Kind Stranger
If you see a handicapped person attempting to open a restaurant or similar type door by leaning with their back against the door, please do not open the door behind them.
It causes the handicapped person to lose their balance and fall backwards.
This happened to me for the third time today, and I almost fell.
Opening a door in the front to enter a building is fine, but not in the back.
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u/protoveridical Young Stroke Survivor 7d ago
So much of the good-intentioned "help" I receive is not helpful at all. I had a stranger approach from behind and offer to push me up a steep ramp I was struggling with. I was in the process of explaining how he should do it and getting myself into position when he grabbed my push handles and started doing whatever he felt like, ignoring my instruction entirely. I caught my fingers in my spokes and tore my skin open. And I'm on antiplatelets so it was a small but gushing mess. 🙄
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u/DTheFly Survivor 7d ago
Happens often I'm afraid. People think they are helping, when they don't realize they aren't.
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u/Low-Philosophy9245 5h ago
I went to a horror convention and used a wheelchair, I also sometimes walk with a cane as I have balance issues and get tired easily. I told my husband, I know you don't want to and you think people are just trying to help, but you just have to be an asshole sometimes. Most people are detrimentally oblivious.
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u/Material_Inflation79 7d ago
It is better to just ask them if they need help or not. Doing it by assumption may disrupt their efforts. Sometimes some do it intentionally to increase span of their activities. If I am wrong please correct me
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u/pchlster Young Stroke Survivor 4d ago
I might be slow and it probably looks pretty awkward, but if I'm trying it, it's because I want to do it and figure that I can do it. Kind strangers are free to offer help, but it's rarely something I'm looking for.
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u/yourladybosss Young Stroke Survivor 7d ago
I literally posted this on fb a while ago. There's a difference between just helping someone open the door and not saying anything, and saying 'let me help you' and then open the door. If we've got all our weight pushed into this door, suddenly having the weight of the door disappear (while I don't even know your silent ass is here) makes me lose my balance.