Making Fun of People with Disablities

[huchowsj]

Sorry for the long intro, but its needed to establish the story...

Well, we just got back from a great trip to disney prior to the school year starting. We attended our first DVC Moonlight Magic event over at Animal Kingdom and had a great time up until the bus ride back to Old Key West. So unfortunately my wife broke her leg 4 weeks before the trip so she was confined to a scooter with crutches mounted to the back and an air cast on. We ended up heading back for the bus early due to young kids 4 and 7 and unfortunately if my 4 year old goes down for the count, I'm stuck trying to handle him and his stroller/wheel chair. We arrived at the bus terminal with the bus at the gate...perfect timing....unfortunately due to my wives scooter the bus was full and we had to wait until the next one arrived. After about half an hour the next bus arrives and the queue line is now full. A woman with a motorized wheelchair arrived and she told her husband that they may be awhile due to my wives scooter and my sons wheelchair/stroller. When the bus arrived, I managed to wake him up and get him to stand for a moment so I could collapse his stroller. The woman with the power wheel chair went on first followed by my wife. Well the driver was strapping them in and I was waiting outside with my kids our Guests Behaving Badly incident occurred.

While carrying a four year old that's asleep on my shoulder in my left arm and a collapsed stroller/wheelchair in my right arm and at the same time watching my 7 year old daughter in comes our guest. The guest is in the queue line and begins to blast the wheelchairs and scooters getting on the bus. He saying things like "come on, just get there. We should all be on the bus" followed by statements making fun of the woman in the wheelchair and my wife. I apologize to the readers but its been several long days and I don't recall the exact statements used. At this time, I turned and saw him in his blue sleeveless shirt with a bad splotchy attempt at growing a beard appearing to be 17 to 20 ish years old. I told him not to be a jerk and to stop insulting people with disabilities. At this time the bus driver advised that it was safe to enter and myself and kids did.

Once inside and seated as the bus was loading, our brave soul entered the bus and couldn't even make eye contact or look in my direction. His mother approached me and apologized profusely for her sons actions and she stated he was just being a "really dumb kid". I accepted her apology and of course my daughter had to ask what happened. So I informed her that the woman's son, had said some inappropriate things about mommy and the other lady in a wheelchair and she was apologizing for her sons actions. I also told my daughter that it takes a brave person to apologize for there actions and we should accept someones heartfelt sincere apology.

I could only hope that this mother disciplines her child/young man/man one-one hundredth of the way my parents would have disciplined me if I even thought of making fun of a disabled person.

[brp]

Woulda been better had the kid made the apology. Actually, woulda been better had he not said it in the first place, of course. At least the mom realized it was wrong.

Cheers.

[huchowsj]

Originally Posted by brp

Woulda been better had the kid made the apology. Actually, woulda been better had he not said it in the first place, of course. At least the mom realized it was wrong.

Cheers.

I completely agree with you.

[carolina_yankee]

So sorry you had to deal with that. I’ve only had to use a scooter twice (5 years ago and this trip) due to knee or foot issues, but I’ve found most people are either very nice or ignore us. In fact, my biggest frustration this trip is people looking into their phones or looking straight ahead and walking right into me. I see them coming. I stop. I can’t maneuver out of their way, and bang they go into me! NOt a single one said a negative thing In fact, they all ignored me and keep moving on.

It’s very different being in a scooter, but Disney is the best place to experience that if one must. All this is to say that the kid was an *******, you guys were incredibly patient, and I hope you have great trips over all and never have to deal with this again.

Dirk

[brp]

Originally Posted by carolina_yankee

In fact, my biggest frustration this trip is people looking into their phones or looking straight ahead and walking right into me. I see them coming. I stop. I can’t maneuver out of their way, and bang they go into me! NOt a single one said a negative thing In fact, they all ignored me and keep moving on.

People doing the phone thing annoy me. If I see them walking toward me, I will stay on my path and keep walking. I will not veer. If they walk into me, the will notice a very solid contact. Recently a women walking a bike on a path was doing that. She walked into me with a slight recoil. Nothing for me. Could I get out of their way? Sure. But not gonna. Of course, not gonna move into their way either, because that would be rude

Cheers.

[carolina_yankee]

Originally Posted by brp

People doing the phone thing annoy me. If I see them walking toward me, I will stay on my path and keep walking. I will not veer. If they walk into me, the will notice a very solid contact. Recently a women walking a bike on a path was doing that. She walked into me with a slight recoil. Nothing for me. Could I get out of their way? Sure. But not gonna. Of course, not gonna move into their way either, because that would be rude

Cheers.

I like your approach. I won’t do that while sitting on a heavy metal object, but it is tempting to own the “Why should I be the one to stop or move” posture. So much more phone reading this trip. MDE and instagram.

Dirk

[Brian5581]

So sorry you had to deal with the jackass, but at least his mother shows there’s potentially some hope for him to become a decent human being.

[FessParker1]

My mother would have grabbed me by the back of the neck and brought me over to apologize.

[disneycrazy]

Sorry that happened. I’m sure everyone was tired and a little edgy, but that doesn’t make it right. I have a 17 yo and if he ever said something like that I would have belted him as soon as he opened his mouth. He wouldn’t ever, but if he did, he had better get out of arms reach fast and run.

[DVCERSINCEDAY1]

what goes around, comes around.