As some of you know I travel all the time for my job. Just had an experience I never had before and it totally took me by surprise! I was in St. Louis flying home. I stood in an extremely long security line because they don't have secure fly there. After 45 minutes to get to the TSA agent I knew I was not going to be able to walk to my gate so I asked her for wheelchair assistance once I cleared. Awesome, they were waiting for me once I made it thru. Got me to the gate and he had a page to assist someone else. I assured him I was OK to walk the jetway at that point. I also asked the gate agent to give me wheelchair assistance in Atlanta as I had to go from Gate T to Gate E (for those of you who don't know - it is a really long way!) Because of this stupid disease, my husband's surgeries and my twins I didn't fly as much last year so I went from Platinum to Silver which is a bad thing! To make a long story short, the gate agent called my name to preboard so I did (very thankful to her as I did not ask for it). I get on and when the people sitting beside and across from me boarded they questioned me about the preboard, nasty questions. Because I was able to walk down the jetway they thought that I was one of those people who fake it. That I just wanted to board early so I would have a place to store my equipment/carryon. I have never faced such hostility from people before. I don't look like I have a problem but these people had no idea how bad I felt. What do you guys say to people, because no we don't always look like we have a problem, we don't look like we are taking the last step we can take - but sometimes that's how we feel. I'm tall, I'm fairly thin and I look pretty fit (oh what a joke - if people only knew).just because I don't look disabled, what do you say to people, how do your respond? I need a snappy answer guys and I know you are the ones to give it to me! Flightw the nest 4 weeks so need a good response to idiots!
A) ignore
B) ignore some more
This is an airplane we are talking about, right? One of those flying thingies that people get all uptight about getting on?
I’m as big a smarty pants as the next gal, but I try to avoid any conflict at all when on airplanes. No one wants to miss their flight for one-upping some turd who can’t keep their internal commentary where it belongs.
I am 34. I flew in January to my Mom’s in AR. I had to change planes in Hotlanta too and I had arranged for assistance from DCA throughout to LAR. Again, I am young (so I tell myself) and I was worried about problems too. I don’t really look like there is anything wrong with me either except that I move like I’m 90. Everyone was really super helpful, even the TSA people were awesome. I was totally surprised. I, too, walked down the jetway (mainly because I was scared of the straight jacket wheelchair of terror thing) and the only thing that I can hear that’s different about my story is that I had my cane and was leaning on it pretty heavily. I am hoping that what happened with you was just the phase of the moon and was a one time occurrence.
If you are anything like me there is NO WAY you would have made it from gate to gate in that nightmarish labyrinth of an airport that is Atlanta if you had tried to do it with your own two feet. There are many illnesses, other than ours, that don’t show on the outside but are debilitating. No matter what you could have come up with, you wouldn’t have been able to fix the bigger issue which is: some people’s mommas forgot to teach them manners.
I agree with GrumpCat, an airline is no place to enlighten those who have already passed judgements against you without knowing you or your situation. Anyone rude enough to make nasty comments against a stranger because of something they do not understand or see is strickly their problem and not yours
All true. Ignore it. You know you need the assistance, and it’s none of their business. Business?!!?! Oh wait, didn’t we have a thread about business cards a while back?
http://discussion.livingwithpsoriaticarthritis.org/forum/topics/this-is-silly-or-is-it
So while you’re ignoring that objectionable behaviour, dream up something really good to put on the business card that you’re going to flip at them the next time. 
I agree with the advice to ignore, but I'm thinking I'd have a slightly different approach. I'm thinking something to the effect of, "This is between me and the airline you dumb shit, so mind you're own damn business."
Just about everybody flying these days seems to be p***ed abot something. You happened to be in line. It wasn't personal.
i would stop, flip out one of those business cards detailing your illness and smile and say have a good day with your perfectly functioning body…
I get the same thing at work all the time. I don't feel the need to tell everyone here that I'm sick, especially because I'm good at my job, and if the boss were to know I would be viewed as weak and passed up for promotions I deserve. I tend to ignore when people stare at me as I limp, and I cut my bangs so no one could see the psoriasis outbreak I have on my forehead. Some people are just going to be jerks. If you say anything you just sink to their level. I do have a wonderful fiance that will do things like wait until the flight is almost over and then ask if I took my medication and how I am doing today just loud enough for those jerks around me to realize that I have a real problem. He knows how painful it is for me to not be able to do physically the things I want to do, and can't stand the look on my face when people question me.
I agree. Flying is great for helping us empathize with cattle. We're constantly reminded of how we don't deserve our space, how our time isn't important and how we don't rate special treatment. Flying almost always irritates me, but I am somewhat happier when I rate special enough treatment to get a 2nd coke from the stewardess.
tntlamb said:
Just about everybody flying these days seems to be p***ed abot something. You happened to be in line. It wasn't personal.