Yeah, we hear this all the time about how you "know" people abuse this. The problem is.. your assumptions are often based on prejudice. There are many people who have "hidden disabilities", which are not readily apparent to the casual observer, but no less real for all that. The issue is that the DOT requires you to meet the needs of any passenger who states that they require assistance due to a disability. It is not for airline employees to play "guess the disability" or to put their own value judgements on what they feel is acceptable. We are far too judgemental... for example, I had a patient who had serious asthma problems and she also developed polycystic disease in her kidney's. Her sedentary lifestyle, combined with depression caused her to gain a significant amount of weight. She had her disability sticker long before she was overweight, due to her asthma. However, once she became fat, all of God's Judges appeared. Comments were regularly made which suggested perhaps she wouldn't be so breathless if she wasn't so obese, or implying that her disability was self inflicted. Well, perhaps if these employee's, who are paid to provide the service, and which is mandated by federal regulation; could find a little compassion and do their jobs, without the editorial, the passengers like the OP would have a slightly better travel experience. The only problem is what will we do with all the spare high horses.
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