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  • Originally posted by TeeVee View Post
    as one that travels more than most of y'all, i'm gonna go on a rant about wheelchairs, airports and boarding. i'm sick and effin tired of seeing droves of people in wheel chairs delaying boarding, cutting lines etc. 98% of the people in wheel chairs do not need them. take my 80 year old mom: she asks for a wheel chair only up to the gate since walking a mile is a bit difficult for her. however, she refuses to be counted among the abusers that walk just fine but abuse the process by demanding pre-boarding as "wheel chair pax." it's so effin bad in miami, that if a person asks for a wheel chair they get to board first EVEN IF THEY CARRY THEIR OWN BAGS AND WALK ON BOARD. and no, i aint whining about not boarding first as first or biz class. it's about abusing the system and creating delays and chaos. all the rest of the herd sees a few people boarding and they all bumrush the gate area. i swear i would curse them all out if i were a gate agent.
    Hey, give the airlines a break...If you wanna see abuse, go to Disneyworld! An extremely effective technique to use to avoid lines on the popular rides. [/Sarcastic-half-agreeing-half-truthful-friendly-razz]

    ...and, yes, I agree, but man...I can see the media and your colleagues having a hey day if the airlines pushed back on the wrong person at the wrong time with no cell phone video of their own of perfectly OK people using the technique so they can just claim extra overhead bin space...
    Les règles de l'aviation de base découragent de longues périodes de dur tirer vers le haut.

    Comment


    • Oh yeah sure... next I suppose you're going to try to claim that difficulty finding a convenient parking space isn't a handicap?
      Be alert! America needs more lerts.

      Eric Law

      Comment


      • Originally posted by 3WE View Post
        I note two things:

        No response to the question if you have ever worked in a customer service position.
        I answered that. When are you going to learn to read all the words? I've served in the McClowniform. I've worked the floor at 'the other Wallmart'. I did even worse jobs than that. I know first-hand how ugly people can be.

        With that, I flame you for being pretty damn judgmental...
        I'm not being being judgmental. I'm pointing out that the problem is endemic. Airlines aren't training their people well enough to deal with ugly people in ugly situations. Meanwhile, many customer-facing people are growing more indignant, inflexible and hostile.

        But now you've helped me to see that there is another facet to this problem: our lowered expectations of what is decent and acceptable treatment. We have come down to the level where when a agent starts yelling at the cattle—for whatever reason—that is now considered doing a great job under the circumstances...

        Think about it. It's really crazy.

        Comment


        • F.A.O.: Boeing Bobby

          Bobby:

          I forgot to follow up on this important point.

          I went to the airport and checked in personally- just like you told me to- to get the boarding pass with the COC printed on the back.

          I then read the information there.

          It would appear that you are right...nothing I read said that I had the right to ask reasonable and lawful questions of the crew.

          And nothing I read said that the captain could not zip tie whomever they wanted for whatever reason they wanted.

          I apologize for questioning an aviation professional as an outsider regarding the COC being on the ticket.

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          Les règles de l'aviation de base découragent de longues périodes de dur tirer vers le haut.

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          • Originally posted by Evan View Post
            But now you've helped me to see that there is another facet to this problem: our lowered expectations of what is decent and acceptable treatment.
            Does your new enlightenment also see that us customers have lowered our standards of what is a decent and acceptable way to treat gate agents?

            I think that surging past the 'wait-here' line in violation of a polite request not to do so, physically blocking the entrance is grounds to be removed from the flight, and trying to stand up and board is a pretty clear indication that perhaps you are not medically nor mentally fit to be flying...

            ...and I doubt that version gives an airline employee a warm fuzzy feeling about the human race either.

            And one more re re re re re re statement. The way airlines handle asshat, nutjob passengers is NOT an endemic problem. The endemic problem is big $ for us to change something, nothing for them to change things...and throwing off paying passengers when a crew has three other available flights to choose from...$25.00, but you ain't getting it back tonight even though it's our fault the plane broke...overhead luggage situations and policies that are crazy inconsistent...that Tee Vee can bump us off (although we'll get on before him if we get a wheel chair) and the kind of screwed up things a person says when you were advised by another person to go standby on a lightly loaded plane to a destination with delays to be sure not to miss your connection.
            Les règles de l'aviation de base découragent de longues périodes de dur tirer vers le haut.

            Comment


            • Originally posted by 3WE View Post
              Does your new enlightenment also see that us customers have lowered our standards of what is a decent and acceptable way to treat gate agents?
              Indeed. So it's a question of who started it (don't bother).

              But only one side is profiting from the experience. The other side is paying for it. Makes a difference in the expectations department.

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              • Originally posted by Evan
                But only one side is profiting from the experience. The other side is paying for it. Makes a difference in the expectations department.
                I would say that if you are paying for it it is because you see value on it. As much value as price, minimum. So both parties are profiting, in different ways.
                The truth is that "we" don't care about quality or customer service, we just google "find me the cheapest flight from A to B" and click the first one in the list sorted by price low to high. Training costs money. Better workers cost money. Worker retention costs money. Worker incentives cost money. Better managers cost money. Better process engineers cost money. Newer computers and software development cost money. But we are not willing to pay for any of that.

                Oh, until we are affected by poor quality or customer service. Then we rant.

                "We" have what "we" deserve. Because if a company wants to do better, it goes out of the business. "We" send them chapter 11.

                --- Judge what is said by the merits of what is said, not by the credentials of who said it. ---
                --- Defend what you say with arguments, not by imposing your credentials ---

                Comment


                • I am one of those lying, cheating wheelchair users that you speak of. I have bone-on-bone arthritis in both knees which means that I am in constant 7/10 pain when doing anything other than sitting. That pain is despite using Tramadol which is one step down from Morphine. I have to use wheelchair assistance to get to the gate from the lounge because I quite simply cannot walk more than 50 metre without being in extreme pain and suffering locked knees. Despite all that I will still offer to walk, albeit slowly from the gate to the aircraft despite the extra pain in order to avoid causing problems with the loading process at the aircraft.
                  What do I get for thinking of others ? I get loud comments like "Look at that asshole. He gets disabled assistance from the lounge because he's too lazy to walk but then he walks to the aircraft"
                  Well, fuck you pal. When we land I'll use the chair all the way and make every attempt to take a chunk out of your ankles.
                  Until they have a disability themselves most people have no idea what it's like and the negative impact on our lives. Putting your socks on in the morning is a simple thing isn't it ? ....but it's something that I can't do without having either someone to do it for me or using a handy little device that helps with that simple function.
                  Believe me, being in a wheelchair is no fun. Able bodied people seem to take no notice, they are generally switched off with their noses buried in their phones or iPads and in their own little world of "I don't give a fuck about anyone else"

                  Rant over (for now !)
                  If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by Gabriel View Post
                    I would say that if you are paying for it it is because you see value on it. As much value as price, minimum. So both parties are profiting, in different ways.
                    The truth is that "we" don't care about quality or customer service, we just google "find me the cheapest flight from A to B" and click the first one in the list sorted by price low to high. Training costs money. Better workers cost money. Worker retention costs money. Worker incentives cost money. Better managers cost money. Better process engineers cost money. Newer computers and software development cost money. But we are not willing to pay for any of that.
                    Which is why we need pricing regulations that avoid this race to the bottom. You are wrong, many of us ARE willing to pay more for a little respect, especially since we know it will probably add $25 to the price. And don't kid yourself; the airlines are profiting quite nicely and WOULD reinvest more of that profit into the quality of their people if they had to deal with significant COMPETITION.

                    "We" have what "we" deserve.
                    We have the government we deserve, or lack of government rather. We need pricing regulation and a Justice Dept that doesn't take bribes and greenlight mega-mergers that amount to monopolies.

                    But we elect populist clowns. It's a downward spiral.

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by brianw999 View Post
                      I am one of those lying, cheating wheelchair users that you speak of. I have bone-on-bone arthritis in both knees which means that I am in constant 7/10 pain when doing anything other than sitting. That pain is despite using Tramadol which is one step down from Morphine. I have to use wheelchair assistance to get to the gate from the lounge because I quite simply cannot walk more than 50 metre without being in extreme pain and suffering locked knees. Despite all that I will still offer to walk, albeit slowly from the gate to the aircraft despite the extra pain in order to avoid causing problems with the loading process at the aircraft.
                      What do I get for thinking of others ? I get loud comments like "Look at that asshole. He gets disabled assistance from the lounge because he's too lazy to walk but then he walks to the aircraft"
                      Well, fuck you pal. When we land I'll use the chair all the way and make every attempt to take a chunk out of your ankles.
                      Until they have a disability themselves most people have no idea what it's like and the negative impact on our lives. Putting your socks on in the morning is a simple thing isn't it ? ....but it's something that I can't do without having either someone to do it for me or using a handy little device that helps with that simple function.
                      Believe me, being in a wheelchair is no fun. Able bodied people seem to take no notice, they are generally switched off with their noses buried in their phones or iPads and in their own little world of "I don't give a fuck about anyone else"

                      Rant over (for now !)
                      having spent 5 months in a wheelchair and not being able to bear any weight on my right foot, i know the drill. re-read my post if need be. my bitching is aimed at people abusing the system. you, like my mum, are not abusing the system, nor are anyone else who really need the assistance. however, when you can walk around just fine, carrying a large bag and dragging a loaded roll-aboard, you should NOT be granted pre-boarding simply because you asked for a wheelchair to take you on a mile long trek from check-in to gate.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by brianw999 View Post
                        Well, fuck you pal. When we land I'll use the chair all the way and make every attempt to take a chunk out of your ankles.
                        Way to elicit empathy.

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                        • Originally posted by ATLcrew View Post
                          Way to elicit empathy.
                          I'm talking about the people who don't have any care or empathy in the first place. The ones who are only interested in themselves. I have spent half of my life as a paramedic looking after others. The job and the physical stresses that go with it are the reason that I am in such poor physical shape now. It's my turn now for some comfort in my retirement.
                          If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by Evan View Post
                            Indeed. So it's a question of who started it (don't bother).

                            But only one side is profiting from the experience. The other side is paying for it. Makes a difference in the expectations department.
                            Thank you for the indeed. We shall agree to disagree that a little yelling is reasonable when the crowd starts surging and being non-compliant.

                            Brian...dude...chill...yeah, the human race sucks...folks fake it to cheat...then you- who truly need it- get crap from OTHER ass holes. Please let this forum be a place where valid comments from both sides can be heard...yeah, it's BS that you get crap, and I like the human race less and less.
                            Les règles de l'aviation de base découragent de longues périodes de dur tirer vers le haut.

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by TeeVee View Post
                              having spent 5 months in a wheelchair and not being able to bear any weight on my right foot, i know the drill. re-read my post if need be. my bitching is aimed at people abusing the system. you, like my mum, are not abusing the system, nor are anyone else who really need the assistance. however, when you and your family of six can walk around just fine, all carrying a large bag and all dragging a loaded roll-aboard, you should NOT be granted pre-boarding simply because you asked for a wheelchair to take you on a mile long trek from check-in to gate.
                              Fixed.
                              Les règles de l'aviation de base découragent de longues périodes de dur tirer vers le haut.

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by brianw999 View Post
                                I'm talking about the people who don't have any care or empathy in the first place. The ones who are only interested in themselves. I have spent half of my life as a paramedic looking after others. The job and the physical stresses that go with it are the reason that I am in such poor physical shape now. It's my turn now for some comfort in my retirement.
                                I'd think being something in the neighborhood of 400lbs (by your own account) has been a lot harder on your knees than being a paramedic...

                                You don't sound terribly "comfortable in your retirement".

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