Woman Shakes Person’s Wheelchair, Demands They Give It To Her Since She’s Older
Interview
Ideally, a trip to the grocery store should be uneventful. If the shop has everything you need, you can get in and out without waiting in a long line and you’re on your way home before you know it, that’s a successful trip. But unfortunately, we never know what kinds of people we’ll encounter when shopping.
One customer recently reached out to the Entitled People subreddit detailing their bizarre experience with a woman who tried to steal their wheelchair at the grocery store. Below, you’ll find the full saga, as well as some of the replies amused readers shared.
This person was minding their own business grocery shopping when another customer decided she was entitled to their wheelchair
Image credits: AnnaStills / Envato Elements (not the actual photo)
But they certainly weren’t going to give it up without a fight
Image credits: Nashua Volquez-Young / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Rawpixel / Envato Elements (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Prostock-studio / Envato Elements (not the actual photo)
Image credits: OtherwiseDrama5374
Later, the OP answered some of the most commonly asked questions from readers
Image credits: Marcus Aurelius / Pexels (not the actual photo)
“People don’t have good public behavior around the disabled; it’s not something our society teaches”
We reached out to the person who shared this story online in the first place, Reddit user OtherwiseDrama5374, and lucky for us, they were kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. They shared that they were inspired to post about this after hearing another entitled person story on YouTube that reminded them of the experience.
Unfortunately, the OP says this is “absolutely not” the first time they’ve had issues with another customer while using their chair in public. “Using a wheelchair in a public space means constant problems,” they noted. “When I used my chair, I would have difficulty with aisle size, people not wanting to be near me, people crashing into other people to avoid me, people staring, people demanding to know why I need the chair, etc. Most often I try to pivot and just show them my leg braces and let them fill in the blanks and talk about how nice their purse is. Usually if I suddenly refocus on something about them, they stop being so upset about something about me.”
As far as why the woman in the story was so insistent that OtherwiseDrama5374 couldn’t use their personal chair in the store, the OP says, “I had no idea, but a smart human on the original post offered that maybe her spouse/husband had poo-pooed buying her a nice scooter or chair on the basis that it wouldn’t be allowed places? Or maybe her son/daughter. It’s also possible she thinks they’re like roller skates or bicycles?”
We were also curious what the OP thought of the replies to their post. “Most of them were funny and sweet, a few were cranky,” they told Bored Panda. “There are always a few people screaming ‘FAKE,’ and I really hope they never have to be in a wheelchair in public. It’s not ‘rare’ for things like this to happen. It’s rare for them to not happen. People don’t have good public behavior around the disabled. It’s not something our society teaches. So I think it’s weird that folks just assume everyone is as nice/sane/sensible as they are.”
Approximately 39 million people in the United States have mobility disabilities
According to Inclusive City Maker, about 39 million Americans have motor impairments, and physical impairments are actually the most common disabilities to have in the US. 13.7% of adults have difficulties walking, climbing stairs or getting around in general. And as you might expect, we’re more likely to develop disabilities as we age, as the Pew Research Center reports that nearly half of Americans over the age of 75 have a disability.
Having a disability can impact every aspect of a person’s life, including how much they earn from their job. The US Census Bureau reports that individuals with disabilities earned a median of only $28,438 in 2021, while their peers without any disabilities earned $40,948.
Image credits: Nothing Ahead / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all public spaces must be accessible
When it comes to wheelchair users, such as the person who shared this story on Reddit, they’re likely more common than you realize as well. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1% of the global population, or 80 million individuals, require wheelchairs to get around.
But Spin The Globe notes that you may not see wheelchair users often simply due to the lack of accessibility many cities have. If they cannot drive, wheelchair users might not live close enough to reliable public transit to take it on their own, and even calling a taxi can be a challenge if there’s no space for their chair.
In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is supposed to guarantee that all public spaces are welcoming for individuals with disabilities, and it aims to prevent discrimination against those with disabilities in terms of employment, housing, public accommodations, education, transportation, communication, recreation, institutionalization, health services, voting, and access to public services. So a grocery store telling a wheelchair user that they could not bring their personal chair into the shop certainly wouldn’t fly.
Image credits: Márton Novák / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Shoppers are entitled to bring their own chairs and mobility scooters inside stores
Mobility Department notes that there are sometimes restrictions as to the size of mobility scooters allowed inside stores, to ensure that they can maneuver through aisles, and not every store provides their own scooters. But if a customer brings one, they are allowed to take it inside.
Unfortunately, not every store is perfect when it comes to providing access, however. Apparently, only 80% of grocery stores in the US have accessible parking spaces, and only 35% have accessible shopping carts or baskets for those with mobility challenges.
Requiring a wheelchair or mobility scooter should not mean that a person’s trips to the grocery store need to become unnecessarily challenging. And it definitely shouldn’t mean that they might have to deal with random strangers harassing them in the shop. We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing similar issues, look no further than right here.
The OP also provided more information in the comments section
Readers applauded the shopper for standing their ground
Some even had similar stories of their own to share
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I am enraged that someone would SHAKE and PUSH and PULL a person in a wheelchair, grab their wheelchair, try to move it AT ALL. Sorry for the shouting caps, by I am so mouth-foamingly angered by this. We have NO IDEA why a person is in a wheelchair, what injuries, they may already have, what levels of pain they experience. NEVER EVER touch someone’s wheelchair without permission, and ask permission before you lay your hand on them even for a friendly shoulder pat, because YOU MAY HURT THEM. Had this wheelchair user had a spinal/neck or other injury, this accoster could have paralyzed the person. DO NOT EVER make assumptions about the person in a wheelchair, and do not grab pull or push any mobility device without first ASKING, even when trying to help. A elderly woman (using a walker) at our practice nearly head-cracked the marble floor, because a man decided to help by pulling open the door she had a grip on (he did not bother to wait for eye contact; she was looking at her feet).
Always treat a wheelchair like an extension of the person. You wouldn't pick someone up by the shoulders to move them around; don't move a wheelchair without asking first.
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Not a wheelchair but following an injury which destroyed my knee (leading to surgery) I was in a full length brace and walking stick. The amount of old people who would abuse me for using it was insane.
I guess it depends where you live. After breaking my ankle I was temporarily in a wheelchair, used two crutches for many months then one crutch for several months more. Everybody was so nice and helpful. (I live in rural England).
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The description of the chase reminded me of the Steamroller scene from Austin Powers. Or the Zamboni scene from Deadpool.
Charles muntz and mr fredricksen fighting in Up. I always call it Arthritis Wars
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(Replying to Andrei Iepure and any other transphobes who see this) The reason THEY mentioned being Non-binary the first time is because people were asking what "39N" meant and the other 2 times were their explanation for why they didn't want to call the police.
As a visibly disabled young person (often using a cane, sometimes needing a wheelchair) older folks tend to have two reactions: either acting like I'm faking it, or looking at me with pity. Neither is great, but at least the latter group are nice about it.
I think we can all agree there are levels of severity to many illnesses.
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I'm assuming the woman chasing down OP was mentally unwell but if I had caught someone harassing a disabled person and trying to push them out of their chair I'd make sure they were in one permanently. I had some nuclear Karen shove my sister out of the way in the mall while she was in her wheelchair promptly smacking my sisters freshly broken legs into a display case. I was younger and less sure in confronting adults back then but I still let her have it. Thankfully my BIL is a much more nonconfrontational person because he is in charge of wheelchair duty now.
I'm disabled. Grocery stores are the worst, because for some reason that's where I get the most abuse from people. It's the only place where people have tried to violently push me out of the way(when I'm not in their way) or aim for me with their cart while making full eye contact. I have had to yell back at people trying to stuff me into a shelf or aisle. It is not better when people think I need them to pray for me or give me inspiration with my illness in the produce aisle, I'm just trying to shop.
The way she tried to steal their wheelchair sounds like something that would happen in preschool, are we sure she wasn't 3 children in a trenchcoat?
it's so hard for some people to understand that wheelchair users are not always in them because of total mobility loss or that we can't do things others do. it's called adaptability. i have several replaced joints and fused ankles which mean i have crappy sense of balance. but, i love to go to local farmer's market that is basically just an open piece of land for the venders. since i can't walk safely on uneven ground i drag the chair out. also, have adapted it with hooks on the back in order to hang several bags so i can shop without trying to hold everything on my lap.
I’m loving this OP. I have had to deal with the ignorance of people calling me a liar and trying to do such ugliness to me for daring to legally park in handicapped spaces all the way to I’m faking it so don’t really need the cane/walker/mobility scooter that i own and use as needed. I have not, however, had to deal with the further complications due to people’s absolute ignorance and hatred because of being NB trans or anything LGBTQ. I do, however have several family members that I’m very close to and love very much who are LGBTQ to include a NB adult child. I wish i could personally offer comfort and love but the best i can do is to work constantly on myself and advocate for my family members in the ways they ask me to do so. I wish OP nothing but the best and hope life treats them kinder from here on out.
Wait, hold on, I'm not allowed to use my own personal wheelchair in a supermarket? I've been doing the whole disabled thing wrong! (I have had staff suggest that I use one of their scooters, but went suspiciously silent when I asked how they would take care of my wheelchair's safety and security while I was scooting around)
I'm so confused by the (down voted) comment assuming OP is female. Their sex assigned at birth isn't anywhere in the story?
I think I would’ve still had the cops pick her up and teach her a lesson about how to behave in public
Normalize screaming at the top of your lungs "Help! I'm being attacked! Security! Manager!" Practice at home.
the level of entitlement of some old people really annoys me you might be older but OP needed the chair and it was their personal one so even if they didnt actually need the chair its irrelevant as it was their property and not so hers so she can do one
And even if it had been store property, the old bat behaved inappropriately. You see someone using mobility devices belonging to the store and believe they don’t need it (I’ve seen times where no scooter available only to see a parent on one followed by a young kid on one.) you go to the service desk and request help and inform them. And their decision is final. Cuz again, invisible disabilities. It was stuff like these trips that made me decide to buy my scooter. Problem solved. And Medicare paid for it so these old people can certainly get one if needed
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My local BJs has 8 curbside parking but only 4 handicapped spaces. Been fighting it for a while but NYS says for a shopping center with at least 5 stores they only need 5% or 10 spaces whichever is less.
NGL, the entitlement here really pîssed me off, as no one deserves to be treated like that; whether they are young, old or have a non-visible disability. You NEVER put your hands on another person like that, as NOTHING gives you that right! I’m so glad I have a super-heavy electric wheelchair & that my biggest disability is plain as day (kinda hard to miss the stump where my lower right leg should be). Also, being autistic as well, I never go anywhere without my mum or sisters watching me & they’re fiercely protective of me. Pity the OP in this story didn’t have a relative or friend with them, as the nasty old woman was able to get her hands on the wheelchair & tried to shake OP out of it, which could’ve resulted in a VERY serious injury, depending on the disability. I would’ve absolutely pressed charges, as a wheelchair isn’t just a tool, but is considered an extension of that person’s body; you might as well be stealing a prosthetic leg as someone is trying to walk with it! 🤨🤷♀️
I actually remember watching a similar scene in a movie or a comedy skit. I could be making it up as a memory, but I have this image of two people on mobility scooters chasing each other through a supermarket. If I recall, they simply had an argument, no stealing involved, but still I remember the hilarity of this slow speed chase aisle to aisle. If anybody also remembers something like it, please let me know. Maybe I am crazy and making it up.
Im not shocked people act like that lady did. People make fun of and lock up the mentally ill/disabled, you really expect them to turn around and treat people with a physical one any better? As someone with both it's genuinely a bit depressing, especially considering how recent the ADA is (made and passed in 1990) and how little improvements to a lot of the US's infrastructure despite it. There's a lot more I could get in to about the absolute pleasure (extreme sarcasm) that it is being disabled in America, but there's not nearly enough space here. It's sad but ultimately I applaud oop for turning their bad experience into something both educational and entertaining.
I’m finding the stories here these past couple of months very difficult to believe. They’re all similar stories in different settings. People ripping other people’s personal property or store products out of other people’s hands—all DEMANDING it……new things please.
I’d have to guess the reason you don’t believe it is because you’ve never personally experienced it. As someone who has been on a cane/walker/mobility scooter since i was 36, i promise it happens more than you’d ever believe. & often to the same person on multiple occasions in their lives. I’ve been accused of faking it on multiple occasions. I’ve been the victim of assault that left me unable to feel anything from the chest down for over a year while i waited for surgery. I still have issues with inability to feel different areas of my body. I’ve had multiple head injuries including a mini stroke as a result of heat stroke & then had three head injuries in an hour when i bounced my head off the sidewalk twice then had a massive painting that hung over my bed fall on my head. I’ve got decreased functionality, a yet to be named neurological condition, my hands shake like crazy & my legs are equally wobbly. I fall at least 12 times a day. Every. Day. Still accused of faking it. Often.
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Wooooooow. Just.....woooww. I hope you never are "really handicapped" and have to know how much it makes everything harder.
Load More Replies... Actually, I am non-binary and I consider myself to be trans.
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I am enraged that someone would SHAKE and PUSH and PULL a person in a wheelchair, grab their wheelchair, try to move it AT ALL. Sorry for the shouting caps, by I am so mouth-foamingly angered by this. We have NO IDEA why a person is in a wheelchair, what injuries, they may already have, what levels of pain they experience. NEVER EVER touch someone’s wheelchair without permission, and ask permission before you lay your hand on them even for a friendly shoulder pat, because YOU MAY HURT THEM. Had this wheelchair user had a spinal/neck or other injury, this accoster could have paralyzed the person. DO NOT EVER make assumptions about the person in a wheelchair, and do not grab pull or push any mobility device without first ASKING, even when trying to help. A elderly woman (using a walker) at our practice nearly head-cracked the marble floor, because a man decided to help by pulling open the door she had a grip on (he did not bother to wait for eye contact; she was looking at her feet).
Always treat a wheelchair like an extension of the person. You wouldn't pick someone up by the shoulders to move them around; don't move a wheelchair without asking first.
Load More Replies... Not a wheelchair but following an injury which destroyed my knee (leading to surgery) I was in a full length brace and walking stick. The amount of old people who would abuse me for using it was insane.
I guess it depends where you live. After breaking my ankle I was temporarily in a wheelchair, used two crutches for many months then one crutch for several months more. Everybody was so nice and helpful. (I live in rural England).
Load More Replies... The description of the chase reminded me of the Steamroller scene from Austin Powers. Or the Zamboni scene from Deadpool.
Charles muntz and mr fredricksen fighting in Up. I always call it Arthritis Wars
Load More Replies... (Replying to Andrei Iepure and any other transphobes who see this) The reason THEY mentioned being Non-binary the first time is because people were asking what "39N" meant and the other 2 times were their explanation for why they didn't want to call the police.
As a visibly disabled young person (often using a cane, sometimes needing a wheelchair) older folks tend to have two reactions: either acting like I'm faking it, or looking at me with pity. Neither is great, but at least the latter group are nice about it.
I think we can all agree there are levels of severity to many illnesses.
Load More Replies... I'm assuming the woman chasing down OP was mentally unwell but if I had caught someone harassing a disabled person and trying to push them out of their chair I'd make sure they were in one permanently. I had some nuclear Karen shove my sister out of the way in the mall while she was in her wheelchair promptly smacking my sisters freshly broken legs into a display case. I was younger and less sure in confronting adults back then but I still let her have it. Thankfully my BIL is a much more nonconfrontational person because he is in charge of wheelchair duty now.
I'm disabled. Grocery stores are the worst, because for some reason that's where I get the most abuse from people. It's the only place where people have tried to violently push me out of the way(when I'm not in their way) or aim for me with their cart while making full eye contact. I have had to yell back at people trying to stuff me into a shelf or aisle. It is not better when people think I need them to pray for me or give me inspiration with my illness in the produce aisle, I'm just trying to shop.
The way she tried to steal their wheelchair sounds like something that would happen in preschool, are we sure she wasn't 3 children in a trenchcoat?
it's so hard for some people to understand that wheelchair users are not always in them because of total mobility loss or that we can't do things others do. it's called adaptability. i have several replaced joints and fused ankles which mean i have crappy sense of balance. but, i love to go to local farmer's market that is basically just an open piece of land for the venders. since i can't walk safely on uneven ground i drag the chair out. also, have adapted it with hooks on the back in order to hang several bags so i can shop without trying to hold everything on my lap.
I’m loving this OP. I have had to deal with the ignorance of people calling me a liar and trying to do such ugliness to me for daring to legally park in handicapped spaces all the way to I’m faking it so don’t really need the cane/walker/mobility scooter that i own and use as needed. I have not, however, had to deal with the further complications due to people’s absolute ignorance and hatred because of being NB trans or anything LGBTQ. I do, however have several family members that I’m very close to and love very much who are LGBTQ to include a NB adult child. I wish i could personally offer comfort and love but the best i can do is to work constantly on myself and advocate for my family members in the ways they ask me to do so. I wish OP nothing but the best and hope life treats them kinder from here on out.
Wait, hold on, I'm not allowed to use my own personal wheelchair in a supermarket? I've been doing the whole disabled thing wrong! (I have had staff suggest that I use one of their scooters, but went suspiciously silent when I asked how they would take care of my wheelchair's safety and security while I was scooting around)
I'm so confused by the (down voted) comment assuming OP is female. Their sex assigned at birth isn't anywhere in the story?
I think I would’ve still had the cops pick her up and teach her a lesson about how to behave in public
Normalize screaming at the top of your lungs "Help! I'm being attacked! Security! Manager!" Practice at home.
the level of entitlement of some old people really annoys me you might be older but OP needed the chair and it was their personal one so even if they didnt actually need the chair its irrelevant as it was their property and not so hers so she can do one
And even if it had been store property, the old bat behaved inappropriately. You see someone using mobility devices belonging to the store and believe they don’t need it (I’ve seen times where no scooter available only to see a parent on one followed by a young kid on one.) you go to the service desk and request help and inform them. And their decision is final. Cuz again, invisible disabilities. It was stuff like these trips that made me decide to buy my scooter. Problem solved. And Medicare paid for it so these old people can certainly get one if needed
Load More Replies... My local BJs has 8 curbside parking but only 4 handicapped spaces. Been fighting it for a while but NYS says for a shopping center with at least 5 stores they only need 5% or 10 spaces whichever is less.
NGL, the entitlement here really pîssed me off, as no one deserves to be treated like that; whether they are young, old or have a non-visible disability. You NEVER put your hands on another person like that, as NOTHING gives you that right! I’m so glad I have a super-heavy electric wheelchair & that my biggest disability is plain as day (kinda hard to miss the stump where my lower right leg should be). Also, being autistic as well, I never go anywhere without my mum or sisters watching me & they’re fiercely protective of me. Pity the OP in this story didn’t have a relative or friend with them, as the nasty old woman was able to get her hands on the wheelchair & tried to shake OP out of it, which could’ve resulted in a VERY serious injury, depending on the disability. I would’ve absolutely pressed charges, as a wheelchair isn’t just a tool, but is considered an extension of that person’s body; you might as well be stealing a prosthetic leg as someone is trying to walk with it! 🤨🤷♀️
I actually remember watching a similar scene in a movie or a comedy skit. I could be making it up as a memory, but I have this image of two people on mobility scooters chasing each other through a supermarket. If I recall, they simply had an argument, no stealing involved, but still I remember the hilarity of this slow speed chase aisle to aisle. If anybody also remembers something like it, please let me know. Maybe I am crazy and making it up.
Im not shocked people act like that lady did. People make fun of and lock up the mentally ill/disabled, you really expect them to turn around and treat people with a physical one any better? As someone with both it's genuinely a bit depressing, especially considering how recent the ADA is (made and passed in 1990) and how little improvements to a lot of the US's infrastructure despite it. There's a lot more I could get in to about the absolute pleasure (extreme sarcasm) that it is being disabled in America, but there's not nearly enough space here. It's sad but ultimately I applaud oop for turning their bad experience into something both educational and entertaining.
I’m finding the stories here these past couple of months very difficult to believe. They’re all similar stories in different settings. People ripping other people’s personal property or store products out of other people’s hands—all DEMANDING it……new things please.
I’d have to guess the reason you don’t believe it is because you’ve never personally experienced it. As someone who has been on a cane/walker/mobility scooter since i was 36, i promise it happens more than you’d ever believe. & often to the same person on multiple occasions in their lives. I’ve been accused of faking it on multiple occasions. I’ve been the victim of assault that left me unable to feel anything from the chest down for over a year while i waited for surgery. I still have issues with inability to feel different areas of my body. I’ve had multiple head injuries including a mini stroke as a result of heat stroke & then had three head injuries in an hour when i bounced my head off the sidewalk twice then had a massive painting that hung over my bed fall on my head. I’ve got decreased functionality, a yet to be named neurological condition, my hands shake like crazy & my legs are equally wobbly. I fall at least 12 times a day. Every. Day. Still accused of faking it. Often.
Load More Replies... Wooooooow. Just.....woooww. I hope you never are "really handicapped" and have to know how much it makes everything harder.
Load More Replies... Actually, I am non-binary and I consider myself to be trans.
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