I found this article and it made me wonder where has humanity went to? In the sense that Delta Airlines was deficient in that they failed to insure proper accomodations were made for their disabled passenger, but where was everyone else? I mean why did not someone else step up to the plate and say "I got this" and at least offer to carry the guy off the pane and to his awaiting wheel chair. Everyone just sat there and watched this guy in his best suit crawl past them, down the stairs, across the tarmac to his chair. What a bunch of croc, where's the human compassion for our fellow man went? Is it all about me, me , me? The guy looks a whole 150 lbs, a passenger, crew member, baggage handler, refueler or someone all had to have witnessed this and just let it happen on thier watch. SHAME ON THEM! So to close this rant out, in a nut shell if you can offer help to another traveller on our way across this planet without endangering your personal safety why not man up and do it. Just might make a new friend or even like yourself a little better at the end of the day.... I'm so mad from reading this. See article excerpts below:


Delta Airlines is in the midst of a PR nightmare after a former college professor who is unable to walk filed a lawsuit claiming that the airline refused to accommodate his disability and forced him to crawl down the aisle of a plane, down a flight of steps and across a tarmac at a Massachusetts airport - twice.


According to the suit, filed on July 23, in U.S. Federal District Court in Hawaii, D. Baraka Kanaan claims that on July 26, 2012, he was scheduled to take a series of Delta flights from his home in Hawaii to Nantucket Island in Massachusetts to attend a conference.


Mr. Kanaan, who suffers partial paralysis of his legs stemming from a car accident in 2000, claims he called a Delta customer service representative several weeks before his scheduled trip to let them know about his disability, and that he would need a lift to get onto the airplane and an aisle chair to get him to his seat.

The representative, he claims, told him it wouldn't be a problem.

Mr. Kanaan's initial flight was canceled due to weather, so he was booked on another flight the following day. When he arrived in Nantucket, he was told by flight attendants that the airline didn't have an aisle chair to get him out of his seat, nor a lift to get him off the plane.

When he asked what he was supposed to do, Mr. Kanaan claims he was told, 'I don't know, but we can't get you off the plane,' according to the complaint, first obtained by the Huffington Post.

Simultaneously, Mr. Kanaan claims, he could see a lift available at an adjacent gate.

Mr. Kanaan, while wearing his 'best suit,' was then forced to crawl 'hand-over-hand' down the aisle, down a flight of stairs and across the tarmac to his wheelchair - without any assistance from the crew -as other passengers watched.

The incident, he claims, caused 'great physical and emotional suffering.'

Before heading home to Hawaii, Mr. Kanaan called Delta to report the incident, and to make sure the equipment would be available for his return flight in an attempt to avoid another humiliating ordeal.

When Mr. Kanaan got to the airport, though, he says a flight attendant told him the chair and lift were again unavailable. The flight attendant then offered to put a piece of cardboard on the ground so Mr. Kanaan's clothes wouldn't get dirty as he crawled across the ground, he claims in the suit.

Once he returned home, Mr. Kanaan says Delta offered him 25,000 'sky miles' and a $100 voucher. He refused the offer, however, in fear that any future flights might again have him crawling on his hands and knees.

 

wow.. that's messed up.. Not only what is wrong with the Delta crew, but what were the other people on the flight doing? I would have definitely helped the guy out, I'm pretty sure everyone else in my family would have done the same.

This is disgusting honestly..

 

After doing a quick background on Kanaan I can't help but think that this was politically motivated and an intentional act on his part. I never get upset when reading these type of stories. When the dust settles 9 times out of 10 they are scripted/orchestrated acts designed simply to create controversy and/or draw attention to a particular agenda.

 

I did fly once back in 1998 to Texas, But...I dod use my wheel chair...(I think I flew southwest airlines) I went right across the ramp into the airplane..
I was able to walk to my seat..(I had my prostetic on) But since I cant walk great distances...I used my wheel chair... They stored it at the front of the plane (Wheel chair) so mobility wasn't an issue comeing or going to San Antonio to home and back...

Kinda makes me wonder why... They didn't due the same for that gentleman?

 

Un freakin beleavable I hope he gets enpough money from Delta to buy his own plane