Dude in a wheelchair ran my hat over!

[ortega76]

What I'm getting from folks on both sides is that it would have been best to speak up, hash out your hat destruction and then move in. You'd both feel better and would probably leave with no hard feelings.

[huh] I expected as much.

 

[Drew B]

To VintageVixie and Slim Portly.

I apologise for any insult put forward on my behalf. Perhaps we all got a little carried away with our joking but I'm sure no offence was ever intended.

I guess the popular sentiment expressed here that perhaps a simple 'excuse me' would have been the best option is a helpful one. Good communication amogst individuals is perhaps the best way to avoid any ill feelings.

Slim, on a different note I would like to ask if, as a wheel chair user you have ever found over political correctness a little condescending or alienating. I have a few friends who would be considered disabled. One of which is near blind, causing him many problems relating to his peers and another young man who was a active adventurer kind of guy, and ended up in a diving accident becoming paralysed. The kid who ended up in a wheelchair was always an out there guy so no-one really noticed anything. His attitude confronted the issue and this put everyone on a level field. However the blind boy was a little more reserved and his peers mostly avoided the issue and he was ultimatly not treated as equal at all. Then, when he began to joke about it and make it a topic of discussion they made strong connections. When those peers dropped their PC attitudes it also released a large amount of social tension that existed.

The reason I find PC attitudes alienate people with different veiws or a disability is because PCness (is that a word?) requires one to avoid the issue, thus denying any connection between the individuals. And then things just get awkward. Part of forming anyrelationship is running the risk offending them by raising an issue you don't know their veiw on. If you avoid difficult issues with anybody it becomes very hard to relate to them.

- just my thoughts,
Drew.

PS the paralysed guy can walk now too. The docters said he'd never walk again because he'd gotten the bends really severly in his accident. Away he just said bugger it im walking. It took a long time and he's still really unsteady but he can move. He could even drive a car till a few weeks ago. He got done for speeding and lost his licence. Kind of ironic there.

 

[Slim Portly]

Drew, a little humor goes a long way. I have not found overly-PC attitudes to ever be a problem. In fact, many here will probably be surprised to hear it but quite the opposite is more often the case. As an occasional wheelchair user I am constantly confounded by the rudeness of others. A PC attitude would be something along the lines of "ignore the guy in the chair/with the cane/with the service dog, he is just like everyone else." What I often get is ignorance masked as good-naturedness or outright rudeness or maliciousness which can at times put my safety at risk.

For example, I may be crossing a busy street while in a chair and working with a service dog. A stranger crossing in the opposite direction passes me, and then from behind he starts calling to my dog. "Hey pooch! Hey puppy puppy puppy!" Now seriously, what does he expect out of this? Either my dog is perfectly trained to ignore distractions like that, or the dog will stop in her tracks or turn and follow him, possibly dragging me backwards or worse out into traffic.

I have had people call to my dog or offer her food or grab her while she was guiding me to give her a hug. I have had people stand in my way while I was using a cane just to see if I would detect and avoid them. I have had cars cut me off in crosswalks and I have had people walk right past me while I attempted to pull open a heavy door while in a chair. On a good day I go home with dirty hands and scuffs on my pants and jackets where the wheels have rubbed.

All anyone who is disabled wants is to be treated the same as anyone else, except in the cases where rules need to be changed just to put them on the same level playing field as everyone else.

For those who do not know me as well as others, I am neither blind nor disabled but rather I am a mobility instructor for the blind and I also train service dogs for many types of disabilities.

 

[Magus]

Haven't seen you around in a while, Magus. How ya been?

I've been well overall. busy life, death in the family, kids gradiating college, upcomming marriages, etc etc. next thing you know you think... "man I havent been to the lounge in forever!"

Good to see you sir,

M

 

[Drew B]

Slim,
Thats a little worrying. I mean, the playing with the dog problem is just plain stupid but simply that. Stupid so you could pass it off as ignorance. Worse however is the door problem. I would always assist someone with the door if they had a problem getting through regardless of disabilities. And if i was to pat the dog i would definitly ask first. Lastly, people standing in front of a person with a cane to 'check'. That is without a doubt one of the most arrogant things I'v ever heard of. Maybe its different in Australia (or at least i know it used to be) or perhaps I'm just naive enough to beleive no one would, in their right mind, do that. I come from a small town so that may well be the case.

I guess the main problem i have with PC attitudes is that people spend more time worrying about not offending a gay bloke or a girl in a chair and less time worrying about just having a chat with them or seeing them as just another person. In short that nuts me.

Thanks for the input sir.

 

[AlanC]

I think this thread has run its course. Let's get back to discussing hats rather than running over them or the acceptable terms to call female college students.