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Shop At Your Own Risk
New York, 3:40 AM
Fri Dec 11
66 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/11/08
At least she had some recourse. I'll always remember going out with a friend in a wheelchair and watching as the taxi drivers - even those with special elevators for wheelchairs - zoomed past us with their "for hire" lights on full.
11/11/08
I weigh about 90 pounds, as did our receptionist. I sent the receptionist back out to call 911 and the woman got furious- as if it was my obligation to lift her somehow...
at any rate 911 came, lifted her, made sure she was ok (even though she was very VERY angry and all) and I tried to be polite.
There was no way on earth I could lift her and being that I had no health insurance, no way I wanted to put myself at any physical risk to try. She simply didn't want to hear this and never came back (although she would have been welcome to)
This story makes me wonder if it was that kind of situation- the way that woman was so furious at me for being unable to deadlift 300 pounds...I think if I had been having a bad day I might have banned her just for her bad attitude...if you need help that is not something the person there can provide, why get angry when they call someone who CAN help? I'll never understand that.
11/11/08
11/10/08
I think it is really easy for people without disabilities to write stories like this off as her fault for not having a caregiver with her. But the truth is that many, many places are not disability friendly even though (at least in the US and I'd assume in the UK) they are required to be disability friendly by law. And it is a big deal and it does effect us all because all it takes is some bad luck to end up disabled.
So don't bitch when someone needs to use the wheelchair entrance on the bus and teach your children not to point at the different person, it could quite easily be you.
11/10/08
Also, I can totally relate to the people staring and directing questions thing. My dad is blind, but he also has four advanced degrees and has raised 4 kids. It is not necessary to ask his children things in lieu of talking to him directly. (Has happened ALL the time since I was old enough to talk)
I did like the part at the end of the story where they apologized and said it was a mistake. Marks and Spencer is delicious, and I would hate to have to boycott them the next time I'm in the UK.
11/10/08
11/10/08
Lean on me, lady. It ain't no thang.
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11/10/08
If I were a store employee, I'd call and then stay and comfort here, telling her help is on the way.
I don't get this.
11/10/08
Let's not assume she wandered in off the street completely unable to take care of herself and then sat on a toilet wailing for underpaid cafe staff to help her. Yikes. Even so, it's not like able bodied people don't sometimes need help. Besides, nobody said the store employees are required to assist her themselves. Of course it requires special training to move people without hurting one's own back. Of course it would be wrong to expect store staff to be medical providers when a person needs assistance. This is why we have paramedics and others trained to help out in these situations. All the store had to do was ask her what she needed, see if it was reasonable to help her themselves, and if not, contact emergency personnel. That simple.
11/10/08
That is the problem - we don't know the whole story. What if she refused 911 being called and thus they had to help her? What if she tried to make them feel like a horrible human being (as some people on here apparently think) for wanting to call for help instead of doing it themselves? We shouldn't always just assume the big bad corporation is in the wrong. Yes, even able bodied people sometimes need help, but the chances of a recurrence with them are small.
They aren't even telling her to come in or always have someone. After they rescinded their ban notice all they are asking is
that wherever possible she is accompanied by someone who would be better equipped to help her if she feels unwell.
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11/12/08
11/10/08
"As she has a condition that requires specific care that retail staff in M&S or any other store are not trained to provide, we have asked that wherever possible she is accompanied by someone who would be better equipped to help her if she feels unwell."
This is not an unreasonable request.
11/10/08
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11/10/08
First of all, she looks to be a bit hefty. So you are thinking staff at a coffee shop should be required to possibly go into a bathroom and lift this woman off the toilet, or whatever she needed. Really? I sure as hell would not be willing to do that, I would find that incredibly uncomfortable and not part of my job description. Also what happens if someone strains their back?
She has a disability and that is a shame, but the staff should not be required to deal with it. Having a chaperone is a reasonable request if this is going to be a problem.
Whenever something like this happens everyone immediately attacks the store. As if min. wage employees should be trained and be required to deal with a myriad of things - however humiliating it might be for them.
11/10/08
The article said the managers dealt with her in the restroom. I don't think it's beyond the pale to train managers at least in basic situations like this.
11/10/08
I might be a softie, but how do you not help people?
11/10/08
And then we start discriminating against the unattractive or the short, right? I hate it when people start using the slippery slope argument.
If I a woman goes into labor you call 911.
I will never agree that it is appropriate to require someone in a coffee shop to be trained to help someone with the bathroom. It is so outside the realm of their job. I think the manager should have called someone and that should be their basic training.
I am doubting it was just that she had problems navigating her wheelchair out. That she was probably on the toilet and needed assistance back to her chair. Why should a manager be trained to do that?
11/10/08
I am a retail manager and not too long ago I actually cleaned the shit off of an older woman who was clearly dealing with some sort of mental impairment (possibly Alzheimers) and had an accident in the bathroom. Not because I had to, but because decent, caring human beings take care of each other even when it is not convenient for them to do so.
I hope you never have a loved one who suffers from some sort of disability, I sincerely wouldn't want you to be "humiliated" that you have to help them out.
11/10/08
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11/10/08
Also, that apology? Was bullshit. Seriously. Ms. Curran's lawyers are going to have a field day with this, and rightly so. The UK is a really tough place to get around in if you're in a wheelchair (the old double-decker London buses that you had to leap on to have only recently been retired - they were fun, but a nightmare to get my nana on).
I know the vast majority of people who work at M&S are lovely, decent people, but whoever oversaw this particular debacle needs to be removed. Now. And a donation to CP medical research wouldn't go amiss, either.
11/10/08
I never said people should be BANNED or that a employee or customer shouldn't be allowed to help out of the kindness of their heart. I am also pretty sure the law doesn't say all employees are required to deal with every foreseeable contingency that can arise with someone who has a disability.
I do think if there is a decent chance that you will require assistance than you should have someone with you who is capable of that.
I like the jump from the idea that I would find it embarrassing to have to go in and help a half-naked stranger to the fact that I would be humiliated to help a loved one. That makes total sense. But yes, more than likely if I have a loved one who needs that level of care I will do my best to hire someone so I am not required to do it. I am one of those people who want a soundproof bathroom. I think bodily functions are disgusting and although I would help a loved one I would try to make that unnecessary. To have to do it with a stranger I swear to god would cause me mental distress. So I am sure that makes me a horrible person in your eyes. If as a coffee shop employee I am their only option I would of course do it - but I think it is unfair to make me the only option.
And this was not basic first aid!! It is not like she needed a bandage put on our something. PEOPLE STOP IMPLYING THAT I SAID THINGS I NEVER SAID! I said it is humiliating to have to help a half-naked stranger in the bathroom, not give basic first aid. Being 'trained' to do that would not make it any less so.
As for her being hefty, I was saying that having to lift this woman could hurt employees and now the store is having to pay out workman's comp. My mom is a nurse and even in theory knowing how to lift people she hurts her back all the time when dealing with heavier patients.
11/10/08
it's called decency. ch-ch-ch-check it out.
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11/10/08
In high school, I worked at CVS and one of our regular customers was blind. She needed someone to go around the store with her and help her with her shopping. I was one of the few people in the store who didn't mind doing it. I actually liked when she came in, it was more fun than shelving. That shopper regularly required assistance, but she shouldn't have to bring someone with her. It was my fucking job to assist customers.
Back to the bathroom- they have the assistance button for a reason. Someone could need an ambulance called. That's all they had to do.
Its fine that helping a half naked person would cause you mental distress, but you have no business saying that anyone would might need help should only go out in public with a helper.
11/11/08
And this case sounds like a one time thing. Are they going to require everyone who ever has any kind of emergency to come in with a chaperone? It sounds like she is fairly independent person and had been a good customer for years.
11/10/08
11/10/08
I wonder if the same goes for the toilet. If you take a dump, do you get banned for that too?
11/11/08
Capitalism - UR DOING IT WRONG.
Apologies are never good customer service; Good customer service is knowing that a single satisfied customer may not recommend you to others, but a single upset customer, if not appeased quickly, can close your doors forever.
11/10/08
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11/10/08
But how was that type of mistake made? Was that once policy? Or was the person responsible for the letter acting on their own (and thus fired)?
11/10/08
And she's only welcome in the store with a chaperone.
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11/10/08
So have we determined whether or not M&S employs complete wankers?