Wheelchair Scam

[Snowy79]

I'll admit I was an unwitting beneficiary of such a scam although not a total scam. I'd torn a few ligaments in my knee along with other damage and was heading to Puerto Galera for a long weekend. A group of four of us arrived at the port to the sight of the Holy Week queues, it must have stretched a good km and I was hobbling in crutches and a lot of pain. I was about to tell them to forget it when a porter clocked me and went away for a wheelchair, he returned and wheeled me followed by the other three straight to the front where I had to bounce on my butt along the gangplank and onto the banka which they were using at the time.

Only later did I discover that had I not got taken to the front with the distance back in the queue we were in I'd have never gotten to Puerto that day as there were only so many boats. I can see why some people do it but for a fight where you have a ticket it doesn't make sense. 

[mountainside]

2 hours ago, BrettGC said:

I'm never in any hurry to get on the plane anyway, I tend to be at the back of the line to avoid the crush.

Works like a charm for those aircraft that deplane passengers from doors at both the front and rear of the plane. 

2 hours ago, Gator said:

pay for an upgraded seat. Which is exactly what I do.

Trans-Pacific with a long immigration queue at the destination?  You betcha.

52 minutes ago, Onemore52 said:

he  cabin crew call them “miracle flights “ where people from a certain country in Asia (renowned for their  curries) come aboard in wheelchairs and just like magic as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off jump up and start to head for the exit.

If only the flight attendants could move those passengers' carry-ons to the rear of the aircraft . . .

[BrettGC]

3 minutes ago, mountainside said:

Works like a charm for those aircraft that deplane passengers from doors at both the front and rear of the plane. 

It's not really about that for me.  If I'm about to spend hours sitting down I don't mind delaying it a little.  I'm never in any rush to deplane either; the antics of other passengers rushing to leave can be comedy gold at times.  

[Onemore52]

1 hour ago, BrettGC said:

It's not really about that for me.  If I'm about to spend hours sitting down I don't mind delaying it a little.  I'm never in any rush to deplane either; the antics of other passengers rushing to leave can be comedy gold at times.  

Those of us that are retired and not in a rush to get to the baggage carousel and wait and wait, let them go I say.

[Joe LP]

I never gave a damn when I was traveling for business. I always had a smaller carry on and almost everything else in my checked luggage.  So to avoid the rush/crush, I'd sit in the terminal at the gate until the last people were checked and already down the tunnel before going and getting my pass checked and allowed down the ramp.  

Now days I do the same as I never use first come first serve flights and I have a doctor's notice due to the insulin I need to take with me that requires my carryon to be located near me.  The only negative to getting on last if you have a seat number on your pass is the possibility that your carryon might be stored half a plane away.  But with my doctor's note, rarely is it not stored right above my seat.  In some planes they actually take my insulin out of the cooler I have inside my carry one and they'll freeze my ice packs in the plane freezer and my insulin will be put into their fridge.  

I get it if you are on a first come first serve flight.  But, if you are not, I never saw the reason for the rush to get on.  Only once in all my travels was someone in my seat, and they were in the wrong seat and as soon as the flight attendant saw it, the person was asked for their pass and they moved to their proper seat with no issues.  

But to this topic, the wheelchair needy are growing every year.  Makes me smile and/or chuckle at it.  To me, those people are ridiculous and don't realize it.  The ones truly needing of it are good, but the rest are a joke.   

[hk blues]

It happens all the time here - I have no idea what the requirements are for getting a PWD card but based on what I can see (OK...I know...I know) they must be pretty light i.e. a stubbed toe or broken finger nail.  I also PWD cards being used by other than the cardholder - same with Senior's card albeit the senior is wheeled over to sign.  I had a major bust-up at SM Christmas wrapping counter due to a senior being used as a decoy to jump the line.  

In short, it's a great system which is being abused and organisations are complicit in it.

[Onemore52]

10 minutes ago, hk blues said:

It happens all the time here - I have no idea what the requirements are for getting a PWD card but based on what I can see (OK...I know...I know) they must be pretty light i.e. a stubbed toe or broken finger nail.  I also PWD cards being used by other than the cardholder - same with Senior's card albeit the senior is wheeled over to sign.  I had a major bust-up at SM Christmas wrapping counter due to a senior being used as a decoy to jump the line.  

In short, it's a great system which is being abused and organisations are complicit in it.

And to jump the queue at terminal 3 arrivals at the taxi stand. I am thinking of showing my war veterans card and see if that carries any weight.

[BrettGC]

4 hours ago, hk blues said:

I have no idea what the requirements are for getting a PWD card but based on what I can see (OK...I know...I know) they must be pretty light

They are.  My doctor here offered to sign off on one for me and I can maintain a brisk walk a couple of hours without pain and she knows this.  She figured that with all the hip, back and knee issues I could use it.  Call me silly but I told her to give it to someone that actually needs it.  I guess it's a hangover from the utter contempt that people are held in by the general public if they scam the system in Australia. 

Edited June 29, 2023 by BrettGC

[JJReyes]

10 hours ago, Joe LP said:

I get it if you are on a first come first serve flight.  But, if you are not, I never saw the reason for the rush to get on. 

After airlines started charging extra fees for luggage, many passengers attempt to carry more bags on board.  The fight is over space on the overhead bins.  Flights destined for the Philippines during Christmas are particularly problematic because of pasalubongs.  I saw one woman with six carryons last year.

[hk blues]

22 hours ago, BrettGC said:

They are.  My doctor here offered to sign off on one for me and I can maintain a brisk walk a couple of hours without pain and she knows this.  She figured that with all the hip, back and knee issues I could use it.  Call me silly but I told her to give it to someone that actually needs it.  I guess it's a hangover from the utter contempt that people are held in by the general public if they scam the system in Australia. 

I wouldn't call you silly although most living here probably would - like you I have some kind of moral compass and it's something I want to preserve living here even if such a thing is beyond the comprehension of most here.