Disabled priority in lifts?

[harshbuttrue1980]

I had a disagreement with a friend this weekend and genuinely want to know if I am BU. My friend can't walk, and uses a mobility scooter. She isn't in any pain at all, and has no other health issues. She has a great job and a really active life.

We went to a shopping centre this weekend, and the lift was full, so we had to wait to use the next lift. She said afterwards that I should have asked the other people already in the lift to get out so she could get in. I said that I didn't agree with this, as she is equally able to wait as everyone else. She was a bit taken aback.
To clarify, if there was someone on crutches, heavily pregnant, a child having an autistic meltdown or someone else who would struggle with waiting, then I think they should have priority.
Am I being unreasonable to think that someone in a scooter shouldn't ask everyone else to vacate a lift so they don't have to sit in their scooter and wait their turn?

I agree. And also, she asked YOU to tell them to get out? If she felt so strongly why could she not asked herself?

I agree with you. I have mobility issues but mine are as a result of pain so I'd have been miffed if I was in a lot of pain and someone pain free wanted to queue jump. They said I'd assume someone on a mobility scooter was in a worse situation than me

So a person who is perfectly able to sit in a scooter and move around shopping for the day isn't able to sit in a stationary scooter for a minute and wait for the next lift?
YANBU

Ridiculous - she should want equality, not special treatment

I am always torn on this. My Ds is in a wheelchair. I think we should wait most of the time, but there are times (Christmas in shops, at stations etc) where because we don't have a choice I will ask if people will make space for us after having been left with no space when lifts have gone up, and down, and up and down etc for more than 5-10 minutes and tiger has never been space, but where no one looks like they need the lift. I am not saying that all of those don't need the lift but some won't and to be honest they should move out if it is that busy. We have no choice, they do. In these circumstances however my dh and I always split and one of us takes the stairs to take the minimum space necessary.

I agree with you

I think your title is very misleading. Having said that if someone is in a wheelchair and is technically sat should they have to wait to use a lift when able bodied people can use the stairs? I think if someone's disabled they should have priority as they don't have the option to use the stairs the same with mothers with prams.

Oh and to be clear 1 minute is fine, 10 less so especially if it is to get a train etc. it doesn't happen often the wait is that long, but it can be and each set of people in the lift don't seem to realise this especially if you are on a "middle" floor.

I have got out of the lift to let them go ahead. I have the option of stairs, others don't. But I only get the lift when I'm feeling lazy and you never know why others were in the lift rather than stairs.

I'm on the fence.

Its never occurred to me that there is a priority system to lifts, unless, as you say, someone seemed distressed by having to wait. I am someone who wouldn't use a disabled toilet (unless I need to change ds) but lifts are not there for exclusive use for disabled people.

FFS, of course YABU.

It may be that she is equally able to wait as everyone else but she is not equally able to access any other means of moving between floors such as stairs or an escalator as you have stated that My friend can't walk.

Most lifts have a sign that says please priorotise for those with disabilities and prams.

I agree with you. You can't just tell to get out of a lift. There could be a number of reasons why those other people were using that lift.
Parents with children and prams
Pregnant women
People with invisible disabilities
I have to use to use the lift not so much to walk up but to come down as I'm.phobic of falling down the stairs, after missing my footing and nearly tumbling down the steps of the Liverpool Cathedral. Being where I was I can only imagine tgst. It was someone up there who stopped me from actually falling.

Having said that, we once waited 25 minutes for a space in a lift at the Ashmolean museum - I suppose I was hacked off that it was full all the time, and we had no choice but to wait, as ds and dds had gone up the stairs. Every time it stopped and the doors opened the people in the lift just stared at ds crying and were probably grateful that there was no room. Hmm, having remembered that I'm not sure what I think!

Was there a reason she couldn't ask herself if it was a problem?

I do get fruststed sometimes waiting for a lift with Ds when there are stairs and escalators and lots of people waiting for the lift BUT I would never say anything to anyone or get annoyed at anyone specific as you never know why someone needs to use the lift

I'd prioritise by stepping aside if I was waiting to get in a lift and someone needed it more than me but I'd not get out of a lift I was already in

I would always vacate a lift of someone in a scooter, with a pram or pushchair or obviously infirm needed to get in (except when I was heavily pregnant with spd)

However I don't agree with your friend as the people in the lift could have had a myriad of reasons why they couldn't use the stairs.

5 people waiting for the lift and not enough room - others stay back to let your friend get on with her scooter. 5 people already in the lift, should they get out? Well no, unless it's as a pp describes and the lift is chockablock all the time.
A wheelchair user gets priority to get on a bus over other people waiting to get on. I have never heard anyone suggesting that if the bus is full, a couple of people already on the bus should get off.

Have MS. Pretty mobile. Occasionally need stick . Wouldn't dream of asking someone in a mobility scooter if they were otherwise "ok". They need a scooter. They can't use anything but lift. I would offer my spot in a lift to someone in scooter in circs described unless I was having a bad ms day.

Yanbu.

Ridiculous - she should want equality, not special treatment. Like this?

Of course she should have priority as she can't use stairs or even escalators. Having said that, I don't think "priority" means people to who are already in the lift should get out. It just means that if you are waiting for a lift and there is a queue the person in the wheelchair should go on first.

And if you had asked for her OP, she might well have been mortified and annoyed with you.