01-07-2009, 05:10 AM
Disabled people may take warning:
My loving wife unfortunately is 100% disabled and must use a walker to move around. She has had numerous trips to Honolulu for her medical attention because the Big Island is not equipped nor do we have a medical faculty with the specialized professionals for her care. That being said, one would recognize that she and I are seasoned travelers. When ever possible I escort her because she needs a wheelchair at airports. There are times that I can’t go because of expense or time needed to escort her, this last trip was one of them.
Her insurance and Doctors are thru Kaiser and they only have a clinic here so they arrange her flight information thru an agent. This enables her to fly “handicapped” and with an escort when possible. I escorted her to the gate a week ago to get her on the flight. On her return she required a porter to push her wheelchair from arrival to the curb. A young lady functioning as a porter for Hawaiian got the call. As she was pushing Barbara the porter keep telling her that “they” only make money thru their “tips” My wife who is all heart started digging thru her purse looking for some cash to give her and only came up with two dollars, the porter took it and left her sitting in the wheelchair at the curb. I arrived 60 seconds later and she had tears in her eyes and was all wet. I inquired what’s wrong and all she could say was please get me home. In the car she explained that the porter almost demanded money and when she could only come up with two dollars the porter took it and left. The porter left her at the curb and not under any shelter as she was walking away it began to rain and Barbara is not adequate for propelling a wheelchair herself. A good Samaritan pushed her under shelter but she got soaked anyway. Barbara was embarrassed to tears because of her disability and the fact that she didn’t have enough money to give the porter.
This situation is wrong and I’m pissed off, disabled and handicapped people need to be respected and Hawaiian Airlines and this porter have put me on the warpath. May thanks to the good person that pushed my wife under shelter, bless you and yours.[
!]
The Lack
My loving wife unfortunately is 100% disabled and must use a walker to move around. She has had numerous trips to Honolulu for her medical attention because the Big Island is not equipped nor do we have a medical faculty with the specialized professionals for her care. That being said, one would recognize that she and I are seasoned travelers. When ever possible I escort her because she needs a wheelchair at airports. There are times that I can’t go because of expense or time needed to escort her, this last trip was one of them.
Her insurance and Doctors are thru Kaiser and they only have a clinic here so they arrange her flight information thru an agent. This enables her to fly “handicapped” and with an escort when possible. I escorted her to the gate a week ago to get her on the flight. On her return she required a porter to push her wheelchair from arrival to the curb. A young lady functioning as a porter for Hawaiian got the call. As she was pushing Barbara the porter keep telling her that “they” only make money thru their “tips” My wife who is all heart started digging thru her purse looking for some cash to give her and only came up with two dollars, the porter took it and left her sitting in the wheelchair at the curb. I arrived 60 seconds later and she had tears in her eyes and was all wet. I inquired what’s wrong and all she could say was please get me home. In the car she explained that the porter almost demanded money and when she could only come up with two dollars the porter took it and left. The porter left her at the curb and not under any shelter as she was walking away it began to rain and Barbara is not adequate for propelling a wheelchair herself. A good Samaritan pushed her under shelter but she got soaked anyway. Barbara was embarrassed to tears because of her disability and the fact that she didn’t have enough money to give the porter.
This situation is wrong and I’m pissed off, disabled and handicapped people need to be respected and Hawaiian Airlines and this porter have put me on the warpath. May thanks to the good person that pushed my wife under shelter, bless you and yours.[
!]The Lack