Really? People need to have courtesy?

[Blue Ginger]

10 or 33 or 45 or 80+ makes no difference to some people.

When dad had a stress fracture in his leg, with a cast from halfway up the thigh to around the heel, he had people shoving and pushing him on his crutches.

Poor bugger had 3 months of putting up with annoying, hideous people. The people included a cow of approx 30 demand he give up his disabled seat on the train. Because a man on crutches has to give up his seat to a whiny cow wearing 4 inch stilettos. She finally shut up when he started knocking on the plaster and rolling up his pants leg.

He did learn an important lesson. Don't continue running when your shin splints (sp) are still painful after 2 months. Your leg is probably trying to tell you something. The tibia was only holding on by a few millimeters. His doc knew he would continue to push the leg to heal, hence the extra long cast.

[TawnyMyst]

I spent 6 months combined on crutches, 4 with a straight leg cast and 2 more wearing a zimmer splint. I can't even count the number of times I was bumped into and sometimes knocked flat out on my ass. One lady knocked me down completely and then stood there yelling at me that it was all my fault for moving slowly and being in her way and that I shouldn't be allowed out if I couldn't keep up with normal society. I was 26 at the time, nobody needed to allow me to do anything, I lived on my own and still had to do everyday things, like get groceries. I was so shocked I just started bawling in the middle of the grocery store, plus it hurt a lot too and I couldn't get back up on my own. Karma won though, as she ended up getting escorted out by the manager, while one of the store employees helped me get the last of my groceries and even took them to the cab and loaded them up for me. The cab driver helped me unload when I got home too.

[Sapphire Silk]

10? Have her yell "Get away from me you pervert!" They will back away nice & quick. (younger than around 10 people will figure they are just yelling a word they don't understand. But by around 10, they have a reasonable idea what a pervert is, at least nowadays they do.)

I definitely do NOT recommend this, for two reasons. 1) it will eventually create a problem from a SC who gets offended and makes a scene, and 2) reduces the effectiveness in real situations from people who get jaded from the false calls.

My solution is to be an asshat back. "Gangway! Make a hole! Gimp coming through!" worked quite well for me the last time I was on crutches, though I didn't actually have to do that too terribly often (then again, I avoid the Walmart like the plauge).

Carts don't help.

People just forget that you can't stop on a dime, and sidestep right in front of you.

QFT. I went through this recently with my sister at the discount store. It was a weekend, and I had to go ahead of her just to clear a path so she could get her cart through the crowd.

[Peppergirl]

I was on crutches until recently with a broken big toe. The first day, when I was going to pick up my pain meds for it, I was still learning how to navigate around on them. It had been YEARS since I'd been on crutches, and I forgot how to use them.

Anyway, I swallowed my pride and got a motorized cart. All I can say is never, ever, EVER again. I was appalled at how people behaved toward me when I was in that thing. It was clear that I was injured (I had the crutches propped next to me), but people cut me off, ran into me, gave me dirty looks, etc.

After that, I made my son do all my errands until I was steadier on my crutches. People only behaved marginally better then, but it was better than when I was in the cart.

is wrong with people?

[the lawsmeister]

In the aftermath of my broken leg I had to walk between two wings of the hospital (stupidly I'd sent my wife off to work telling her I'd be fine).
There was a guy on the street trying to get people to donate to a charity who watched me for the 20 minutes it took to make my way up the street on crutches and then stepped in front of me to try and get me to sign up to a payment plan. All I could manage was "dude seriously" before hobbling around him and in to the next entrance.
Faith in humanity was restored later that day I tripped and fell of the curb when trying to hail a cab to get home. I was lucky enough to have done it right on the shift change and was picked up by a couple of nurses and ER doctor and was rushed back inside to be given the all clear before they'd let me go home.

[MamaMootz]

OP here. Well, it gets better. Turns out her ankle is fractured, not sprained. The ER that saw her three weeks ago called us this past Friday to let us know that actually they read the x-ray wrong at the ER and she has a fracture and needed to see an orthopedist today. She was starting to walk normally on the foot for about a week, so I'm not at all happy.

Saw the ortho today and now she is in a walking cast. At least she has no more crutches, but people are still making me .... as they are still just as rude.

[Sparky]

It's not a new phenomenon. Back in the '60s, my mother was shopping with my grandmother, who was permanently disabled and walked with crutches. Some kid ran into Grandma and nearly knocked her down. The kid's mother haughtily told Mom that "people like that shouldn't go out in public."

When I heard this I was . I still am, to this day.

[Blue Ginger]

"people like that shouldn't go out in public."

So why did the mother take her kid out of the house?

[Joyius]

I once sprained my ankle when I was eight or so in a trampoline accident. I don't remember anyone being rude to me, but I know what it's like trying to get around on crutches.

[EvilEmpryss]

It's not a new phenomenon. Back in the '60s, my mother was shopping with my grandmother, who was permanently disabled and walked with crutches. Some kid ran into Grandma and nearly knocked her down. The kid's mother haughtily told Mom that "people like that shouldn't go out in public."

When I heard this I was . I still am, to this day.

This is a common sentiment in Europe even today. I got stared at A LOT when using my walker this summer in Spain, Italy, and France... that WTF are you doing out in public look. I was finally told that the prevailing opinion (at least in Spain) is that handicapped people should stay home and be taken care of by their family.

[cindybubbles]

Spray her with a smell that she likes, but everyone else hates. That should give her a lot of space!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

1. It's Walmart.

2. Your daughter was on crutches.

Be thankful there wasn't a fight over who got to keep her ears as a trophy.

I'm exaggerating here, but only slightly.

[Lovecats]

1. It's Walmart.

2. Your daughter was on crutches.

Be thankful there wasn't a fight over who got to keep her ears as a trophy.

I'm exaggerating here, but only slightly.

It'd be funny if only it wasn't so true.

[Primer]

Early '70's, I sprained my ankle in a Jr High School track meet. The only rudeness I remember was my classmates getting pissed off when I did not need help with my books. Kids on crutches back then got out of class 5 minutes early to get to their next class. Their "helper" got out 5 mins early, too.

These days, on a mediocre day, I have to use a cane, on a bad day, a walker, and on a horrible day, a wheelchair. Today was a cane day at the departmental Back to School meetings. I was hobbling through the hallways trying to get to the next meeting, and just about everybody was standing around, blocking passage. One time, when a loud "excuse me" just would not work, I had to actually force my way through. I have never before had the person with whom I just made physical contact not even LOOK, much less move out of the way. I may be short, but I am NOT a small person! There is NO way I am not noticeable! If this is how my coworkers act, I am not at all surprised at how the people at WM treated your child.

[Cooper]

Yeah, Primer, they still have that policy, or at least, they did at my High School. When I was on crutches, I tied a bag to them, as I soon realized getting stuff from the fridge was impossible without help otherwise. XD

People were really nice to me when I was in my wheelchair, and I never had any problems while I was on crutches. I got free stuff at garage sales. Though I should have gotten some bad attention for using the wheelchair to race down the aisles (can't you tell I was 11-12 when this happened? XP). It must have something to do with my age, or the area I live in. Most people knew me, and I only recall going to a big store once. That was the aisle racing incident.