Maman Poulet

Image via WikipediaFlying back into Dublin Airport last night, I along with 2 others were prebooked disabled passengers requiring assistance from the plane to the arrivals hall.

We did our usual ‘wait till everyone else gets off’ (I live in the hope that one day we’ll keep the able bodied waiting for a minute or two while our needs are tended to first!)

I watched a battered Fernley crew minibus pull up beside the plane and groaned. We were going to be put on the awful cramped cattle bus again. Fernley seem to have the contract for transporting most of the disabled meat in Dublin Airport at the moment.

It’s bad enough that there are no air bridges for so many flights into and out of Dublin Airport (Ryanair, many Aer Lingus flights and other companies don’t use them or the airport doesn’t have them available for use) but when those of us with walking difficulties actually make it down the stairs ourselves (as opposed to being hauled down the steps in a very precarious manner after been thrown about being lifted out of the seats – I know how badly those who use wheelchairs most of the time have it when they travel) we found ourselves having to climb into a minibus from hell.

And to think that passengers are paying for this? Paying Ryanair (in this case) for them to pay Fernley!!! 3 muppets sat in the van with crap wheelchairs in the back after 4 people with disabilities tried to get aboard, the van stank, was driven to a drop off point where we clambered out again presumably to be met with people who would push us to the arrivals hall. I’m not sure what training in disability awareness the staff had but access for people with disabilities was not something I got any sense of during my interaction with staff. In my case I was left waiting for a few minutes to be met and then pushed to the hall.

Then the 3 pushers dumped their ‘goods’ at the baggage carousel while they got together for a chat. We had a 25 minute wait for the bags – I was left smack bang in the thoroughfare to the trolleys – the chair was not something I could move myself as it was a pushchair – hence I got bashed by people rushing for trollies or away with their trollies? And of course the ‘pusher’ aka ’specially trained staff member’ was too busy chatting to her mates to notice.

From next month airports (in this case the Dublin Airport Authority) as opposed to airlines are to take charge of the transport of disabled passengers via the implementation of EU Directive 1107/2006 – I don’t think things are going to get any better!

The DAA website states

In line with the Department of Transport’s objectives, it is the aim of the Dublin Airport Authority, “that all passenger transport providers should provide the highest possible degree of accessibility, subject to available resources and competing priorities and rules of practicality.”

subject to available resources and competing priorities and rules of practicality

ie. That’ll be the practicality providing us with shitty battered inaccessible buses, wheelchairs that fall apart and going up and down steps rather than using an ambulift and staff who don’t put the brakes on chairs before you try to get out of them! All accompanied by the lack of facilities to enable outgoing disabled passengers to shop or have a meal before their flight – like carcasses we are told to wait in a special area until we are dumped at the aircraft before we leave, do not pass go, do not pick up your duty free/cup of coffee.

(Malaga airport uses airbridges, electric golf style buggies and trained staff – it was an absolute pleasure – still no chance of shopping but the other basic dignities afforded to me were gratefully received!)

DAA and Fernley and Ryanair have been contacted – I’ll let you know how it goes!

Update – Please see this post for the latest information and response.

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Image via WikipediaThis blog is going quiet for a few weeks cos I’m out of here. I didn’t plan to go on my holidays the day after Lisbon but I did plan it to avoid being seen as a bridesmaid or having to watch a load of others at Dublin Pride. (Alway’s the bridesmaid, never the bride is the theme of Dublin pride, insulting to Muriels’s everywhere, and lots of women but sure who’d care about them anyway! And after today’s vote I’d wager a very long wait for any sort of partnership legislation.)

According to the Globe today Canadian lesbians and gay men are figuring out that marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and is gendering gay relationships and removing the sexual orientation bit that differed us from the rest all due to the legacy of the institution.

In other words, people assume that one plays the role of husband and the other plays wife. While this gendered idea of marriage is clearly a projection from people in the straight world, gay and lesbian couples acknowledge that the role each plays is a point of discussion in their relationships.

While I’m away I bet Michael Lynn (known as Michelin man these days seemingly) will be found, charged with something…anything!!! And brought back to the country just to spite me. Maybe the people so far unnamed in the press who assisted him in misleading clients, banks and others will finally be the focus of some mainstream media activity.

Ironic that Michael is flitting between Portugal and Bulgaria so much these days – Portugal where the deal was done (sort of) on the Lisbon Treaty and Bulgaria one of the newest EU members where one can still get away with building rubbish and pulling the wool over buyers eyes, all the time having a great party! I wonder which invite lists Michael gets to remain on these days?

So for the next two weeks I’ll be bombing up and down an Andalucian mountain in a rented mothership (extreme scootering) going for Tapas and drinking a bit of rioja and reading books – not a laptop or a wifi connection in site. Scary!!!

Hasta Luego!

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Another moment from life as a disabled person in Dublin. No money being offered this time – no I got much much more than that.

In the past few months I have been offered leaflets by different religious movements as I made my way through town. I’m now a deft mover practiced at the art of saying no thanks and speeding on by. However I have come to realise that my very visible disability is a sort of a flashing neon sign that says ‘muppet in need of saving, healing, hands being laid on, etc. etc.)

Today (outside Butlers Cafe again!! I may have to cease stopping outside this place!) I was approached by a woman with a buggy asking if she could speak to me for a moment. I thought I knew what was coming next. I then looked at her t-shirt and saw the word Pastor and therefore confirmed that this was a religious tap rather than a tap for money or even a query for ‘where did you get yer mobility scooter’.

I said no thanks – I did not need to be saved. She wanted to know if I ‘had given up already’.

No I don’t need saving and I’m not interested in anything religious.

How did I know it was religious she said – I pointed to the word Pastor and said that it was fairly easy!

She gave up.

Pity about the 6 (YES SIX) other members of her group who didn’t get the message and who decided to approach me between the Spire and Talbot street. Three of whom separately approached me while I was parked up outside another shop as my gf was inside.

I was offered a chance for a cure by Pastor Chris by two of them. I met another friend who uses a wheelchair who was told that he could be helped to walk again. As we compared notes on the healings that were offered we were approached again by someone who saw a chance for a double booking.

We both shouted at him to go away. So now they and others who witnessed it probably think that it was more than our physical bodies that needed saving. Goddess (that’s a non religious one) only knows what I would have been offered if they knew it was a lesbian disabled being that needed saving!)

A bit of digging has led me to find out that Pastor Chris is coming to London – not sure if there is a video link from Dublin or if he is coming here himself but I’m sure some good person from the church will be along to let us all know. What we can do to stop them jumping on every disabled passer by during their publicity campaign I’m not sure. Suggestions welcome in the comments.

(And I know since we’ve not stopped the Catholic Church blessing the special children and bringing them to Lourdes and the like without their consent I don’t suppose we can do much about Pastor Chris’s friends. I have no issue with anyone’s practice of their religion just leave the rest of us alone and give up on the prosyletising.)

This is what I’m missing!

Before today I was planning a post on the Cóir muppets who chased me on Friday evening with Vote No to Lisbon leaflets and are sure that a disabled person like myself must surely be anti-abortion. They’re safe enough for the minute from my wrath.

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