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#Post#: 41969--------------------------------------------------
Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: Songbird Date: November 13, 2019, 5:51 pm
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I travel on the NYC Subway.
Most people use the stairs to travel from the street to the
mezzanine, from the mezzanine to the platform. There are
elevators in many stations, but they tend to be small and carry
only a few people at a time.
The elevators are used by moms with strollers, by people toting
luggage, by people using walkers, by folks who find it difficult
to use the stairs, and by those who use wheelchairs. I tend to
use the elevators because I have problems with my knees.
An interesting issue came up while I was waiting for an elevator
in the station tonight. There were a lot of us waiting, clearly
more of us than could squeeze into the elevator at one time.
The elevator arrived, and the people at the front of the crowd
began to board.
I heard a voice behind me. “Wheelchair. Elevator. Coming
through.”
She got to the front, tried to board, but there wasn’t enough
room. She announced “wheelchairs have priority.” She expected
others to get off the elevator and let Her board. No one did.
One of the passengers on the elevator was using a walker. None
of the others had a visible disability, but you never know about
hidden disabilities.
She had to wait for the elevator to go down and come back up
again, maybe three-four minutes, before she could board.
There are no signs in the subway reserving the elevators for the
disabled, so it’s not like a handicapped parking space. And she
wasn’t prevented from using the elevator, she only had to wait a
few minutes.
But was she right? We’re the other passengers rude to make her
wait? Or was she the rude one?
#Post#: 41970--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: kckgirl Date: November 13, 2019, 6:03 pm
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As a person with an invisible mobility problem, I say the
elevator passengers were not rude. She was just misinformed, but
not necessarily rude, unless she threw a hissy fit.
#Post#: 41974--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: gramma dishes Date: November 13, 2019, 6:52 pm
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I think she was rude. First of all it sounds like she used her
wheelchair to bulldoze her way to the front of the line. Unless
there is clear signage indicating the elevator is primarily for
the use of people in wheelchairs, she had no more right to barge
to the front than anyone else.
Being handicapped doesn't always insure that you are going to
always be treated preferably. You just should never be treated
unfairly. No one was being unfair to her. It just wasn't her
turn.
#Post#: 41980--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: Raintree Date: November 13, 2019, 10:18 pm
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I would agree that disabilities have priority (ie able-bodied
people should not be filling elevators when there are people who
actually need them waiting). But that doesn't necessarily mean
people in wheelchairs. My mother, 88, is not in a wheelchair but
she sure can't use stairs. If I'm accompanying her and the
elevator appears to be filling up, I will take the stairs and
meet her at the top (or bottom, depending on which direction we
are going). If she required an attendant at her side, of course
I would ride the elevator with her. But no, we are not getting
off to let someone with a different disability board who came
along after us.
Elderly may be obvious, and so are wheelchairs and walkers. But
you don't know by looking who has balance problems, is
recovering from surgery, has MS or a knee injury or any number
of other reasons to need an elevator.
#Post#: 41985--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: Kimberami Date: November 14, 2019, 5:29 am
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I think the woman in the wheelchair was rude. Accommodations put
persons with a disability on the same starting line as everyone
else, but they not intended to give them a head start. Everyone
has to wait for their turn.
#Post#: 41986--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: Aleko Date: November 14, 2019, 5:55 am
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I suppose it's just possible that she wasn't a New York resident
and came from some city where wheelchairs do officially have
priority, and didn't realise that this wasn't the same
everywhere in the USA.
Over here in the UK, modern designs of bus have an open space
for wheelchairs and children in buggies; after a court case
brought re an unseemly incident in which mothers refused to fold
up their buggy and hold their child on their lap to allow a
wheelchair user to board, it is now the law that wheelchair
users do have first dibs on this space, and there are notices on
buses to this effect. I don't know if this ruling applies also
to Northern Ireland; but I can easily imagine that an English or
Scottish wheelchair user on a Belfast bus might take for granted
that they had priority, and thoroughly offend the locals if in
fact they hadn't.
#Post#: 41993--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: DaDancingPsych Date: November 14, 2019, 8:02 am
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I am really out of my knowledge base here, but my gut says that
the elevator is there for anyone who feels that they need it. I
would assume that able bodied people would think that it makes
more sense to typically use the stairs (faster), but unless
there are rules against it, they are allowed to wait their turn
and use the elevator, too. But I don't think wheelchair users
get to skip the line; there is no fast pass for them (again,
unless there is a rule.) She needed to wait her turn like
everyone else.
#Post#: 41995--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: Hmmm Date: November 14, 2019, 8:17 am
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[quote author=Aleko link=topic=1403.msg41986#msg41986
date=1573732526]
I suppose it's just possible that she wasn't a New York resident
and came from some city where wheelchairs do officially have
priority, and didn't realise that this wasn't the same
everywhere in the USA.
Over here in the UK, modern designs of bus have an open space
for wheelchairs and children in buggies; after a court case
brought re an unseemly incident in which mothers refused to fold
up their buggy and hold their child on their lap to allow a
wheelchair user to board, it is now the law that wheelchair
users do have first dibs on this space, and there are notices on
buses to this effect. I don't know if this ruling applies also
to Northern Ireland; but I can easily imagine that an English or
Scottish wheelchair user on a Belfast bus might take for granted
that they had priority, and thoroughly offend the locals if in
fact they hadn't.
[/quote]
I think there is a difference between a reserved space for
wheelchair users and expecting to jump a queue because you are
in a wheelchair.
I don't know if this is common in the UK, but here in my area it
is not unusual to attend and event that has short shuttle buses
running to take people back to cars or public transportation.
The shuttles usually can hold 30 to 40 people and most have at
least one wheelchair space. Sometimes there are long ques to
board the shuttles after an event. If there are 100 people in
line, I don't think the wheelchair person who is the 101st
person in line gets to jump the que and board the first shuttle
that doesn't already have another wheelchair person using the
reserved spot.
At our local ballpark, there is an elevator reserved for people
with limited mobility, wheelchairs and strollers and people
accompanying them. There is often a line to onto the elevator. I
don't think the limited mobility or parents with strollers
should have to let everyone in a wheelchair through first.
#Post#: 41998--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: Songbird Date: November 14, 2019, 9:52 am
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OP here.
I thought she was rude, and from her accent I can assure you
that she was local.
I agree, accommodations for the disabled should level the
playing field, not give them a head start.
My thoughts?
There are signs in the subway trains designating certain seats
as reserved for the elderly and disabled. In other words,
someone with a disability should not be standing on the train
while the able bodied sit. And that would be true even if there
were no designated seats.
In a public restroom you let the person in the wheel chair cut
the line, because they cannot use nay stall except the
accessible one, and they might have limitations that mean they
need additional time to transfer from the chair...
Handicapped parking space? by law they're reserved for
individuals with a permit. My boyfriend has a permit after his
recent spinal surgery, but if he can park close without using
the permit, he will leave the space open for someone else. He
doesn't need the zebra striped area to load or unload a
wheelchair.
#Post#: 42000--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mass transit ...elevator etiquette
By: Kimberami Date: November 14, 2019, 10:11 am
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[quote author=Songbird link=topic=1403.msg41998#msg41998
date=1573746779]
OP here.
I thought she was rude, and from her accent I can assure you
that she was local.
I agree, accommodations for the disabled should level the
playing field, not give them a head start.
My thoughts?
There are signs in the subway trains designating certain seats
as reserved for the elderly and disabled. In other words,
someone with a disability should not be standing on the train
while the able bodied sit. And that would be true even if there
were no designated seats.
In a public restroom you let the person in the wheel chair cut
the line, because they cannot use nay stall except the
accessible one, and they might have limitations that mean they
need additional time to transfer from the chair...
Handicapped parking space? by law they're reserved for
individuals with a permit. My boyfriend has a permit after his
recent spinal surgery, but if he can park close without using
the permit, he will leave the space open for someone else. He
doesn't need the zebra striped area to load or unload a
wheelchair.
[/quote]
It is my opinion that there should be dedicated parking spaces
for persons with disabilities and separate spaces that are
dedicated to persons using wheelchairs. Spaces for wheelchairs
don't necessarily need to be close to an entrance, they only
need ample room to load and unload the chairs. Spaces for people
with disabilities don't necessarily need extra space, they just
need to be closer to an entrance.
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