1. STAY SEATED.  I've travelled by air 3 times so far this year-once in Jan.
when i could really still walk,& twice in June when i couldn't. Each tme i
arrived at the entrance & told the skycaps i could not walk & needed a
wheelchair right to my seat,  which i got with no problems. My observations
are:
- if you stay seated you are seen as truly in need;
-  they realize they have to do something with you because everyone is
watching;
- as soon as  you are seen standing, even if not walking you are seen as
less in need;
- you will be met at the arrival gate because someone figues out  they
can't turn the plane around until they get you outta dere;.
- they have to switch you to a dfferent kind of wheechair to go down the
isle
of the plane - if you expect to be met by someone with a  wheelchair,  you'd
better take that one too;
-most helpful until you are seated are skycaps and other airport personnel,
male airline gate personnel,  stewards,  stewardesses, & female airline gate
personnel, in that order [Newark, Minneapolis, Denver and San Diego.
Northwest,
Continental and Frontier Airlines].  After being seated, Stewardesses are
best;
-get an electric scooter  - as little as $2,200 new, less used, 80% covered
by
insurance or medicare (you'll have to have a minivan). U can drive it right
to the door of the plane, & there it sits when you arrive
- as a courtesey, i always get off the plane last, even tho i've always been
seated in the first row - bumped to 1st class by Continental. The guy with
the
wheelchair doesn;t mind waitting.

2. Barb's suggestion below i think is excellent.  I have a Boy Scout friend
who works at Newark Airport for the NJ-NY Port Authority, which operates it,
LaGuardia and Kennedy airports.  i have no idea how high  up he is but he
lives in a big house and his wife doesn't work.  If Gina  and Barb would
give me permission to forward their e-mails to him, i could ask him whom to
write to there to talk`Barb's idea up.............i realize this may seem to
be just another of my grand schemes, but "you never know."
BBA
----- Original Message -----
From: Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 14, 1999 12:27 PM
Subject: Re: Travel No More/Beaten - Long Piece


> Gina....
>
> What a sad and painful commentary on the way the business and
> service world seems to be heading.   And what a picture of the
> "disabled person's nightmare travel experience from HELL" you
> painted! <shuddering>
>
> Perhaps we need to have the same type of "airport/flight
> assistant" to meet us at each stop?   The same type of airline
> service which meets and guides unaccompanied minors when they fly?
> (they're generally stewardesses, aren't they?)
>
> I wonder if there aren't a lotta retired stewardesses who'd like
> to bring in additional income by shepherding those who need such a
> service thru various airports?  And if there ISN'T such a service,
> maybe it's time has come?
>
> Food for thought....
>
> Barb Mallut
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gina Cass <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Monday, June 14, 1999 5:52 AM
> Subject: Travel No More/Beaten - Long Piece
>
>
> >TO:  My fellow PD's (maybe not in spirit but in disease)
> >
> >I need to tell you this tale for me to get it out, not
> necessarily to have
> >you respond or even understand.
> >I was invited to New Hampshire by friends for a rest of 2 yrs of
> changes,
> >flight from Elkhart, Indiana  to Manchester, New Hampshire was
> uneventful.  I
> >stayed for a week and headed back to Indiana on Friday, June 10
> flying a well
> >known Airline that I will name after I talk to the CEO, on their
> position.
> >My first flight out of Manchester was late, making me miss my
> connection in
> >Newark, NJ.  They had advance notice that I needed a wheelchair
> to get to the
> >next gate on the other side of the airport which was not there.
> It seemed to
> >be a hinderance to get one and the person pushing was having a
> conversation
> >with someone I could not see.  They were discussing a picture of
> a fire and
> >if this person had taken the photo.
> >Like I stated I missed my connection in Newark to Cleveland.  The
> next flight
> >to Cleveland was the one I was booked on this one was delayed due
> to a light
> >that would not light.  Yes the thing that it was attached to had
> to work and
> >was but we needed that light, I understand.  I started flying at
> 10:05AM EDT.
> >from New Hampshire.  I asked at each leg of this adventure to
> preboard due to
> >using a cane.
> >Was told that was fine but had to remind them each time.  One
> time they
> >completely forgot and I had to battle the crowd, which don't care
> if you walk
> >or not.
> >They no longer have meals on the flights so I was having a
> problem finding
> >things to eat.  Need to eat after some of the meds.  O'hare I
> found best to
> >get a light something to eat OH that is later.
> >I finally got to Cleveland, OHIO.  I kept telling my hosts I did
> not want to
> >go to Cleveland.  Over and over was my lament.  But Cleveland is
> a hub city
> >of this particular Airline.  I orginally started with a 4 hr
> layover in
> >Cleveland but due to missed flights, hobbling to gates etc, I had
> about 1 hr.
> >This was a trek from Concourse C to B opposite sides of the
> airport (Why are
> >they so far apart?) I had not been able to take my meds, I was
> hot, tired and
> >upset.  But I had done so well this whole week.  I was right
> "on".  While
> >standing in line at the check-in I found out my flight from
> Cleveland had
> >been delayed.  Twenty minutes later the flight was cancelled.
> Due to
> >weather.  I looked around and not a cloud or problem appeared.  I
> felt it
> >coming, but I could not stop any of it.  Standing in line, I
> mentally went
> >away.  A wonderful young woman, her husband and daughter together
> asked if I
> >was OK.  She took a hold of my arm, took me out of line, set me
> down, and
> >asked if I was diabetic (I could only nod), I couldn't get out
> the fact I had
> >Parkinson's.  My Tremors had gone crazy.  I was shaking so
> violently that it
> >was hard to hold my ticket.  They gave me juice, candy and
> something in a
> >tube called glucose.  Told me they first thought I was drunk or
> needed a
> >drink and then realized that something else was wrong due to the
> color of my
> >skin, plus the fact of the cold, clammy touch.  The Airline
> representative
> >commented that she was going to get to me next.  TOO LATE
> >An ambulance was called, Perimedics put me in ambulance, and took
> me to a
> >hospital due to the fact that my blood pressure was dangerously
> high and my
> >blood sugar was so high.  They kept saying something about my
> heart and
> >wanting to give me Nitro.  In my confused state I cannot remember
> what they
> >said.  I will call hospital and have them tell me.
> >Nice little hospital, close to airport.  Doctor was very busy,
> say him only
> >very briefly but was hooked to D5 to lower everything.  I told
> them I needed
> >something to eat to take meds which I was allowed to use my own
> was given a
> >snack that was wonderful.  I was treated to a 6hr stint there
> with various
> >nurses visiting, sitting on my bed and talking, a wife of another
> Emergency
> >Room guest bringing her chair over to my cube and sitting with
> me.  I do have
> >a way with some people of being there for them and putting them
> at ease.  Two
> >ladies from the airline brought me Vouchers to go to a Hotel that
> night what
> >was left of it, to stay the night, Taxi Vouchers, and meal
> vouchers.  They
> >finally arrived after 3 hrs of promises that the vouchers were on
> there way.
> >Remember the Airport is very close to the Hospital.  I was
> finally released
> >and got a cab.  The young man was very rude to start but I just
> wanted to get
> >to a room, take a shower and rest.  He refused to take my travel
> voucher due
> >to the fact he picked me up at the hospital and not the airport.
> So I paid
> >him.  Got into Hotel and asked for my room and was told I did not
> have a
> >room.  The real confusing part was they had my luggage.  Why did
> it go there
> >if I had no room?  I cracked, crying, I called home to rant, when
> the hotel
> >staff person said they had a room at the other hotel for me and a
> shuttle to
> >take me.  I ended up 25 minutes away from the airport now and not
> 5 minutes,
> >1:30 AM no food (I had some trail mix luckly) and so upset I
> could not get
> >right to sleep.  I had about 4 hrs sleep, ordered breakfast that
> cost $11.23
> >when the voucher was for only $8.00, and I ordered just a basic
> no frills
> >breakfast.
> >Got a shuttle, just for me to the airport for the flight the
> Airline had put
> >me on.  Which the Airport was a zoo, then I got to the check-in
> and again my
> >flight was cancelled due to weather (South Bend nor Cleveland had
> a weather
> >problem, I checked).  The next( 12:00)  flight was cancelled
> (Feeling like
> >the "Out-of-Towner).  They had put me on a 1:45 PM flight on
> another airline
> >to Chicago O'Hare now.  This flight had been schduled to leave at
> 12:03 now
> >was leaving at 1:45 PM, I felt that this would end up like the
> other flights.
> > I went up to the counter, placed my ticket up there and said I
> am very ill
> >and I need to get home now.  She looked at me and agreed so
> booked me on the
> >1:30 PM flight to Chicago as I wanted to travel with the couple
> that had been
> >there for me. This flight was delayed.  We got to Chicago O'hare
> with no
> >problems.  No Wheelchair again, they called for one but it never
> came.  No
> >Electric Cart either and I was so scared that I would miss the
> next and final
> >flight.  From D Concourse to B Concourse walking with my cane but
> I made it
> >with time to spare.  Also, found a little stand and got some
> water, and a
> >lunchable to eat to take meds.  This flight was delayed once not
> due to
> >weather but something else.  Oh yes the flight never came.
> >I finally got to South Bend, Indiana (Notre Dame Fame) with one
> piece of
> >luggage with the other piece coming 20 minutes later.
> >This is a Nightmare that wouldn't end.  I am beat physically and
> emotionally.
> > I lack the faith that I did have in myself.  I know many will
> say don't
> >travel alone, but I am new at this.  I have always been fiercely
> independent
> >and now have to confront my limitations.
> >I just needed to get this out and thanks for understanding.
> >
> >gina
> >