mariness

A few points of background. One: alas, these days when I use the bathroom I almost invariably get dizzy. Thus the need for handrails - it's not just a question of the wheelchair. Two: the Southwest gate areas at the Orlando International airport have two sets of women's restrooms: one by the food court area and one further down, in the actual gate area. That second set has exactly one - count them, one - disabled stall. Three: on each and every trip I have made through the Orlando airport I have seen multiple people in wheelchairs, mostly but not all elderly. This includes spinal users who cannot walk at all.

So, as you do, I decided to go to the bathroom before my flight. The stall was closed, which, no biggie. I could see a bag and feet moving around so figured, sigh, another parent with problematic toddler. (This happens a lot.) I wasn't in a rush, so waited, resigned, and sighed when I heard a voice say That's my baby. Minutes passed. I checked twitter. I started to get worried about timing (Southwest requires that I board early). Two more minutes and I will say something.

And then I saw it, or rather them: dog paws.

Ok, I thought, still holding to my "this involves a toddler" thought, they must be traveling WITH the dog...

And then I heard it.

I had been under the naive impression that I had become accustomed to the worst that can happen in disabled and women's bathrooms. Apparently I was wrong.

"Hello," I shouted. "Actual wheelchair user here."

"Oh," she said. "I'll be out in a minute."

"I have a flight."

"Oh."

She came out with a non apology. I peered in, swore, called the airport and sputtered the story in two languages. They got someone to push me to the other set of bathrooms and told Southwest I wouldbe late. Luckily the plane was slightly late so that worked.

I got on the plane still fuming. Passengers boarded after me and then I realized that she was sitting in the aisle seat with the dog, only one seat between us. Which was soon filled by another woman.

Dog lady didn't recognize me. But she was willing to complain, at length, about Southwest and dogs and how it cost $75 to bring the dog which is so unfair because she's taking the dog as a carryon anyway which means she has to put her real bag up so she can't even get at it during the flight and worse with the seats in the front her little dog was squished (this part was true. Poor dog who did not deserve any of this and it's awful because Orlando doesn't let you take the dog out of the bag in the terminal so she had to use the disabled restroom but what could she do? She certainly couldn't leave the dog with strangers but it was such a long way to San Diego and she had to do something.

"Or you could use a regular stall and clean it up."


"But that doesn't give her enough room!"

Also, she didn't turn off her cellphone when the captain said turn all cellphones off.

She must have gotten some hint of my fury, since she both rushed to another row once we landed in San Zntonio and asked why it was taking Southwest so long to get my wheelchair up. Then she took out her dog.

I reported her to the pilot who was coming aboard just then. She will be reported to the Orlando Airport.

In other news I am at Worldcon and can report that there's quite a few people here already, and the bar is right across from the Starbucks.