Archive for the 'Life Observation' Category

Yesterday we were denied entry at Pizza Hut, Mid Valley Megamall by the Shift Manager because dad was on a wheelchair. Imagine that! This is what happened.

There were 7 of us. My sister and I, my two kids, dad on his wheelchair, a maid and dad’s nurse. It was about 2.30 to 3pm. Initially we had gone to Dominos. However we decided to go to Pizza Hut instead because we thought that the Dominos place was a bit small and we would be a bit more comfortable at Pizza Hut. When we got to Pizza Hut, we were happy to find two tables for 4 each which could be joined together. Just nice for our party of 8.

Sister and I and the kids were walking ahead looking for a place to sit. I turned round to gesture to the nurse to show her which table we were at but she was gesturing something to me so I went over to her at the entrance. She said that they were not allowed to go in because of dad’s wheelchair. The lady who had denied my dad, the nurse and the maid entry confirmed it. She said that the wheelchair was too big and it would take up space and make it difficult for people to move about. It was just an ordinary wheelchair, not very bulky.

Now, we have taken dad to many places to eat before. We have been to more crowded places, like a crowded mamak shop during peak hours where the place was very hard to move about and all the staff did was help us move the tables around to make dad more comfortable. It is as simple as that. Usually, all we had to do is remove one chair from the table and push dad right up to it.

Yesterday, we were there AFTER peak hours. The lunch crowd had left. We had found a table. There were several other empty tables. Though the place was small, we would not have been blocking any other diners because it was no longer packed. But that is besides the point. The point is this lady, who is supposed to be the shift “manager” turned dad away, a senior citizen on a wheelchair. She was not in the least apologetic about it either. She pointed to a group of diners and said “Look, we have no space, even that has to be at left at the side”. At first I thought she was talking about a shopping trolley but I turned to see that she had pointed at a pram. How ridiculous is that! It is also ridiculous of her to deny us entry even after peak hours just because of dad’s wheelchair.

We were terribly annoyed. We gave her a piece of our mind and left. Perhaps we could have made more of a fuss and got a place to sit eventually. However, we were late and everyone was hungry and I no longer had any desire to have my meal there, even if it is for free. Worse still, I no longer wish to part with my money for lunch there! So we left. We went back to Dominos and sat ourselves down promptly without any fuss.

I thought that dad who has dementia and is sometimes a bit blur may not have noticed what was happening but he did. He started telling a story about how his friend used to frequent a place for his birthday and how they went to the place and could sit anywhere they want because they had money. Poor dad. No one wants to be wheelchair bound and being turned away from an eatery because of it is worse.

I was upset, I dreamed about it again in my sleep last night.

Updated: I have spoken to the Restaurant Manager who was most apologetic and kind when she heard that we were refused entry because of dad’s wheelchair. She said that they would normally place wheelchair users at the front of the restaurant for more ease and mobility. She said that we could call her personal number anytime we want to go and she will reserve a place for us. Ok. At least I know that this discrimination is not a policy of the restaurant. I hope that she will have a word with the staff with the wrong attitude. Thats settled then.

It can  be a very funny scene indeed if you could see what went on behind closed doors in the ladies public toilets . Fortunately most public toilets these days have hooks behind the doors to hang handbags, otherwise, some has to clutch on to their handbag while…….. (some ladies do some of the below or ALL of the below)

• wiping the toilet seat
• wrapping the toilet seat with toilet paper carefully
• if no toilet paper is available some clamber onto the toilet seat and squat there
• some balance on their feet and slowly lower their bum like doing a ballerina plie.
• some with kids have to do all of the above a few times ie for themselves and for the kids
• if the kid is young, some carry the kids in their arms and ask them to aim into the toilet bowl

Its an ugly scene I tell you, quite funny too if you think about it but what to do? Some of the toilets are so dirty. The other day I visited Empire Subang and was pleased to find toilet seat wipes. I think it would help if toilets had them. Quite often, I find toilet paper all over the floor after someone has arranged it to cover the toilet seat before sitting on it. Some of the toilet paper is covered with urine. Ewwww…

Ahhh… public toilets. How I hate them.

The other day during my son’s orientation, I met the grandmother of one of his kindy classmate. I know her well because I see her around often. She sends and picks up the child and she is the one who collects the report cards and attends the school concerts etc. I hardly see the parents. They did not collect the report card, nor did they attend the year end concert.

So it was no surprise to me that it was the grandmother, yet again who was the one to attend the orientation. I do not know their circumstances but it is sad.

The grandmother was relieved to see me because she needed help to fill in the many forms that needed to be completed and submitted on Orientation Day. She sat beside me in the hall and I helped her to fill up the forms. She obviously did not know how to complete the forms.

The grandmother said the parents were busy……. again?……. on a public holiday? The grandmother often drives rather fast with a small frown on her face. She tells me that she can’t send the child anymore because this school is far and she has another small grandchild to look after. I can understand why she looks harrased.

I did not meet them on the first day of school but on the second day of school, it was again the grandmother who was there to make sure the child knows how to board the right school bus for her transport home.

Sometimes during school parties, the child comes to school not in a pretty little frock like all the pampered little princesses of today but in a school uniform because someone forgot to dress her up in party clothes. Once, she cried and told my son that her dress was not nice during a party.

Poor child. Poor grandmother. I really do not know the circumstances of the family so I do not wish to criticise anyone but what I know is, it is better not to have children if you can’t find the time for them.

In another case, once I saw a father come to the school to see his daughter. The teachers were at a loss about what to do. They had received strict instructions from the mother not to allow the father to see the girl. The man begged. “I am on leave today. I only want to surprise her.” The teachers were really at a loss. For safety and security they could not allow the man to see the girl. The man insisted that he is no stranger there to kidnap the girl. “I just want to see her.” He went and hugged the girl and left soon after full of apologies. How sad.

Again, I do not know the full circumstances. Neither do the teachers and they have a job to ensure the safety of the kids but what I do know is when adults quarrel, they should try their best not to involve the child.

Photo Source: Andresr / Dreamtime.com

My gynae’s clinic opens at 9am. Patients go at 8.30am to queue outside the clinic. Why? Because the clinic operates on a first come first serve basis. So if you go at 9am, you may find yourself No. 10 on the list which may mean a 2 hour wait. Each patient may take about 15-20 minutes.

On the day of my visit, I wait outside the door along with some others. There is a young well-dressed girl in front of me. The queue gets longer and longer. There were a few pregnant couples behind me. Well, what do you know… suddenly another young well-dressed girl comes shasaying along, walks past the queue and stands with her friend.

The door opens, everyone goes in and writes their name on the list one at a time. The young girl writes two names, that of hers AND her friend. Hey! That adds another 20 minutes to everyone’s waiting time you know. Now, everyone including all those heavily pregnant women have to wait longer because of her.

It is all very well to have your friend queue up for you to buy lets say tickets or food because these don’t take very long. It is bad but at least it does not take very long. However in this case, it is a doctor’s visit which takes up some time.

Hmm…. young, well-dressed, pretty but with no proper etiquette at all. Didn’t your mother teach you to give up your seat for a pregnant woman? Now you make all the pregnant women who came earlier to queue up before you wait longer because of your selfish attitude.

I have a very young voice over the phone. That is not a compliment because I sound really young over the phone. Young as in like a little girl young and not young as in a sexy young lady young.

My good friend Serene, says that I sound like Daisy Duck. Quack! Quack!

Once, I called up my credit card company with an enquiry and the gentleman on the other end asked me “Are you calling on your own behalf?” When I said yes, he told me “I have to check because you sound very young. I have to make sure that it is not a child making a prank call.” A child!!!

The other day I was lamenting in FB about being called “Silai”, then I was happy for a moment because the gas delivery man had called me “Amoy”. As it turned out, he only called me “Amoy” because I was speaking to him over the phone and not face to face. Hmm…… not happy about that.

Tell me my friends, how do you sound like over the phone? Do you bark, growl, whine or quack like Daisy Duck or Minnie Mouse like me? Do you have a low sexy purr, a large growl of a voice or a tiny weeny soft one like me when you speak over the phone? Do you think your telephone voice matches your real one or  your looks and personality?