Man with no legs refused a mobility scooter

[Plain Talker]

You (and probably me) are getting yourself a bit mixed up between different posters.

 

Someone suggested that Mr Booth served in WWII. This is most unlikely and you were probably correct to pick up on it.

 

You later questioned how someone that was 17 in 1948 could be a war veteran. Without a specific link to Mr Booth .... there have been several wars since 1948 and British servicemen have been honoured in many of them.

 

That is what I was picking up on. On re-reading I see the continuation in your assumptions and understand what you were getting at.

 

Egypt, 1950's:- Suez Crisis (not war)

 

Korea 1950's (not so many UK-based soldiers fought in that, though I'm not denigrating those who did.)

 

Vietnam, 1960's-1970's more an American war, again, not many UK based soldiers fought in it, it was more Aussie and NZ soldiers who were shoved to the front-lines)

 

Falklands Conflict 1982, again not a war, and at 78, the chap would have been over 50, so too old to have seen active service there.

 

but, no, CKG, you are right, mosh describes this chap, quite categorically, as having served in the RAF in WWII, and I pointed out that, to have been old enough to see active service, he could not have served before 1948.

[Angelb]

I doesn't matter how long you have been in the forces whether it is 1 day or more, you can make a claim with the Royal British Legion, all he has to do is contact his local branch and ask for a caseworker to come out and see him, they will sort everything out for him.

 

I know this as I have been a member for quite some years.

 

Anyone can make claim as long as their husband/father was in the forces, all they will be asked to do is show them proof i.e. their war number etc, they will tell them what information they need.

[SUGARPLUMKIN]

There are charitable trusts who do give grants for people who are in need of disability/mobility equipment including electric wheel chairs etc. Maybe they could give him a grant for one.

 

Im sure he would be sucessfull.

[Saffy]

I've only just found this and felt compelled to respond.

 

I am disgusted with your attitude, I really am. Whilst it would seem very unreasonable for the man to be denied a scooter, how do you know that 'these young people' have been given one??

 

I am 20 years old and have a serious condition that means one day I can walk unaided and the next I may not be able to walk at all.

Throughout my life I've had to put up with inconsiderate individuals who do not understand the disease I live with and are all too quick to assume that I am putting it on, or don't really need the aid I get.

 

I am currently working out some way in which I can possibly finance a scooter because I am struggling to do even the simplest things. In fact, I came across this post whilst searching for a second hand one!

 

I totally sympathise with the man involved, I am grateful that I do have legs and for the most part they work. But at 20 years old, I hope to soon be one of 'these young people' who are seen with varying levels of disability from day to day.

Why? Because I will pay and get a scooter and when I need to use it I will but I will still fight the fear of being judged by people like you and be mobile whenever I can. I do not see why I should remain in a chair or scooter when I can manage to walk just because someone may be judging me for walking when I can.

 

I suggest that while I'm doing so, you take a moment to consider the effect your judgemental comments could have on a young person who's youth and ambitions have been snatched away from them but yet they continue to attempt to stay mobile as much as possible instead of dwelling on it.

 

 

 

Well said Lotti ! x

[Ms Macbeth]

There are charitable trusts who do give grants for people who are in need of disability/mobility equipment including electric wheel chairs etc. Maybe they could give him a grant for one.

 

Im sure he would be sucessfull.

 

As the thread was started nearly two years ago I hope he's had the help he needs by now.

[Rupert_Baehr]

..

 

Korea 1950's (not so many UK-based soldiers fought in that, though I'm not denigrating those who did.)

 

'Not many UK-based soldiers fought in that'. Really?

 

The war lasted 3 years during which time 1,078 British Soldiers were killed in action, 2,674 wounded and 1,060 missing or taken prisoner.

 

4 Victoria Crosses, 3 George Crosses, 1 George Medal and a host of other medals were awarded.

 

What would constitute 'many'?

 

Falklands Conflict 1982, again not a war, ....

 

There was no formal declaration of war (then again, there was no formal declaration of war made against Iraq or Afghanistan either) but the Falklands conflict was most certainly a war.

[Plain Talker]

'Not many UK-based soldiers fought in that'. Really?

 

The war lasted 3 years during which time 1,078 British Soldiers were killed in action, 2,674 wounded and 1,060 missing or taken prisoner.

 

4 Victoria Crosses, 3 George Crosses, 1 George Medal and a host of other medals were awarded.

 

What would constitute 'many'?

 

 

 

There was no formal declaration of war (then again, there was no formal declaration of war made against Iraq or Afghanistan either) but the Falklands conflict was most certainly a war.

 

That's four thousand or so, from the figures you cite... (given that the figures referred to do not overlap in any way) - that's roughly one hundredth (give or take) of the current serving forces.

[Redyam]

Terrible! this is outragous.

[Rupert_Baehr]

That's four thousand or so, from the figures you cite... (given that the figures referred to do not overlap in any way) - that's roughly one hundredth (give or take) of the current serving forces.

 

I don't suppose anybody would call the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan 'minor conflicts'. The death toll in those two conflicts since 2002 is 460. Korea killed 1078.

 

The main difference perhaps is that prior to the first Gulf War, the amount of news which was reported to the public was far less. In many cases, those who were involved in the wars (either fighting in them or with family members who were fighting in them) were well aware of them, but others heard very little.

 

There were many wars which very few people even heard about.

 

(Do you remember the war in Oman during the early 1970's? Were you even aware that British forces were fighting there?)

 

British Forces were fighting somewhere or other for much of the 20th Century and there were only 4 or 5 years during which there were no casualties. (I don't have a link to the statistics; I looked them up in the late 1980s and at that time there were only 2 or 3 years during which no member of the Armed Forces was killed.)