruises are loaded with rude people. My experience, based on 50 plus cruises, has been that the overwhelming majority of passengers are well-behaved, wonderful people who enjoy the sea, traveling, good food, relaxing, some entertainment and meeting new friends.

 

Smooth Sailing

 

Thats true and perhaps it makes the rude ones stand out more.

[suzyed]

I have seen both sides to this!!

 

I had a (former) friend who faked an ailment (RSD) for years! Before I ever caught on, I would push her in her wheelchair all over the place....Disney World, Universal, etc. She was not a light weight and I'm only 5' tall, so it wasn't easy.

I have also seen people get wheel chairs so they can get to the head of the line at theme parks.

 

But I also know that some people use a wheel chair because they can't walk far or they have respiratory conditions that make it difficult. If a wheel chair is not available, they try to suck it up and walk as far as they can.

My father suffered (and died) from severe COPD, but looked kind of healthy from the outside. He used to get dirty looks from people when he parked in handicapped spaces.

 

So really...we never know. But I would be suspicious of someone yelling "move, I'm handicapped, move!" Most people don't want to call attention to themselves and/or their handicap.

I usually give folks the benefit of the doubt...and yield to them if I can.

Edited November 30, 2015 by suzyed

[ChaserX]

I have seen both sides to this!!

 

I had a (former) friend who faked an ailment (RSD) for years! Before I ever caught on, I would push her in her wheelchair all over the place....Disney World, Universal, etc. She was not a light weight and I'm only 5' tall, so it wasn't easy.

I have also seen people get wheel chairs so they can get to the head of the line at theme parks.

 

But I also know that some people use a wheel chair because they can't walk far or they have respiratory conditions that make it difficult. If a wheel chair is not available, they try to suck it up and walk as far as they can.

My father suffered (and died) from severe COPD, but looked kind of healthy from the outside. He used to get dirty looks from people when he parked in handicapped spaces.

 

So really...we never know. But I would be suspicious of someone yelling "move, I'm handicapped, move!" Most people don't want to call attention to themselves and/or their handicap.

I usually give folks the benefit of the doubt...and yield to them if I can.

 

Maybe some people are jealous, like here:

 

http://www.theonion.com/article/lucky-old-woman-getting-wheeled-around-airport-33000

 

Every time this subject comes up, I think about this article.

[shredie]

Maybe some people are jealous, like here:

 

http://www.theonion.com/article/lucky-old-woman-getting-wheeled-around-airport-33000

 

Every time this subject comes up, I think about this article.

 

You do know that "The Onion" is a satirical publication and the articles aren't really true, don't you? You could google "satire."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Onion

Edited November 30, 2015 by shredie

[ChaserX]

You do know that "The Onion" is a satirical publication and the articles aren't really true, don't you? You could google "satire."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Onion

 

Wow.

 

I am well familiar with the Onion. Try the search term "cruise" there and you'll find some other great articles:

 

http://www.theonion.com/article/pacific-ocean-quarantined-after-contact-with-carni-37469

http://www.theonion.com/article/bus-transporting-carnival-cruise-passengers-crashe-31322

 

 

And, off-topic but a couple of my favorites:

http://www.theonion.com/article/government-to-defend-marriage-from-dashing-reginal-1993

 

http://www.theonion.com/video/breaking-news-bat-loose-in-congress-14369

[shredie]

Wow.

 

I am well familiar with the Onion. Try the search term "cruise" there and you'll find some other great articles:

 

 

It's surprising how many people don't know.

[NYteacher]

I need a new knee. I used to be so heavy that the doctors told me there was no point in replacement surgery as I wouldn't be able to recuperate properly. I am slowly losing weight and the pain has gotten better, but I still need a new knee and walking long distances is burdensome.

 

There have been times when the pain is so severe I could barely walk. At those times I used a wheelchair in airports and twice at cruise ports. One of those times, at Canada Place in Vancouver, I had been limping with a cane and a port worker asked if I would like a wheel chair. I realized how much I would like to lessen the pain, so I said I would like one. We weren't in a suite on that cruise but were given priority boarding because I was using a chair. I tried to decline that but it wasn't possible as they have a system and needed the chair later. One woman who had a suite was very upset that the suite passengers were not the very first group. She and her party were called right behind us, and as I stood to board once actually on the ship, (so they could take the wheelchair back to the embarkation area) the woman turned to her travel companions and said "it's a miracle--she can walk". It was both embarrassing and infuriating.

Edited November 30, 2015 by NYteacher

[Pierlesscruisers]

I need a new knee. I used to be so heavy that the doctors told me there was no point in replacement surgery as I wouldn't be able to recuperate properly. I am slowly losing weight and the pain has gotten better, but I still need a new knee and walking long distances is burdensome.

 

Hope you're able to get your replacement soon. My wife had one replaced in late April of this year and she had a pretty quick recovery. Seeing how she did, I highly recommend that you take your pre- and post-surgery exercise regimen seriously as it sure seemed to help her. We were both surprised that they had her up and moving around the same day as the surgery and her post-surgery physical therapy started the very next day! I hope that your recovery goes as well!

 

Tom

[NYteacher]

Hope you're able to get your replacement soon. My wife had one replaced in late April of this year and she had a pretty quick recovery. Seeing how she did, I highly recommend that you take your pre- and post-surgery exercise regimen seriously as it sure seemed to help her. We were both surprised that they had her up and moving around the same day as the surgery and her post-surgery physical therapy started the very next day! I hope that your recovery goes as well!

 

Tom

 

Thanks for the well wishes and good advice. I exercise in the water now and that helps strengthen muscles without putting as much weight on my poor joint. I love my local "Y" as we are all ages and sizes there. 😊

[UpcountryTravelers]

While this is an intersting thread, a new cruiser might get the wrong idea that cruises are loaded with rude people. My experience, based on 50 plus cruises, has been that the overwhelming majority of passengers are well-behaved, wonderful people who enjoy the sea, traveling, good food, relaxing, some entertainment and meeting new friends.

 

Smooth Sailing

 

ABSOLUTELY!! Yes, yes, YES!