Wheelchair Bingo and a Lovely Tuscan View

 

Since many of my viewing audience are of the geriatric persuasion, I thought you might be interested in what happens in three different countries when you order a wheelchair for your flights.

Since Lynda has her 'walking' condition, I felt it would be easier for her to be wheeled around instead of walking with a cane all of the time. In the Austin airport one has to wait in your carrier's area for someone to come and get you. That took about twenty minutes. However that time was made up by your airport attendant being able to scoot you through the lines at Pre-check. Even the wheelchair and Lynda’s cane had to go through. They then moved us quickly to our gate, #2, at the far end of the airport. All the time I was rushing behind this speedster as I brought my suitcase and my backpack. 

The Austin experience was good. The Montreal one was even better as the nice gentleman, Khalil, who spoke four languages, took us some back way through customs while about a thousand or so Travelers who were still catching up from the Air Canada strike last week lined up to wait their turn to enter an immigration kiosk. They reminded me of a cattle yard at feeding time. He took us to our gate, again at Mach 1 speed. It was there he decided that they might change gates so he brought us to a central area where we could sit and wait for a couple of hours where someone else would wheelchair her to the gate.

When it was time to enter the plane, Lynda was in her chair, I was trying miserably to wheel her and our two suitcases to the gate,  when two nice young ladies from Pittsburgh asked if they could help with our suitcases. I'm no dummy so I let them as I wheeled Lynda down to our nice comfortable seats right behind First Class.

In Rome we experienced a whole different way of doing it. They took her off in a wheelchair but separated us and told us to meet at the immigration point. I waited, texted, called but got no answer. Meanwhile,  about 500-1000 travelers were lining up for immigration and customs. They had loaded Lynda and the other wheelchair gang into a van and drove them to a central meeting point near where I was waiting. They put Lynda on a motorized wheelchair device, loaded up both suitcases and sped off, me following like an obedient puppy behind him. He moved us through immigration, got us into the front of the line at a crowded elevator, went across to the car rental place where he took us to the front of the line again. Then he dropped us at the car.

Each country did it differently and I spent a lot of tip money on our benefactors. But it was worth it. If you ever have to use them, I would say go for it as we would not have been able to be in our place with the lovely Tuscan view.