Handicap tram ramp observation

[pixie twinkleberry]

While leaving the park this evening, I was greatly disturbed when I noticed SEVERAL people with strollers waiting in line on the handicap ramp for the trams. They didnt seem to be accompanied by anyone in a wheelchair that I could see.

When did it become ok for people to think that they have priority over a wheelchair bound person just because they have a stroller with a sleeping kid in it??? Is this SOP for the trams? I felt very badly for the people in wheelchairs waiting in line behind the stroller families. The sense of entitlement some people have just astounds me!! Pack up your stuff, your kid and your stroller, and wait in line with the rest of us who have had a long day! Grrrr!

 

[queenrollog]

Usually the first and last cars of the tram accomodate the strollers. We were once directed, by a cast member, to wait on the ramp instead of in the regular line of the first car. Perhaps a similar situation was in place last night.

 

[DahliaRW]

Yeah, no kidding. That woud irritate me too. And I thought you HAD to fold your stroller for the tram anyways?

Really, it's like a half mile walk to the garage. If your kid is sleeping, just walk them back!

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

It's not SOP - in fact, I've never really seen that type of abuse. CMs would definitely send them back down the ramp.

Is it possible that they had special needs children that couldn't be removed from the strollers for boarding? Since they don't allow kids to ride in strollers on the tram unless disability is present, that may be one reason. They could also be with people who can't actually climb up into the tram and have to board on a level surface. The fact that one person in a party may have this need and there are 7 more folks with them (who don't) is another story.

My pet peeve is the able bodied folks who have to hog an entire elevator instead of taking a working escalator - leaving a bunch of us stroller folks to wait for another one.....

 

[glendalais]

While I'm not sure if it was the case here, but there are certain guests who, for various reasons, do need to use strollers as a wheelchair.

Through the Guest Assistance Card and other means, the DLR does provide facilities to accomodate those guests (mainly by allowing strollers to act as wheelchairs with regards to access purposes).

Again, I don't know whether that was the case here or not, though.

 

[Brady's Mom]

We have a double jogging stroller that we use at the Parks. We are always directed by CM's to use the wheelchair part of the queue.

 

[pixie twinkleberry]

I guess I shouldn't have been so upset, because I really dont know what the circumstances were for the stroller families. I just went with what I observed, and came to my own conclusions. They could be special needs kids, like you said, and I would have had no idea. In fact, I have an autistic nephew that used a stroller last time we were at the park, so I should have known better! Sorry for my rush to judgement!

 

[Brady's Mom]

I have the same judgemental attitude when I see obvious abuse of Handicap parking spaces. I mean, where is your sign? Did you just park there for your convenience or do you actually need to park there?

It really bugs me when I pick up my boys from school and parents are waiting to pick up their children in the handicap spots, just because they are convenient.

 

[dalepool]

It is so nice when able bodied guests do make room for guests like my husband who is in a wheelchair. But knowing Dale like I do he would be more then happy to let a sleeping baby (or two) continue sleeping. At the end of the day I wish they made a stroller my size.

Patty