Blind, Deaf and Not So Helpless
This past week I went back to work following my vacation has it was quite eventful. You all saw I posted a blog live from the line about the passenger who wanted french fries and then proceeded to think the trash bag was a grab bag of snacks. Well, the day after that, it got a bit more interesting.
We arrived at the gate in Washington DC to be told by the agents that we had a woman coming onboard who couldn’t see, hear, or speak english. For this trip I was working in the maincabin (long story short I needed to move my schedule around and this m/c trip was the only thing that could work!) and was working the position responsbile for all of the special briefings so I started to formulate just how I’d brief her.
Just when we started boarding, this woman who looked to be about 90 years old walks on the plane (by herself) and hands me a note:
Hello, my name is Anita and I’m 93 years old. I’m blind and partially deaf and don’t speak English, I speak Turkish. I am traveling to Los Angeles to meet my son and need some help along the way. I prefer an aisle seat, low-fat milk, and soft snacks. I require a pillow and blanket for my head and back, as well as a reclining seat. I am mostly healthy but will need assistance to and from the restroom and help closing the door. Thank you.
Now, let’s dicsect, because this raises a lot of questions. How can someone let their mother, in this state, travel alone? On our airline you pay for food (including snacks) are they just expecting something free? We don’t have pillows and & blankets anymore in coach, they’re for purchase how badly does she need one? .. and lastly, Milk. You all know my dislike for people who want Milk. We don’t always have it either, what else can she drink?
Anyway, I walk her to her seat, put her bag up and she sits down. During the beverage service, forgetting who I was talking to, I asked her if she wanted something to drink. After waiting for a response, I remembered, untwisted the cap to a bottle of water, took her hand and made her touch it, to know it was there. We continued on.
Later, I started to think about how to figure out if she was hungry and what she could eat. I came to the conclusion that if she could drink Milk, she can eat a fruit & cheese platter. So, I walked over to her, placed it down on her tray table, again took her hand and placed it on it. Hoping she’d realize it’s cheese because I don’t know how to explain that to someone who cannot hear me nor see what I’m talking about. Of course, there was no charge, how do you explain to someone who can’t see or hear you that I need $7 credit card only?
Later, the 2FAs and I were in the back and as usual a line for the restroom formed. The Fasten Seatbelt Sign came on and the lead made her announcement about returning to your seat and fastening your belt. We all look at the line that has formed and we see Anita. How she found the line/back of the plane/bathroom is beyond us! The lead walks over to her, speaking instructions about how unsafe it is to be up (forgetting that she’s deaf) and to our surprise, she responded
I understand how unsafe it is darling, but I really must get to the restroom
Okay, WHAT?! She spoke perfect English!? I walked right up to her and said “you speak english? are you blind and deaf as well?” Her response was:
No dear, my son told me to just hand that note to the people on the plane and not to speak to anyone or get in anyones way because the contents of the note would take care of me for the whole flight. He also said by not talking back and following what he wrote I could get on and off the plane first.
We were all shocked. Here I am, taking her hand and placing it on water and food because I’m at a loss for how to help this woman eat and drink, and the whole time she speaks perfect English, can see and has a hearing aid in her right ear. She didn’t once question was I was touching her and placing her hand on products either.
I wonder if she was even 93. All women seem to lie about their age, that lie – I can understand. Maybe.
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