Are we getting ruder....?

....and it has become a friend. My sister is an RA sufferer and has finally decided she must get one. It took an age to get her to use walking sticks so she must be bad now.

I really ought to get a bigger one for the car. But I'm too mean! This one was only about £400. The luggie new is £1800 I got one 2nd hand for I think £800 I've certainly had good value out of it. It's much travelled. Russia next year. The Black Sea this!

I remember how difficult it was when I had to use two sticks following my hip op and many people ignored me. I have seen a small scooter topple over on our dreadful pavements, it was not nice, so I prefer to see the bigger ones being used for the sake of stability and safety.

It's a dam sight better than being housebound.
The only decent lingerie shop near me where they measure properly, has a very high step into it and 3 steps to get to the fitting rooms
I almost did a wheelie in my scooter last week when trying to mount a curb to get to the farmers market
And if I want to go for lunch at Saindburyx when I'm sitting at Weston super mare magistrates , I have to take the car as there are no dropped curbs en route. I can see the place 5mins walk away but can't get to it . Frustrating!

Recently we had friends staying with us. N uses a disability scooter as she has severe osteoarthritis of the spine. She is in constant pain, but by and large, people were very good, however, it really brought it home to me how difficult everyday, simple activities are, and how city streets, shops, and many many buildings are inaccessible despite the passing of the Equalities Act. What the scooter does do though, is to give independence instead of being reliant on being pushed in a wheelchair like a toddler. I think it would do us all good to have to spend a few days negotiating hazards and managing with physical restrictions. It must be horrible.

That would be nice! As it is I just smile at people and wait patiently. It amazing how one becomes invisible in a wheelchair or scooter and people stand gossiping in front of you and won't let you through! I'll swear each vehicle is issued with its own Klingon cloaking device!

Deserving this is the second time I find myself agreeing with --most of--what you say. I wonder if feeling insecure in crowded places (vulnerable /unsteady on the feet) makes people more impatient? People who are fine on their feet do not realise how scared you can be of being jostled or having your balance upset. I also think we get grumpier as we age (present company excepted of course) and are less flexible in our mental outlook as well as in our joints. I was amused at the outrage expressed by a couple who were sure somebody was in their seats until they brandished their tickets - had a closer look and found: yes, right row, yes, right seats but Oops! wrong day and "As You Like It" instead of "All's Well" Re disability in public places - scooters/wheelchairs/walking frames/zimmers - able-bodied people will just have to learn to be a little MORE PATIENT - that could just as easily be them!

I wondered if you thought I was not genuinely disabled. Your post was a tad ambiguous. I accept it wasn't aimed at me!

I said NOT YOU !!!!

Ok Rose
As you have taken precautions, (something I always told my young patients to do) here goes!
1. I am large(ish) this is secondary to immobility. 5' 8" 13.13

2. My scooters are as small as I can get away with. The luggie folds for travelling and weighs only23kg without its battery (1kg and lithium)

3. Without a scooter I am practically housebound.

4 I would be miserable old bit like him next door if I couldn't go out

5 I can go out with my family on it, we went to Slimbridge wwt. DGD likes riding on my lap on it and that gives pregnant DD a rest!

And I have got my hard-hat on.

That post comes with apologies to genuinely disabled people.

Actually, having got round to reading Deserving' s post, there are things there that I agree with.

Are most large motorised invalid carriage users large because they are users of said vehicles, or use them simply because they are large? Some of them, of course, must be genuinely disabled, but could some have just become fat and lazy?

Not you Galen.

Love the comments by hunt and nanaej will try to remember them and ninathenana I use that one as well . Deserving that is obviously your own brand of rudeness or mayhap a wind-up I ask myself.

Hunt good one!

I can't read all that. It's too long.

Why can't people just do little posts?

The rudeness portrayed here seemed, initially, to be proportional to the amount of walking sticks held. Then the true story emerged. Rudeness can be spoken, written, demonstrated, insinuated irrespective of the walking stick. It is more prevalent than it was with all ages. The elderly (some) seem to think it is a right, to be expected, a badge signifying their age.I literally gasp sometimes at the rudeness demonstrated by some of the elderly not only to one another but even worse to the young, who they expect to be polite and good mannered.How can this be expected when so many bad examples are set?
Although aids, in the form of walking sticks have been mentioned, What chaos do walking frames cause, how many "foldable' frames are never folded? Don't get onto the dangerous activities of those with those motorised easy chairs they get around on.Few seem to know the rules that are applicable to these vehicles. For that is what they are.Vehicles. Some are loaned out by the shopping centres, and are used by those that have no idea how to use them. Some seem to be used by those that are,just, obese, when a good walk would be more suitable.They soon abandon them to get to a sample on offer. I'm sure some sort of test would be appropriate, along with insurance
Rudeness is" on the up," It may be as a result of world we are living in at the moment, the insecurity, uncertainty, the pace we live at.Times were bad in the early thirties, as some of you know from experience, but then most 'pulled together' most were in the same boat, keeping up with the Jones s was a lot easier,often it meant only getting a toilet roll, or having some fruit in a bowl, when no one was ill.

I also was trying to pay at a supermarket checkout. The man behind me barged past and started getting shopping bags ready for his wife in a very aggressive manner. I tapped him on the arm,''I'm so sorry,'' I said,''Had I known you were in such a hurry I would have let you go first.''

Once when my son was about 14 I sat in the car for ages waiting to give him a lift home. Time passed and he eventually sauntered up with a friend. He started to rabbit on about what they'd been doing and I was so mad I just yelled "Shut up and get in the effing car !!!!" Years later they were still talking about the day I swore at them

When we got on the plane a couple of weeks ago there was a couple sitting in our seats. When I spoke to them about it she answered that her husband had a problem walking so we would have to sit further back in their seats - no apology! We spoke to the staff and, again no apology, even though we explained that we had specifically booked seats at the front, just told to sit in the seat behind ours and those people would have to move. I was miffed for the whole flight but would have been fine if they had only expressed an apology.

Another side of the story, which came through to me in a newsletter from the Museum where I volunteer. Evidently a member of the staff, or more likely a volunteer there, had seen someone struggling with walking sticks, and about to leave the Museum, he/she produced a wheelchair and pushed the visitor to the carpark. A lovely letter was printed in thanks for that action, and the printing of it must have made a lot of the people who give their time at the Museum, a great deal of pleasure.

I really notice it now when I am away from home but can honestly say that I don't experience it around here and I think our population is older than the average. You could all move to Malvern!

Recently I was in an airport lounge, picked up a coffee and a sandwich and went to an empty seat to log on. I was drinking my coffee and a woman came up and unpleasantly said "That's my seat". I replied that I had no idea as there was nothing to indicate that it was occupied. Her response was very rude! Of course I moved and found a seat nearby but admit to asking the man opposite if it was anyone's seat as I did not wish to be abused again! She glowered at me and soon left. She was about 50.

When I have been away from home and experienced such people it is always a relief to come back.

Aka I think you can be forgiven for using the F word , if you dropped a frozen turkey on your toe and broke it !

I do that too nina!

Being +size my usual retort is "I'm not hard to see"

If I hold the door for someone and they just sail through I say thank you in my most sarcastic tone. Occasionally they apologise.