Originally Posted by
LGS6753
Wizzair fly to Chisinau, capital of Moldova.
Yes, that is exactly what I posted, but thank you for quoting me only to then say the same thing!
I completely understand and respect his viewpoint but then that would make sitting on a motorised buggy also being dependant on someone else.
That's why I don't understand his dramatics. How did he get to/from the airport in the first place? Presumably he had a taxi or another vehicle? Is that not also relying on someone else? I don't understand his opposition to being assisted at all to be honest. It was an unfortunate situation that his own chair didn't arrive, but the airline in question should be the ones in the spotlight. All LTN staff did was offer their assistance and this man refused. They way he has acted is unacceptable. They are not obliged to have self propelled chairs, they are obliged to provide assistance which is what they did. Where would he have gone with the self propelled chair in this instance? Home, presumably? With an expensive piece of kit that LTN then has to pay to get back for the next customer. I don't really see that as being a good solution.
I really don't get this mans beef with LTN. It just smacks of attention seeking. He is suggesting that wheelchair users are lacking dignity for being pushed around. I think many other wheelchair users would rightly be disgusted at that kind of comment from him. There is nothing wrong with needing help sometimes. This situation is one of those exact times. He would have maintained his dignity more by just accepting the assistance and saying thanks, then kicking up an almighty fuss about the airline in the media, outlining how the LTN staff were there to help him. Now they will likely do nothing to help him and will indeed take him to court. A situation not originally caused by the man, but certainly one he has escalated entirely unnecessarily. I am surprised that a man who apparently works in Moldova (a country I have been to) is going off on one about being offered assistance at the airport. Moldova is possibly the least disabled friendly country I've been to. After spending any amount of time there I'd have though anyone who needed mobility assistance would be very welcome of it.
Back to the original issue though. The airline in question chose not to load his chair. That needs to be investigated. Even if it was taken at the gate there would have been plenty of time to disconnect any batteries and load it and they would surely have been aware of the chair at the time of check in? KIV is a small airport, it takes barely any time to proceed through the formalities on departure, so unless this passenger just presented himself at the gate without having given any warning to the airline about his chair and they simply couldn't plan for it then I don't see why it wouldn't have been loaded.