Is it Luggage, Though?

That wonderfully stale and vanilla news site, USA Today, has been focused on a very particular issue recently. They've been so focused on it they've made an online form for people to submit their stories about it. That issue is how airlines treat mobility devices – wheelchairs, carts, whatnot. If you've paid attention to news in recent years, you've probably witnessed a disabled person explaining how an airline broke their device.

Here's a "fact" about it:

According to the Department of Transportation, airlines "mishandle" on average about 1.5% of the mobility equipment they transport.

We make spaces for mobility devices on buses and light rails, in restaurants, in parks, and in many other places. Yet, for some reason, we don't make space on the actual airplane for a person's device. We could. But we don't. Instead, it's treated as luggage and loaded in with the bags and other crap below.

So that fact can kiss my ass.

If an airline separates a disabled person from their wheelchair or other mobility device, they've mishandled the equipment.

It would be easy enough to make the space but I suspect there's a profit-related reason for avoiding that solution. If they take out even four seats that must translate to some executive not being able to purchase a yacht, and this is America – that's a tragedy.

(Imagine if we took out some seats in first class instead of coach? All those wealthy shitheads would throw a fit!)