To think people don't have a bloody clue!

[Whatarepeoplethinking]

Have NC as this is very outing.

I seriously hurt my foot, am in a lot of pain, and have had to use crutches for the past two weeks - still not able to put any weight on my foot.

I've had a crash course in how it feels to be, albeit temporarily, disabled. People are so inconsiderate and rude! They'll block the path and refuse to let you pass. They'll walk past you and knock your crutch out from under you. They'll give you funny looks as if you're deliberately taking up more space and walking slower than they're happy with. And using the disabled 'wheelchair shopping cart' thingy in the supermarket...people won't let you pass. You get dirty looks because you're taking up too much space and need to manoeuvre around things.

AIBU in thinking that people are rude, inconsiderate assholes that don't have a bloody clue? My regard and respect for disabled people has trebled in the past two weeks - it's only been two weeks for me - to go through this on a daily basis for months and years must be so difficult . To all the disabled people out there - I salute you.

I've been a full time wheelchair user since I became paraplegic over 10 years ago. My experience has been that people have been pretty decent. I'm not in London though.

Nearly every time I go anywhere, I get offers of assistance. I don't usually need help but sometimes it's nice to accept when I'm in a lot of pain.

Sometimes people are a bit thoughtless and just don't realize they are in my way, but I just politely ask them to move and they do. Never had anyone refuse or give any abuse.

DD2 was on crutches during the Scottish Independence referendum. She was crutching through the town where she lives and Nicola Sturgeon was there doing a speech. A reporter spotted her, grabbed her arm and declared, 'Here's a cripple for the photo'. Incensed, DD2 planted her crutch firmly on his foot, put all her weight on it and when he yelped apologised very sweetly. She then managed to crack him on the shin with the crutch as she removed it from his foot and hobbled away. Ms Sturgeon had seen and heard this, and called 'Well done, and I'm so sorry about that prat' after her.

It's polarising. People surprise you by how nice they are and how vile they are.

Last summer I went to London in my wheelchair with (21 and a slip of a girl). We were helped out by squaddy types, young eastern European men and particularly by a scary looking gangster type bloke. We got lots of smiles everywhere. DD did say, "Aw all these men are being so nice to us, they think I'm some lovely kind girl." Er no love, that'll be the short skirt you're wearing.

Conversely last night I went to a meeting I my village with my sticks and took a while to cross the road, from my car to the building, because it was dark and I am slow and wanted to be sure to not be run over and killed. And this woman regaled the meeting with, "Oh Tink took ages to cross the road, she took ages, didn't you? How funny, Ha ha!" How I didn't counter with "Fuck off to the far side of fuck", I don't know.

That's brilliant LittleCandle .

Tinkly - I was actually about to post something like that. Possibly controversial, I know, but life in general.

Is the degree of people's niceness dependent on how you look, like most things in life. Would people be friendlier and more helpful to a pretty 18-year old size 10 on crutches than to a mid 40s, overweight old bag like me?

I also find that the 'better' people are dressed, the less likely they are to help. Like pps have said - the scruffy, hoody wearing, scary looking young guys are much more likely to help out than the businessman in a tailored suit carrying a briefcase.

Actually the worst was queueing in my wheelchair with DH to pay for something in a shop, and the woman next to us started flirting with DH basically over my head. He kept trying to shut her down but she carried on oblivious. I thought she was going to give him her phone number at one point. He was driven to basically holding my hand and stroking my face in a casual but loving manner. She obviously could not compute that a good looking man might be with someone in a wheelchair.

What just to clarify, (cos my post is unclear) DD is the good looking youngster, I am the middle aged wheelchair user.

Actually I've realised that when I have nice make up on and nice hair etc people do talk to me a lot more.
I've been paraplegic for 7 years and have a cool sporty looking wheelchair.

raspberrysuicide - I too have a sporty-looking chair and I do make a effort with my appearance. I wonder if I looked different whether my experience would be different.

I also have alopecia and over the summer didn't wear a wig or make up because I sweat so much! I did notice children looking at me a lot more but not in a horrible way, they would always smile when I caught their eye.
But people in shops were just as nice and helpful to me.

I was very angry today when a man got a bit impatient with an elderly man and his wife who was in a wheelchair. The elderly man was doing his best but he still wasn't quick enough for tosser man.

I have found young Eastern European men very helpful as well.

Friend with ME uses sticks when she's struggling and recently had someone drive their car fast through a huge puddle, on purpose in the rain, to splash her. They wound their windows down to laugh, too.

My own experiences with very hypermobile leg joints mean I'm not steady on my feet and fall easily. I've been stepped over before and had people pretend I've not just wiped out in front of them. I'm so lucky compared to many but it has shown me that people are thoughtless!