Boarded Regal 3/6-never have I seen this!

[anthonyy7]

My father is a pilot and sees this ALL the time. People are wheeling through security and onto the plane. Once they land, those pax stand up and go running off the plane!

[Linerguy]

BTW how much does it REALLY slow one down if a disabled person boards with his whole family/party?

 

It's not that big of a deal....but it does go both ways, and there ARE people in wheelchairs who don't deserve to go to the front of the line.

 

I waited for nearly an hour and a half with my kids to ride the Dumbo ride at Disney. When we were almost to the front of the line, they wheeled up a kid with broken leg, and his entire family/party of about 20 people (they were wearing family reunion t-shirts). Everyone in line had to step back while every one of them got on the ride in front of the hundreds of people who had been waiting patiently. Sorry, but I don't consider a broken leg to be a disability. To top it off, they were all 'high-fiving' each other over the fact that they didn't have to wait.

 

So, yes, there are people with legitimate reasons to go to the front of the line; but there are also a lot of people who take advantage of the system. And then there are people who SHOULD go to the front of the line – people with chronic back pain, arthritis, anxiety, autism, etc. – but never do.

[CATGUY7]

We also saw this on our cruise from Ft. Lauderdale in January. A woman in a wheelchair was wheeled to the front of the line to wait until she could board, and a separate group of two couples walked up and stood beside her and her party.

 

The Princess rep asked them to go to the back of the preferred line, and moved along to take care of other business. A second rep asked them to show him their boarding passes, and the woman (who was clearly embarrassing her husband and the other couple) told him the first rep had told them they could stand there. The second rep called the first rep over, and the couples finally moved to the back of the line, which was much longer by the time they moved.

[pablo222]

When we were almost to the front of the line, they wheeled up a kid with broken leg, and his entire family/party of about 20 people (they were wearing family reunion t-shirts).

 

You can hire people on craig's list for this purpose.

 

To matter what the system, someone has worked out a way to scam it.

[Wishing on a star]

My father is a pilot and sees this ALL the time. People are wheeling through security and onto the plane. Once they land, those pax stand up and go running off the plane!

 

Yep, this is so prevalent on some itineraries, like from retirement areas in FL, that people call these 'Miracle Flights'.. Suddenly, dozens of passengers are cured!!!

 

SAD...

[kaczkagirl]

That's why Disneyland no longer allows those in wheelchairs to the front of the line. Too many dishonest people were abusing this and therefore ruined

it for those who truly are disabled.

[nukesubsailor]

On planes they board those with disabilities first but make them wait until last to get off the plane. That makes sense. It allows the faster moving passengers to make their connections.

When it comes to buses it is different for some reason. I am all for reserving the front seats of the bus for the disabled. That makes sense. What is wrong is that the disabled are allowed to get off the bus first and make all the others on the bus wait on them.

I was brought up to believe I should always be courteous to others. That means that I should not cause a delay for others when I can avoid it by waiting a few minutes.

What ever happened to the Golden Rule?

[Keith1010]

Can't believe someone would do that. How sad they would do this.

 

Keith

[cactusrose]

We had two ladies run up to the tender line to go back to the ship. First they showed security their platinum card and tried to go to the front of the line and when that didn't work, one of them pulled out a handicapped card, the one you hand off the rear view mirror in your car, and insisted they needed to go to the front of the line. Fortunately security wasn't buying it.

[Arzeena]

I'd suggest everybody take a deep breath, before you judge too much although I hear you loud and clear.

 

We travel with a physicically handicapped child. (Arthritis, TBI, and a severe connective tissue disease) and She's great for short distances or moving at her own pace. But things can and do deteriorate rapidly. We have one entire suitcase of mobility aids. Boots - splints - cruches - canes and other manner of devices. We don't know from day to day or even hour to hour what's going to work and what isn't. Yes we use wheelchairs in airports, long distance etc. while at the same time trying to keep her as independent (and nondependent on devices) as she can be. And yes we have a Disabled parking permit and have walked normally into a store and limped out....

 

Its unbelievable what she and we have heard from folks. Sort of makes one reach out and touch sometimes........... BTW how much does it REALLY slow one down if a disabled person boards with his whole family/party?

 

Best post in this thread so far.

[NSWP]

Perhaps these 'disadvantaged people' should be made to produce a fair dinkum medical certificate to get preferred boarding or preferred anything. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Yes some of these people are like athletes in the Horizon Court or enroute to the Princess Theatre, they travel at a great rate of knots. Must be the sea air that fixes them real quick, no need to visit Lourdes..'Escape Completely and Come Back New.' Only if you sail with Princess. LOL.

 

Yes I know there are fair dinkum cases and the odd shonk. (Scammer.)

Edited March 15, 2016 by NSWP

[UpcountryTravelers]

Interesting. In 24 cruises (18 of them on Princess), I've never seen any of the things described above. Either we are just lucky, or maybe we are so into enjoying adventure time and concentrating on each other that we just didn't notice it.

 

Jim

Edited March 16, 2016 by UpcountryTravelers

[Colo Cruiser]

This is just the perfect example of what's wrong with society these days: It's that IT'S ALL ABOUT ME AND ONLY ME mindset!!! Whether it's cruising, at the store, the airport, driving, etc.....it's everywhere!!! No respect for rules or other people.

 

 

 

Yes.....its is MY cruise. :rolleyes:

[Gwendy]

Yes I have seen it frequently, felt like doing it myself with my old, tired body, just kidding. However we never know how handicapped some people are, it is not always evident. I would rather let some scammers win than disadvantage somebody with a genuine handicap. Believe in Karma.

[seafish]

I've been on a disembarkation line and a group of people come up, one of them waving their black card, and tried to push ahead of us. My friends and I waved our black cards back and told them that they better hurry to get to the back of the line as it was getting longer fast. They insisted and we resisted. They stood around for a few minutes and finally got on the back of the line which was a lot longer than it had been.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Pam - First of all thank you for all your appreciated CC roll-help. I do have a question regarding your above post. We too are Elite - but I was not aware that Elite's can get-off the ship on disembarkation day by just by showing their Black Cards -or- is this just for walk-off? Or - do I have this wrong? We have always been assigned a specific disembarkation luggage tag color/time when doing checked luggage and/or Princess EZ Check.

[clr315]

This type of behavior ruins it for those that do legitimately need priority boarding etc. I will always let someone in a wheel chair or with a physical disability go ahead of me but I do not appreciate the attitude that since I am in a wheel chair I need to board the elevator before you. This is one of the reasons I prefer to walk the stairs....I'm able bodied and can leave the elevators for those that need it but did travel with my brother in law who could not navigate the stairs.

 

I had an experience at Disney world. It was after the fireworks and we had a group of about ten high school girls with us. We had told them to stay with an adult so as a result I asked everyone in my good to stay within touching distance. The crowd thinned to cross a bridge and a women in a scooter started nudging me in the legs. I ignore her and then she started nudging me harder. Again I ignored her. She then started beeping her little horn. So I turned to her and said yes? She said I'm disabled and need to get through. I told her she had to wait and she said well let me through. I said I couldn't as I was in a group and no one had anyplace to move to. So she just proceeded to keep beeping and hitting me in the legs until she knocked me off balance. One of the girls steadied me and I turned and said to her enough. She said now let me through or I'll do it again! Arggggggggggg lovely.

[berlingo]

Last summer we took our first cruise since I was diagnosed with high grade ovarian cancer in March 2014.

 

This cruise was a big deal for my husband, children and I. We had been through a scary, awful 18 months and I was still in the middle of chemotherapy. Major surgeries and many chemo sessions have left me physically and emotionally weak. However I was determined to minimise the impact of my illness on my families enjoyment of this well deserved holiday.

 

Reluctantly I agreed that I would need to use a wheelchair on board. The distances involved would be too much otherwise and I would want to save my energy for other activities which I could enjoy with my family.

 

It was the right decision. We had the most wonderful holiday together and things almost felt normal for a while.

 

However I was aware that people seeing me wheel up to the theatre, restaurant etc and then walk to my seat may wonder what was going on. Illness and disability is sometimes more complicated than we think.

[notentirelynormal]

It's not that big of a deal....but it does go both ways, and there ARE people in wheelchairs who don't deserve to go to the front of the line.

 

LINERGUY: I waited for nearly an hour and a half with my kids to ride the Dumbo ride at Disney. When we were almost to the front of the line, they wheeled up a kid with broken leg, and his entire family/party of about 20 people (they were wearing family reunion t-shirts). Everyone in line had to step back while every one of them got on the ride in front of the hundreds of people who had been waiting patiently. Sorry, but I don't consider a broken leg to be a disability. To top it off, they were all 'high-fiving' each other over the fact that they didn't have to wait.

 

So, yes, there are people with legitimate reasons to go to the front of the line; but there are also a lot of people who take advantage of the system. And then there are people who SHOULD go to the front of the line – people with chronic back pain, arthritis, anxiety, autism, etc. – but never do

 

Sorry, but my quote function didn't work. It is very unusual for Disneyland to let that many people go as a group. Normally the total is six. However, it is possible that the group were on a tour or had a private guide. Tour groups such as "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" do get front of the line on some rides. You pay for it in the experience. Being obnoxious because you got it is not nice but like other things, you might not have know the rest of the story.

 

Disney has implemented a new program for those that can't stand or wait. It is like a fast pass. There are kiosks that they go to, tell them the ride they want next. Then the cast member looks up the wait time and writes in down on their paper.... well they no longer have the paper it is now connected to the disabled person's card. So if the wait is 30 minutes the disabled can wander over to the line, stop for a drink whatever but they don't get on until the 30 minutes is up. Then they walk up to the fast pass entry. For those that don't know what it going on it appears these people got preferential treatment. They did, but not in the way the person in line thinks.

[notentirelynormal]

I have a rare condition, RSDS. Pam, you know. The same as your daughter. I look fine and I look healthy. I AM healthy. There is not a single physical thing wrong with me. Okay, I have high blood pressure and sugar levels but so do thousands and like them I pop a pill to control it.

 

However, my nervous system has decided there is a problem. My brain says there is and the brain wins. I am in pain 24/7 (I reach a 10 level almost every day) and my pain starts in the bottom of my feet and goes up my leg to my knee. A gentle breeze or my pants rubbing against my legs will bring tears to my eyes. Literally. Standing is a killer. Does that mean I can't stand and walk? No it doesn't. I definitely can. I can go into the buffet and get my own meal. Does it mean I won't immediately pop a pain pill. Maybe. My pain meds are good ones. Apparently they have a very nice street value. Will I burst into tears for no reason. Sure. I can be sitting watching TV and realize that tears are streaming down my face. My doctor tells me that I am depressed because of the pain. I guess he's right. Yes, you will now see me boarding a cruise with my scooter. You are also likely to see me walking around the ship without it. For example, I won't be riding it to dinner because it is more work then it is worth. I'll suck it up and deal with the pain.

 

So, people the guy was a jerk. Maybe it was legit and maybe it wasn't. All I'm saying is please don't judge people by their "appearance". You just don't know what is going on with them. Frankly, there is no reason for them to have to explain to you or anyone else. Sometimes I feel guilty for parking in the handicap spot because I'm only 60. Then I get out of the car and my feet hit the ground. I feel stupid using the handicap carts at stores when I see an old person walk past me with a cane. And then I stand.

 

A story: my sister in law drove a very expensive sports car. Flashy. She pulled into the handicap spot and hurried out of her car. A passerby started yelling at her for faking her handicap. This person judged her solely on her young age (early 30s), her lovely wig and her car. Guess what? She died two months later from cancer.

[myfuzzy]

Sometimes I think people feel they are entitled because they have a walker, cane, chair, scooter etc. I don't have any of the above, but I am in constant pain, I walk slower, and step aside if anyone wants to get by me. As a matter of fact, last year on the Regal, some woman came zipping into the elevator with her "4x4" scooter and just about ran over my foot if I didn't jump back to the wall, biggest scooter I ever saw, no excuse me, sorry, or nothing from her....

[hcw80]

I had a child with MS in my class one year. All he wanted to do was be able to walk in line with his classmates. He and a pal (and his aide) would always leave early for lunch, specials and dismissal because his motor problems made it difficult for him to move with normal speed. His mom told me about that before school started. So that year, we all left five minutes early (except for dismissal because he needed to be out for the handicapped bus 15 minutes before dismissal). All a handicapped kid wants to be is part of the pack.

[masterty]

Pay attention next time you board a plane.

How many wheelchairs are needed to board the plane vs how many are needed to exit the plane?

 

Selfishness must always be forgiven, because there is no hope of a cure.

[iriemon]

I need to post something from the other side of the plate. I did 14 cruises with my wife who was confined mostly to a wheelchair or walker from the ravages of cancer. The cruises were a reward for chemo or an operation. We met nothing but wonderful people and workers who were on the cruise. Always willing to help any way they could. We always did the walk for the cure on the ships and people would come up and ask if they could have the honor of pushing her. Cancer took her from me but her happiest times were on ships. I now travel solo have to use a cane not all the time but if I am in crowds or if the ship is rocking or sometimes when the leg just doesn't want to cooperate. I do not use the cane to get special privileges or to move ahead in fact if someone asks me to go ahead I usually decline. Yes there are some jerks out there but I don't let it get to me. I believe in karma and the will get theirs and I remind myself of the boy that cried wolf. I am now stepping off my soap box

Edited March 16, 2016 by iriemon

[Jetswdo]

When I go on a flight, I use my folding cane and make sure that I am among the first to board. Let me explain: If I am in a crowded space, it triggers my horrible sciatica immediately. I always travel with that cane, as once all of a sudden I lost my balance due to Sciatica sudden flare up, and fell. (I'm in my early 60's)-- I also usually pay more to sit towards front of plane- extra space seat in coach. I can only wonder what people think as I get off the plane as quickly as I can, and then once in the open terminal, don't usually use my cane at all. Any way my point is that sometimes, a person's physical limitations, may not be very obvious.

[Silent Penguin]

On our second cruise my husband had a boot and we were standing in line along with my MIL and FIL. I porter with a wheel chair was walking down the line and spotted my husband and insisted he get in and he took all of up to the front of the line and got us in within minutes. My in-laws were able to check in as well. He then wheeled my husband (who really was quite embarassed at the fuss) to our cabin. He didn't have to wear the boot 24/7 so I'm sure there were people that saw him around the ship without it.

 

Now I feel bad about this after reading the first post.

 

Great post. I can always use some help increasing my understanding of situations that might not be what they appear to be.