We can all agree that most people have the best of intentions. Well, some people. Maybe. Anyway.
If those intentions involve another person, check and see how the other person feels before proceeding—even when trying to help.
While traveling through the Stansted Airport in London, Lottie of @chronically_lottie on TikTok was pushed by a male flight attendant named Pete, who did not ask permission to push her wheelchair. With multiple disabilities, the TikToker confronted the employee, saying he should have asked permission.
Instead of apologizing, the employee criticized her for "overreacting" and being "awkward." Another employee, a woman who remained nameless at the time, also got involved and threatened to move Lottie back to the gate, away from her flight.
You can watch the initial video, here:
Fellow TikTokers were disgusted by what happened, especially the gaslighting.
@chronically_lottie/TikTok
@chronically_lottie/TikTok
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@chronically_lottie/TikTok
Others agreed, and stressed how easy it would have been to ask for Lottie's permission.
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@chronically_lottie/TikTok
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Some were grateful Lottie advocated for herself, even if she really shouldn't have had to.
@chronically_lottie/TikTok
@chronically_lottie/TikTok
@chronically_lottie/TikTok
@chronically_lottie/TikTok
@chronically_lottie/TikTok
Lottie later returned to clarify a few details, which you can watch here:
Lottie explained that the incident had been recorded accidentally. She was holding her phone, which was on a lanyard that prevented her from dropping it to the floor, and while traveling through the airport, she captured random pictures of the floor, ceiling, and other areas of the airport.
She also captured a portion of the conversation between herself and the two attendants who did not want to listen to her needs. She was grateful that she had captured the video, because it was evidence of what had happened to her, which allowed her to report the incident.
The TikToker said she also received messages from quite a few fellow wheelchair users who had similar experiences to hers, and she encouraged them to report what had happened to them, as well, to discourage employees from behaving in this way.
A fellow TikToker, "Wendy Clark4893," commented on Lottie's second video:
"I've put over 30,000 disabled people onboard aircraft over the years, [and] you have been the only one to reduce me to tears with your behavior that day."
Other TikTokers tracked the commenter to an Instagram account that has since been made private, and Wendy appeared to work at Stansted Airport in London and seemed to be the same employee who had interacted with Lottie alongside a male employee in the first video.
An investigation has since been opened, which Lottie addressed in her final video:
Lottie claimed in the video that the situation was being "dealt with," as was Wendy's involvement in her comments sections, which the investing board cited as inappropriate.
Lottie was also approached by Stansted Airport, asking if she would be willing to come forward and educate the staff on how to properly interact with travelers with disabilities, beginning with asking for consent but likely including many more tips.
While Lottie has fibromyalgia, functional neurologic disorder, dysautonomia, Tourette syndrome, and bipolar disorder, she recognizes that there are many other disorders that she has no experience with, so she's also hoping fellow TikTokers will come forward in the comments section, and share how they wish their needs would be addressed while traveling.
Though this situation could have been avoided by simply asking for consent, or apologizing when confronted, it seems the airport is interested in taking responsibility and helping their staff to better serve travelers in the future.
