Quote: Originally posted by romany girl on 26/11/2011
Being in a wheelchair or on a scooter does indeed change some people's attitudes to you entirely, and not always for the better. I have had everything from sheer kindness, to being talked over to my OH, as if i was a child, and a deaf and dumb one at that, and sometimes as if i was brainless and unable to answer for myself!
Last time i was out and about on my scooter in Scarbrough I was looking for a nice pair of shoes to wear for my daughters wedding, and found some in a small boutique's window down Huntress row. The shop was too small to take the scooter inside so i parked just out side the door and slowly went inside, only to be greeted by the tarty young owner/assistant with sheer rudeness, firstly regarding the fact that the sccoter was blocking anyone from looking in the window, and could i move it? to being told that the shoes i liked were really 'dancing' shoes and without even looking in the storeroom she manged to say they wouldnt have my size 5s in stock anyway, in a nutshell she just wanted me out of the way of her precious overpriced shop window goods PDQ! in her eyes anyone who was disabled should not be allowed to wear anything fashionable, or steal away the young image of a perfect model like body fresh from the catwalks of the designers of her clothes!
She actually did me a favour, because i then found some similar ones in M&S along with a nice necklace and earings, plus a matching coloured bag from TKMax with the entire lot coming to less than the price she was asking for her fairly ordinary shoes which had just been tarted up with a bit of sparkly ribbon stuff on the front that she had probably added herself when she hadnt got anything better to do!
Talking of Scarbrough, a word of caution to anyone who uses the tram to town up of the beachfront whilst on a scooter, when you get to the top, be aware of a very steep adverse cambre on the pavement as you approach the droped curb to cross the road into town. I had a narrow escape from tipping sideways, just managed to stop it going by leaning over in the opposite direction, but we have since seen two people tip over and according to the mobility shop owner across the road, it happens fairly regularly, especially with people who are not used to a scooter, and have maybe hired one for the first time to get around the place whilst on holiday, and yes, you have guessed it, most of them that Tip over are three wheelers.
Julia
I know what you mean and how you felt about your invisible and cannot understand,hear etc.When they did that to me and asked my Bob standing behind me, my usually ultra placid husband, just bent forward towards them and just said "WHY DON'T YOU ASK HER SHE IS SITTING IN FRONT OF ME HERE, not a smile,grin or any other expression is his face. As not so much earlier on we read a bit ina magazine that made me say to him that is what & how I feel at times. The article was "See ME not my Wheelchair". hits the nail on the head. Pity you did not right to the head office of that shop to force their hand to deal with their shop assistant & her to maybe learn how to really deal with customers & all human beings no matter who or what colour or all else they are. Snotty nosed madam,needs taking down off of her gold throne she has set herslef upon to the detriment of others. I know it may not bother you so very much as you can answer if you want to but others may not be able to. So it is well worth naming & shaming if it is just for those who cannot have a forum to tell anyone.
Topic: Caravans and disability.
