The risks of air travel

Over my years of travel I have had several disasters. In one incident (with an airline, Sabena, now defunct) my chair was returned to me with the camber "reversed". In other words, due to a bent axle, the wheels were closer together at the bottom than they were at the top, the opposite of the way they are supposed to be! The unfortunate truth is that once you say goodbye to your chair and it heads for the hold, anything can happen. It is not practical to expect the staff to be able to bring it on board (especially a rigid chair like mine,which only partially folds) so it is a risk that comes with the territory once you decide to fly.

Recently I had a similarly devastating event on a flight from Dublin, Ireland to Dulles (Washington D.C.) with Aer Lingus. Although traumatic, the whole event was handled very well by Aer Lingus and certainly would give me confidence to fly with them again. Having said that, things would have been a lot worse had I not had access to a spare chair!

My wheelchair was taken, as usual, at the door of the aircraft in Dublin and carried in the hold. On being returned to me at the door in Dulles, the wheelchair was damaged beyond use. Although it looked normal, when I sat into it the left wheel collapsed. Upon examination it was clear that over half the spokes on that wheel had snapped. Furthermore, the axle of the wheelchair itself was cracked, as was the bracket used to mount the wheel to the axle. My chair is a Quickie and is pretty solid. The forces required to do this amount of damage are very high. I have no idea what event on loading or unloading could cause this. I transferred back into an airport supplied chair.

For a wheelie, being in any other chair than one's own is a very trying and unhappy experience. For someone used to independent transport, being in a chair which cannot be pushed independently is frustrating and unpleasant. However there was no option at this time other than to use the airport wheelchair and permit myself to be pushed to the terminal.

After passing through immigration I was met in the baggage hall by the Aer Lingus manager on duty. She was very apologetic and re-assured me that Aer Lingus would do everything possible to assist me. I was impressed that she already had a plan in place (not a very good one, but a plan nevertheless). Her offer was to put me up in a local hotel for the night, and then rent a wheelchair for me the next day until my own could be repaired. For the record, the flaws in this plan were that I was not able to independently operate in the airport wheelchair, so staying alone in a hotel would be difficult. Also, from previous experience, I know that finding a chair to rent in an emergency is not easy. However - I was impressed with the sincerity of her efforts to assist and I was impressed by the fact that she had thought about it and had a plan. I have previously (with other airlines - the Sabena incident comes to mind) been left to fend for myself completely when things have gone wrong in travel.

Luckily, I was staying within two hours of Dulles airport and have a spare wheelchair at my destination. All I needed was assistance to pick-up my rental car, and I could contact a friend to meet me at my destination and bring the spare chair to me. I explained this to the ground staff and they immediately offered to provide whatever assistance I needed. In the event, two people came with me on the Hertz bus. One pushing me in my borrowed chair. One bringing the remains of my own chair and my luggage. They came with me all the way to the Hertz lot, wheeled me to the car, packed my luggage in the trunk and saw me on my way. Of course, I made sure to have all the details ofthe incident logged and filed a damage report before leaving the baggage hall.

Later that evening I received a message on my answering machine from the ground service manager at Dulles reassuring my that Aer Lingus would pay for any damages to the chair. I admit to being a bit sceptical about this but nevertheless I took the information at face value. I repaired the chair myself, using parts purchased at discount prices on line. Even still, the parts cost more than $800. I sent the invoices and a short letter describing the incident to your customer service address. Within a few days I received a letter of apology and a check for the full amount. I was impressed with the speed of service, and the way it was delivered without a quibble.

I mentioned Hertz in here as they are my car rental agency of choice. This is a loyalty thing. Thirteen years ago, when I first travelled to the US, they were the only agency who offered me a car with hand controls. Even today they make life easy with hand controls offered explicitly on their website when making a reservation. The controls they install are also good quality - not the "thumb and grip" type offered by some budget rentals. I know Hertz cost more, but they have almost never let me down. (Okay - they let me down once in maybe fifty rentals with them, and I'll report it here if I have a problem with them in the future).

For the record, I have no connection with either Aer Lingus or Hertz (other than being a customer) and I will be as quick to complain about them as I am to praise them if the need arises!

Solomons, Maryland - Restaurant (CD cafe)

CD cafe is one of the better restaurants on Solomons Island, that small village in Southern Maryland - about an hour and a half from Washington D.C. It's easy to miss, situated in a non-descript building called Avonmore, on the left hand side as you approach the town.

Wheelchair access is from the rear of the building (there is a parking lot with two handicapped spots at the rear also) since the front has a fairly large step. The rear is ramped. There is level access into the restaurant proper. The room is small, and it is difficult to navigate around between tables, so a table near the door is best. It is not possible to make a reservation - they operate on a first come first served basis. At peak times the wait can be an hour or more since the restaurant is small (I would guess about 30 places). If a walkie goes in to put your name down for a table, be sure to mention the wheelchair. It's a big help for the staff when deciding where to locate you. The food is good - the specials are usually very good - with interesting appeteizers and desserts.

There is a bar next door (appropriately enough called the Next Door Lounge) where you can have an appetizer or a drink while you wait. They also serve light food. Access to the bar is completely level although space is again tight.

Both restaurant and bar have a large accessible toilet.

Recommended

Dublin, Ireland - Pub (Smyths of Haddington Road)

I last wrote about this pub last year - here. 

On a recent visit I found the place changed. Thankfully, the refurbishment is very minor, more a botox injection than a facelift, and the old world feel is the same. The main difference in the bar area is the addition of a snug with wooden walls. Although this increases the homely atmosphere of the place, it makes it less friendly to wheelchairs as it very much limits the turning space at the front. No change to the access, or the toilets. 

Still worth a visit - but maybe the lounge would be easier. 

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Mangetu)

Mangetu (Unit 1 Victoria House, Haddington Road, Dublin 4, Ireland) is a modern looking, asian fusion restaurant seating about 90 people. There is level access from the street. The interior is modern and minimalist.There is plenty of space between the tables so it is very comfortable to manuvre around in a wheelchair. Tables are comfortable height, and easy to pull in to. There is a large unisex handicapped toilet, seperate from the ladies and gents restrooms. Food is very good. Apparently the restaurant name is pronounced - man-get-tu.

Recommended.