Mistaking
#371 - Thursday, October 17, 2024
Mistaking
Mistaking line Walking further Arriving anyway Accepting loaner Heartening support Adopting wheelchair
Media of the Day:
Life Updates:
When we landed at Heathrow Airport, we got wheelchair support. One person moved Lanny from the airplane door to the airport hallway where we got on a 3 seater motorized people mover which got us to another section of the airport where we were offloaded and asked to wait for another wheelchair attendant. There was a queue of about 4 people ahead of us.
Lanny needed the washroom, so the person in charge allowed me to take a wheelchair and push Lanny myself, only after showing me how to properly use the safety features of the airport wheelchair, including the handle bar which operates as the break, the seat belt, and the footrests. The guide directed me to head towards immigration as the washroom there was the same distance as the one the sign we were at pointed to. After the washroom visit, a guard guided us to go through the special immigration line given that I was handling the wheelchair myself.
Most people in airport wheelchairs are guided by airport workers so our situation was different. We got lots of help from the different people on our way, including the female immigration officer who pointed the way to the nearest lift which was the opposite way as the rest of the travelers.
When we got to the luggage area we recognized our problem, I couldn’t push the wheelchair, plus two pieces of luggage all by my self. An attendant saw our predicament and offered to help. He handled the luggage, and I continued to push the wheelchair. He was very effusive, helped me buy Oyster cards for the underground, and took us straight to the Elizabeth Line, and told us where to transfer in order to get to King’s Cross station. It turns out we usually take the Piccadilly line because it’s a straight shot… We got off at Paddington station because we could transfer there… It turns out that was the longest way to transfer!
We finally made it to our hotel. We had to wait for our room to be ready. In the meantime, Lanny asked for a lunch recommendation to get fish & chips within walking distance. Mabel’s Tavern was the best choice nearby. The surprise came when the attendant offered us the use of a wheelchair!! I immediately agreed. Lanny was tired and acceded to using it. He regretted it once we were on the street! It’s quite bumpy out there! He didn’t feel in control. We stopped to see the British Library’s Treasures, including one of the surviving copies of the Magna Carta. This would have been impossible without the use of the wheelchair.
Life Celebration:
My apologies, I didn’t record one today! Here’s yesterday’s recorded at LAX.
Current Promotion:
Laetitia’s Japan Quest update:
Laetitia has secured a plane ticket! She’s actually going to Japan! Here’s what I shared with her on October 11, 2024:
“Thank you for the opportunity to support you in getting to Japan! Open G: correct place, correct people. Your community has supported you in whichever way they could. And now, it's in the Universe's hands, and yours. May your adventure be full of surprises!!
As of today, we’ve raised $1,399 so far from 23 people!
Interested in joining the quest? Click the button below:
Interesting tidbit:
I said I wasn’t going to write a post for Thursday…
And when I reviewed the pictures I knew I had to write about navigating with a wheelchair. It’s such a different experience. I am so grateful to be able to support Lanny’s exploration with less physical effort.