Would you ever use a wheelchair to skip airport lines?

[Anonymous Bosch]

The NYT has a rather interesting story on wheelchair fakers skipping airport security lines.

I once had a colleague that would do this on a regular basis. In fact, she would carry a cane in the trunk of her car, strictly for the purposes of skipping lines at the airport. She felt it was a perfectly viable way of circumventing a largely senseless process of security theatre. I could kinda see where she was coming from, though I would never feel comfortable pulling it off myself. What say you, OOers?

[silverjon]

I don't have a big enough sense of entitlement to deceive my way out of procedure everyone else around me has to suffer through.

Anyway, I'm so cute and innocent-looking I don't get targeted for extra airport hassle. Just the regular kind, which is minimized with good planning.

[LordMortis]

I don't have a big enough sense of entitlement to deceive my way out of procedure everyone else around me has to suffer through.

I'm sort of the opposite. I don't want to stand out. While, I'd sit in line impatiently, I'd not want to line jump even if I were confined to a wheelchair... Unless not line jumping would end up being a bigger inconvenience to everyone else, then I'd go to the front and feel out of place.

[Blackhawk]

Somewhere between 'no' and 'hell no.' More than anything else, I'm not going to exploit a system designed to help those who truly need it and risk making it harder for them in the future when new rules come down to stop the abuses. I'm not selfish enough to screw over people genuinely in need for my own convenience.

[LawBeefaroni]

I'd never consider using a wheelchair to avoid security (why am I thinking of Kahless right now?). Of course I'm avoiding flying at all costs as long as this bullshit theater is enacted so it's kind of moot.

[El Guapo]

The short answer is "no". The only potential exemption is that if I were otherwise going to miss my flight, and missing said flight would have severe adverse consequences (like, say, losing a job or something), then I'd be tempted to.

[Odin]

I never thought of it and wouldn't have the balls to do it, but I kind of wish I did.

[PLW]

No. It's dishonest.

[Brian]

Hell no. It's dishonest and you are basically giving a big "fuck you" to everybody you are bypassing.

My mom raised me right.

(And I'm not just saying that because she posts here.)

[Smoove_B]

I once had a colleague that would do this on a regular basis. In fact, she would carry a cane in the trunk of her car, strictly for the purposes of skipping lines at the airport.

How did she deal with the miracle cure that the flight provided (as the article mentions) when the plane landed? It honestly never would have occurred to me to try this. I mean, I travel by plane about as often as I go to the doctor, so it's not something that has come up often. It's a bit sad, really.

[MHS]

Kayla has a friend who has cerebral palsy. She doesn't technically need a wheelchair but she does get a handicap sticker and she can't run or even really walk fast without her legs cramping. We did put her in a wheelchair coming back from a vacation once because we got to the airport an hour behind schedule (through no fault of our own other than choosing the asshole car company) and needed to get through security quickly. Since I fly a lot I usually have elite status and get through security faster but this was in Orlando where they don't do elite lines. We never would have made it otherwise, and I don't feel guilty about it but it's not something I would ever do without a valid reason.

[Anonymous Bosch]

I once had a colleague that would do this on a regular basis. In fact, she would carry a cane in the trunk of her car, strictly for the purposes of skipping lines at the airport.

How did she deal with the miracle cure that the flight provided (as the article mentions) when the plane landed? It honestly never would have occurred to me to try this. I mean, I travel by plane about as often as I go to the doctor, so it's not something that has come up often. It's a bit sad, really.

They never even asked what her disability was at the airport. She would simply 'hobble' up to the desk with her cane and ask for a little help, and then she'd get whisked through the airport and all of the lines lickety-split. Apparently she always made sure she tipped well though, as she was quite certain that most of the wheelchair-pushers were well aware of the scam. I don't believe anything was ever said to her when she miraculously disembarked sans wheelchair, though I imagine her cane likely also helped to some extent.

[dbt1949]

Yes, it was me who chose the first option. Who else?

[Gavin]

I've often wondered if people did this. This is wrong on so very many levels. Not only is it breaking social contract by "cutting in line" which is a particular solidified concept in American culture but the thought of potentially making people with actual disabilities wait because you are impatient is atrocious. The idea of wheel chair express is that airports aren't very handicapped-friendly. Crowds make it difficult to progress and if you're (royal "you") slow then you're holding up the traffic yourself. It also takes longer to get on and off of airplanes. I've given it some thought and this bristles me because of the category of deception it's in. This is pretending to be a victim in order for personal gain. Think of any type of victim you can be and imagine how you'd feel about someone lying about being a victim. Holocaust survivor, rape survivor, anything. This is, of course, far more benign but it's the same class. It just feels like this action is stealing from handicapped people.

Kayla has a friend who has cerebral palsy. She doesn't technically need a wheelchair but she does get a handicap sticker and she can't run or even really walk fast without her legs cramping. We did put her in a wheelchair coming back from a vacation once because we got to the airport an hour behind schedule (through no fault of our own other than choosing the asshole car company) and needed to get through security quickly. Since I fly a lot I usually have elite status and get through security faster but this was in Orlando where they don't do elite lines. We never would have made it otherwise, and I don't feel guilty about it but it's not something I would ever do without a valid reason.

Difficulty walking fast is a legitimate reason in an airport as I stated above. I see no problem with this action being taken as stated since an actual disability was involved (even if she wouldn't normally take advantage of it), but I do have a problem with the rationalization behind it. It is a bit of a gray area, I'll admit with regards to it being an externally caused delay (if it was), but it ultimately comes down to your views on utilitarianism. What if your friend's friend had not had cerebral palsy? Would this have been an acceptable action for you then?

[stessier]

Yes, it was me who chose the first option. Who else?

If I were to do it, though, I'd make sure that after I got to the place where I pick up all my belongings, I'd just stand up and walk away. No need to wheel me all the way to the gate.

I hate TSA, though. I would be interested to see what they made of it.

[MHS]

I've often wondered if people did this. This is wrong on so very many levels. Not only is it breaking social contract by "cutting in line" which is a particular solidified concept in American culture but the thought of potentially making people with actual disabilities wait because you are impatient is atrocious. The idea of wheel chair express is that airports aren't very handicapped-friendly. Crowds make it difficult to progress and if you're (royal "you") slow then you're holding up the traffic yourself. It also takes longer to get on and off of airplanes. I've given it some thought and this bristles me because of the category of deception it's in. This is pretending to be a victim in order for personal gain. Think of any type of victim you can be and imagine how you'd feel about someone lying about being a victim. Holocaust survivor, rape survivor, anything. This is, of course, far more benign but it's the same class. It just feels like this action is stealing from handicapped people.

Kayla has a friend who has cerebral palsy. She doesn't technically need a wheelchair but she does get a handicap sticker and she can't run or even really walk fast without her legs cramping. We did put her in a wheelchair coming back from a vacation once because we got to the airport an hour behind schedule (through no fault of our own other than choosing the asshole car company) and needed to get through security quickly. Since I fly a lot I usually have elite status and get through security faster but this was in Orlando where they don't do elite lines. We never would have made it otherwise, and I don't feel guilty about it but it's not something I would ever do without a valid reason.

Difficulty walking fast is a legitimate reason in an airport as I stated above. I see no problem with this action being taken as stated since an actual disability was involved (even if she wouldn't normally take advantage of it), but I do have a problem with the rationalization behind it. It is a bit of a gray area, I'll admit with regards to it being an externally caused delay (if it was), but it ultimately comes down to your views on utilitarianism. What if your friend's friend had not had cerebral palsy? Would this have been an acceptable action for you then?

Nope. I wouldn't have done it if she hadn't had CP, because anyone else would have been able to run for it. I travel for work quite a lot, and I don't have any sympathy for people who are running late just because they planned badly. In this case, we had hired a car company (rental car would have been stupid since we never went off-site from the hotel and the hotel charged $35 a day for parking, and I rented a van from the car company to insure we could get a van, not a car, because Ahna knew she would need to stretch her legs out after the flight.) Anyway, very clear instructions were given and verified at pick up regarding our pick-up time for the return flight, which they missed. I called 10 minutes after they missed and they said they were on their way and they'd be there in 15 minutes. No car in 15 minutes, but calling a taxi and getting it to the hotel took another 15 minutes, so we were about 45 minutes later than I would have wanted/had planned to get to the airport. Add to that, it was my daughter and her friend, both young teenagers, and they were flying directly home to Denver on a different flight than I was on, because I was going to a different city for a work trip, so if they missed their flight, I wouldn't be around to help them because I was leaving 20 minutes after them (from a completely different concourse, btw, which meant I had to go through security a second time, and no, I didn't use a wheelchair...I actually did end up missing MY flight, but the girls got on theirs so I didn't really mind). Strange confluence of events. No wheelchair was used from the originating city, but yeah, I took advantage of her handicap to game the system a little on the return flight, and I won't be losing any sleep over it.

[Holman]

Definite no.

"I am not a rude and selfish asshole" is one of the few remaining shreds of dignity to which I cling.

[Gavin]

Nope. I wouldn't have done it if she hadn't had CP, because anyone else would have been able to run for it. I travel for work quite a lot, and I don't have any sympathy for people who are running late just because they planned badly. In this case, we had hired a car company (rental car would have been stupid since we never went off-site from the hotel and the hotel charged $35 a day for parking, and I rented a van from the car company to insure we could get a van, not a car, because Ahna knew she would need to stretch her legs out after the flight.) Anyway, very clear instructions were given and verified at pick up regarding our pick-up time for the return flight, which they missed. I called 10 minutes after they missed and they said they were on their way and they'd be there in 15 minutes. No car in 15 minutes, but calling a taxi and getting it to the hotel took another 15 minutes, so we were about 45 minutes later than I would have wanted/had planned to get to the airport. Add to that, it was my daughter and her friend, both young teenagers, and they were flying directly home to Denver on a different flight than I was on, because I was going to a different city for a work trip, so if they missed their flight, I wouldn't be around to help them because I was leaving 20 minutes after them (from a completely different concourse, btw, which meant I had to go through security a second time, and no, I didn't use a wheelchair...I actually did end up missing MY flight, but the girls got on theirs so I didn't really mind). Strange confluence of events. No wheelchair was used from the originating city, but yeah, I took advantage of her handicap to game the system a little on the return flight, and I won't be losing any sleep over it.

Well then, if you wouldn't have done it had no one been handicapped then I don't disagree with your actions or thought on the matter. I think the asshole car company component is unnecessary. You showed up at the airport and couldn't make it in time because your handicapped friend couldn't have made it. This is exactly what these handicap taxis are for. No sleep needed to be lost.

Now then, if you just got there late (for the same reason) and then feigned being handicapped, my response would be on the negative side.