In a shocking reminder of how far behind some airlines remain in accommodating the disabled, BBC war correspondent Frank Gardner found himself forced to crawl on the floor of a LOT Polish Airlines flight due to the airline’s refusal to provide onboard wheelchairs. The veteran journalist, who has been paralyzed from the waist down since being shot by al-Qaeda gunmen in Saudi Arabia 20 years ago, took to social media to share his humiliating experience, drawing widespread outrage.
Gardner, 63, shared the incident on X (formerly Twitter), revealing the ordeal he faced while traveling from Warsaw to London. “Wow. It’s 2024 and I’ve just had to crawl along the floor of this LOT Polish airline to get to the toilet during a flight back from Warsaw as ‘we don’t have onboard wheelchairs. It’s airline policy,’” he wrote. The post was accompanied by a picture of his legs stretched out on the floor of the plane, underscoring the dehumanizing situation he endured.
For conservatives who value personal freedom, respect for the individual, and limited government interference, this situation raises a broader issue: how can airlines continue to deny basic dignity to passengers with disabilities in an era of unprecedented technological and social advancement? Gardner rightly called this policy discriminatory, a blatant failure to provide for the most basic needs of disabled travelers. His criticism didn’t target the hard-working cabin crew, who he said were “as helpful and apologetic as they could be.” Instead, he placed the blame squarely on the airline’s outdated policies.
“Not their fault, it’s the airline. Won’t be flying LOT again until they join the 21st century,” Gardner noted in a follow-up post, calling attention to the airline’s failure to accommodate people with disabilities. And who can blame him? LOT’s refusal to provide something as simple as an onboard wheelchair isn’t just a poor business decision—it’s a clear violation of what should be the modern standard for all airlines in respecting human dignity.
Gardner appeared on “BBC Breakfast” to further elaborate on the “inhumane” experience, calling it an outrageous situation in terms of air travel. “How do you expect me to go to the loo?” Gardner asked the crew at the time, only to be told they could help him. But as Gardner correctly pointed out, the idea of being dragged by another person to the bathroom is not only impractical, but downright demeaning. In the end, he had no choice but to crawl along the dirty floor of the airplane on his backside—a scenario that no passenger should ever have to face in 2024.
One of the most frustrating aspects of Gardner’s ordeal is how easily it could have been avoided. Onboard aisle chairs, which fold up to the size of a stroller and fit neatly into overhead compartments, are widely available and used by many airlines. This simple solution would have spared Gardner the indignity of crawling across the cabin floor. The fact that LOT Polish Airlines does not provide such basic accommodations speaks volumes about their failure to respect the rights of disabled travelers.
In today’s world, where most companies are falling over themselves to prove how “inclusive” and “progressive” they are, this kind of negligence is unacceptable. Conservative values emphasize respect for the dignity of every individual, and airlines should be held accountable for failing to uphold those standards.
Gardner’s story has sparked a much-needed conversation about the treatment of disabled passengers in air travel, and LOT Polish Airlines will need to address their policies if they hope to regain the trust of the public. No passenger should ever be forced to endure such an undignified experience simply because they require a wheelchair.
It’s time for airlines to catch up with the rest of the 21st century and prioritize the needs of all passengers—especially those who deserve better than to be left crawling on the floor.
