Posted on 10/30/2023 10:12:10 AM PDT by DFG
Air Canada has been forced to apologize after a man with spastic cerebral palsy was forced to drag himself off a plane when the flagship carrier failed to provide a wheelchair for him.
Rodney Hodgins, 49, a hardware salesman from British Columbia who requires the use of a motorized wheelchair, flew to Las Vegas with his wife, Deanna, to celebrate their anniversary in August.
But when the plane landed, the flight attendant told the couple there wasn’t time to get a wheelchair on board before the plane had to prepare for takeoff again, Deanna Hodgins wrote in a recent Facebook post.
When the attendant said Hodgins would have to pull himself off the plane alone, the couple at first thought she was joking – but then she repeated the request.
“I said, ‘Of course I can’t. I’m in a wheelchair. I can’t walk,’” he told the Canadian Press.
Hodgins was forced to use his upper body strength to haul himself past 12 rows of seats, with his wife holding his legs.
In her Facebook post, Deanna Hodgins said the event left the couple devastated.
“It took us struggling, in front of a dozen people as some looked away and others looked on with shame, to get him off that plane … he hurt his legs and I hurt my back – emotionally a lot more was hurt … my husband’s human rights were trampled on and Air Canada won’t respond to us, and never did reach out like they promised,” she wrote. “Rod is the most beautiful human on the planet and didn’t deserve this at all.”
She said the couple had planned the trip for eight months and made sure they took care of all requirements on their end. “Air Canada failed us in every sense.”
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
A good lawyer can remedy this...
In Trudeau’s Canada, I’m surprised they didn’t offer the man government-assisted suicide.
Opps forgot about that. Taken care of now. Ministry of suicide CA. /s
They didn’t have time, apparently.
Massive law suit, and how quick did the plane have to leave???
There weren’t any real men around who would physically help this poor man so he didn’t have to humiliate himself???
I’m sorry, but I have to wonder why this man complied and subjected himself to this disgraceful embarrassment.
Apology?
They need to own part of the airline.
This is unconscionable. There is no excuse for this and they could have delayed their schedule a little bit to find a wheelchair and get the guy off the plane.
It probably would have taken less time than making him do it himself.
Attorneys will be calling.
But they had time to wait for him to crawl out of the plane?
Not buying the *We don’t have time* excuse.
Idk how things work in Canada but I’d get out of my seat and help the man.
My kid would be right there with me.
Eff that airline.
Airlines usually contact the gate agent to let them know how many wheelchairs are needed. And these folks are the first to board and last to deplane. No excuse.
I call BS on that. I'm pretty sure that airlines have a wheelchair ready when they know a flight is coming in with a disabled person on it. Which they had to know since he was wheeled onto the plane.
Also, as another FReeper noted, weren't there ANY real men on the plane to help?
The only thing in doubt is how big will be the check that Air Canada writes to him. In addition to the check I would demand free first class tickets for he and his wife for the rest of their life. This man was humiliated unnecessarily.
Nor I. I was being facetious
I am sorry too.
And it is because if you do not follow the instructions from the waitress in the sky they will call the police and have you beaten up and hauled off by force.
He did not need any more damage to his body.
And all the sheep said "baaaaaaa".
Nobody else bothered to help them?
No one on the plane offered to help them? That’s disgusting
Passengers that need a wheelchair are deplaned last. Management has probably told the flight crew not to lift disabled passengers as they do want to get sued if the crewmember drops the passenger.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.