Wheel chair Ron makes his debut.

[OATEK]

Was there a flight to India from a nearby gate.

Bengaluru - how did you know?

 

[Pushka]

Bengaluru - how did you know?

It's sadly become a thing and posted on all the socials.

We were about to board a Qatar airlines flight a few years ago. I have never seen so many wheelchairs. It was kinda funny. The flight got cancelled. Everyone had to go back through immigration and get luggage etc. I often wondered if it was because of all those wheelchairs. And quite a few were abandoned when the cancel announcement was made

 

[serfty]

And quite a few were abandoned when the cancel announcement was made

First "Miracle" Flights™¹, now "Miracle" Cancellations™² ...

(™¹ @drron, ™² @Pushka )

 

[drron]

Bengaluru - how did you know?

When we flew SQ SIN - DEL the preboarding line was full of wheelchairs and longer than the general boarding lines.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Was there a flight to India from a nearby gate.

The irony of a more mobile population.

 

[Quickstatus]

The irony of a more mobile population.

Indeed
However, mobility is not just for the mobile.
Transportation has made the world a lot smaller

The evolution:

Walking
Domesticated beasts of burden
Boats - paddle
Sail
Boiler driven boats
Cars
- expensive
- now cheap
- ridesharing
- self driving cars
Airplanes
- several days to go across the world
- now less than a day
Rockets
- moon
-mars?

Personal mobility devices
- wheelchairs
- what's next?. Lightweight all terrain go anywhere personal mobility.
- exoskeleton like iron man?
- personal airplanes.


.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Indeed
However, mobility is not just for the mobile.
Transportation has made the world a lot smaller
.

I imagine there's also quite the Indian diaspora whom have parents visiting them, probably for the first time and being told on the socials that this is how they help them?

 

[Quickstatus]

being told on the socials that this is how they help them?

Dunno, but people, in general and historically, exploit the most accessible and cost effective transportation methods to go from A to B in the shortest amount of time.

It's really no different than driving 1km to the shops when walking is also available. Or driving a golf cart around 18 holes.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Dunno, but people, in general and historically, exploit the most accessible and cost effective transportation methods to go from A to B in the shortest amount of time.

I see a LOT more wheelchairs around airports in recent years than say, 20yrs ago. I doubt human physicality has changed over that period.

 

[Quickstatus]

I doubt human physicality has changed over that period.

No doubt there are lots of Miracle Cures ᵀᴹ wheelchair users at airports.....
However,:

Life expectancy at birth
2000: 79.4yrs
2026 84.3yrs (projected as calendar year not complete)

As people live longer, so does their period of their life expectancy with a disability
And disability mobility ( through technology and also public policy) has increased during the same period

While the following table is an estimate of future life expectancy, it is informative..

 

[luxury-lizard]

here's another consideration - when my Mum was still alive she visited me every year from Canada. While she was mobile she was quite frail and had extreme difficulty with luggage (e.g. lifting it from the carousel). The only way she could be assured of assistance was to pre-book wheelchair assistance.

 

[somebol]

This goes back quite a long way, particularly on flights from the subcontinent in the 1980s and 90s. English was far less widely spoken outside the major cities, especially among the older generation, and many expats would request wheelchair assistance for elderly parents travelling alone. It was often less about mobility and more about making sure they were guided through unfamiliar airports, immigration, connections and baggage collection despite the language barrier.

Over time, that practice seems to have ballooned into what we see today.

Not saying I support the current abuse of wheelchair assistance. Just adding some context as to how at least part of this practice originally developed.

 

[futaris]

This reminds me of that other famous heroic person in a wheelchair:

 

[drron]

Better gt back to the TR. most of it will be about food. Coogee isn't a place to explore with a light weight wheel chair. Too many steep hills. So tuesday night canapes.


After that we were picked up y our son an taken to his place and a simple meal which ran in both our families. Tuna and rice. Nice fresh fruit afterwards. A lovely evening catching up with our grandkids. This is even more special now.
Wednesday morning and back to the club or breakfast. Mrsdrron had the avocado and mushroom on toast. Much different to the firsttime but she preferred this version.


while I had an omelette with ham cheese and smoked salmon. Possibly the best omelette I have had.


And we couldn't pass up the afternoon tea.

 

[drron]

Wednesday evening canapes.


That night we had dinner with our favourite niece. Of course I am her favourite uncle. Though I am her only uncle. The hotel has 2 restaurants. The upmarket one is Rick Stein. Didn't feel like paying $145 for half a lobster thermidor. So we went to Settlers restaurant. It was petty good. Our niece had the potato gnocchi and liked it


Mrsdrron had the pappardelle with beef ragu.It was a large serving for her and although it was very nice she couldn't finish it.


I had the lamb shoulder. Excellent.


A side of heirloom carrots with honey were also very nice.


The next morning at the club we both had th avocado and mushrooms on tost. The mushrooms were just beautiful.

 

[drron]

Thursday and our last full day in Sydney. Time for my sister and I to have lunch together. She lives in Devon but comes to Australia for winter in the UK and sees her specialist here. Once again it was Settlers restaurant. Very pleasant in the day time..






They have a lunch menu so my sister and I had th club sandwich quite nice but a club sandwich. Mrsdrron had the calamari.


So we caught up with everyone except our granddaughter in Melbourne. We will be there on just over 2 weeks.

Once again up to the club and the nights canapes.


The Club was one of the best we have experienced. The food was of a high standard and the staff were excellent. The were plesant and exceptionl service. We had several long chats with them as it was exceedingly quiet.

 

[drron]

Better finish this.
Friday was checkout day. The woman said did you have a good stay.
Me- no it was the worst sty i have had at an IC. Then explained perfect to her I originally booked a king room with ocean view. I had rung the hotel and said I had a wheelchair but I can still walk independently so I don't want an accessible room would be nice to have non slip mt or a chair would be fantastic.So 2 days before arrival I got the email saying we were allocated an Accessible room with a double bed. I rang straight away but they said no other rooms available..
So I ended up having our restaurant bills comped. But we re never going back.

As I got to the front door the concierge said he would get us a cab. just as he finished a cab pulled in and a fellow jumped out so I in most ungainly fashion got in. the wheelchair fits easily in a car boot when folded. Again lucky with Sydney cabs with the meter on and most direct route taken.

Then had to get through the hoards of VA and JQ pax that were checking in or going to security.. I> headed for 2 VA a gents who were helping with the kiosks. They couldn't do enough for me and I ended up with 7 VA staff helping us. 2 escorted me to the wheelchair security line and 1 took Mrsdrron through the disability line. Pretty Quick.

So then a brief stay in the VA lounge before heading to the gate. When boarding tarted I was told to move first. at the plane door met a baggage handler folded the chair. He removed the battery and I showed him how to make it a manual chair. Again FAs great. Took the battery from me and put it under the seat and put my bag and walking stick in the overheads. I was in 2A.

And off we go.






We took off towards the est and then turned north so I got to see Sydney's west.








But then we went over the cast so saw the northern Beaches from the other side. long reef standing out and Pittwater