Disability line etiquette

[Xenavire]

Nobody wants innocent people to be found guilty, but with that attitude, the accessibility line would just become the express line. I'd rather have everyone that isn't obviously disabled asked what they have etc and try to weed out any fakers, because doing nothing is just condoning the behaviour.

If fakers still get through because they are good liars, there isn't a whole lot you can do to stop them, but showing the rest it isn't tolerated is a very good idea.

[firemonkey]

It's the most civilised attitude.

[Xenavire]

I disagree. If we use crime as an analogy, we depend on the deterrents and the questioning of potentially innocent people to keep the world from dissolving into a cess pool. It isn't perfect, but the alternative is worse.

Line cutting isn't crime, sure, but how is letting bad behaviour go unchecked civilised? It only encourages people to be worse, because they get away with it. Far worse, they see disabled people as easy targets and hear the message that no-one cares if they get pushed around.

I couldn't think of anything less civilised than condoning behaviour that victimises disabled people. Ignoring problems isn't the way to affect change and it never has been.

[firemonkey]

I'm certainly not condoning victimising disabled people . Ironically though your stance smacks of 'Guilty till proven innocent' . That indeed could result in the victimisation of disabled people.

A way round such an issue would be to have a card to be used in such situations that states any disabilities you have .That would have to be done through a legitimate channel . That would ,of course, have to be accompanied by a public education drive to show that there are hidden disabilities ..

[Xenavire]

I actually thought about the card or "ID" option too, and I feel that would be an ideal solution. But that requires the governments around the world to start actually caring about disabled people, or at least start caring more.

I don't see any downsides, since you could easily prove it if asked.

As for "guilty until proven innocent" - I'm not suggesting that, although I'll admit the line is fine. But if you were to walk into a group of people and ask each one privately if they can explain their disabilities, most disabled people would either be able to explain, or have an obviously difficult time communicating. People without disabilities would be caught with their pants down, because most would know a couple of disability names but be incapable of giving any specifics. The idea is to weed out as many as possible without turning it into a witch hunt. Not ideal, but without ID cards or some other form of proof, it would be one of the only methods effective enough to deter most fakers.

[reyes]

I agree that one cannot always tell by looking at someone that they are disabled--they may have ASD, tourettes, any number of disabilities that cannot be seen that makes it difficult for them to wait in line. I'm just saying that if I were in a situation where seemingly young healthy people were cutting in front of me in line, I'd just leave. But then I'm an American, and I think that sort of thing would result in a lot of walk-outs here--too many Americans would take advantage of a rule like that; it would never work.

[Xenavire]

That's actually a good point, I'm not sure what the usual etiquette is in many countries - I know in NZ, people are largely abusers of pretty much any advantage they can get, so this hits particularly close to home. Despite what people say about New Zealanders, a disproportionate number of them aren't anywhere as nice and accommodating as tourists think.

[Tom fod]

The difficulty is that the truly entitled don't always feel they deserve or necessarily want preferential treatment. The attitudes some have to disability and difference are frankly vile. If we had a system where anyone who abused it was hauled out of the line and summarily tasered 'pour encourager le autres' it might first seem an attractive kind of justice, but power corrupts.

There are schemes where people have cards or even badges/lanyards, but given aforementioned attitudes, not everyone with a disability wants to mark themselves out as a target, For many this choice has been made for them.

Many people sadly think of themselves first far too often and it is regrettably so often easier not to call them out. Lets hope Karma and payback are a bitch to them!