Post by tetra on May 31, 2017 20:58:24 GMT -8
Sunday night hubby and I tried a new place for our Anniversary night out. The building was built in the 1920s but the internet site said it is "Accessible" Ok. Good. This deaf wheeler is off!
It took a minute for the waiter to organize himself to let me in the right door. There are 2 small dining rooms, the second looks to be an enclosed porch and it had a door with no steps, so he awkwardly let us in there. I say awkwardly because they keep it locked and he had to clear chairs a bit to make room. The first table he seated us at was directly under an A/C vent so I asked to move, which should have been ok except while I was trying to pick a good spot the waiter had already decided for me, moved a chair aside, and hubby was urging me to just do as I was told. By this time I am flustered.
When the waiter began speaking to me I could see comprehension was hopeless in that room so I told him to just talk to hubby. "Just talk to him please." Seemed like a good idea, but when he did it I felt alienated and weird with the 2 of them talking about what I might want. It felt like being slapped. AND, this night hubby was out as his alter ego, Dee Ann, and dressed to the 9s in heels, nice dress, makeup and jewelry. So Dee Ann was pissed at me for calling her 'him'. The the waiter followed my lead and addressed him/her as "Sir" and s/he was more pissed.
Next I asked Dee Ann to go check where the rest room was to make sure I could get there. Instead he asked the waiter who gave verbal directions. Stuck in the powerless gear again.
Ok. I'd studied the menu online and there were 2 interesting things I thought I could enjoy. Except they did not really exist. Nope, never been on their menu. The menu online is a figment of some corporate guy's imagination. I ordered something else, but it was not good.
Finally I was ready to find the rest room. I rolled forth and a waiter dashed up behind me to push me. Great! Make the cripple feel powerless! Don't even ask if I want help, just do it! How could a deaf lady be able to make to the loo on her own? He pushed me toward 2 steps down, straight on like he would take it at a run! I grabbed my wheels to slow him down and another waiter appeared at the bottom of the steps to help. Was he supposed to catch me? I told him where to grab the chair to lower me down but I swear I thought they would dump me on the floor. Next I was pushed through the bar and dance area, having to ask diners to move their chairs because the little isle was 'squeeze between' size. This place had to be designed originally as a speak-easy. Phew. Finally I'm in front of the rest room door but It is tiny, with a steep little ramp I would never have been able to navigate. The guy pushing me heads straight for the ramp even though I, at least, could see the door was too narrow for my chair to fit through. A lady on the dance floor had to leap to open the door before this guy bashed me into it. Which he then bashed me into the door frame, which was about 24 or 25 inches. I have a very small chair but need at least 27 inches.
There's no help for it now, you know, because us disabled old ladies are also incontinent, so I need to make it to the loo, one way or another. I grab the door frame and pull myself up, intending to todder into the loo if I can find things to grab on to.
A woman appears on the right, offering her arm. Better than nothing but she has never done this before and is as much in the way as a help. There's a sink to grab on the left. Creep, creep, todder.
I made it.
I'm no faster in the toilet than I am creeping along on my (mostly) paralyzed legs so soon I here, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." I wonder if she wants an explanation of my toilet habits.
I finished and now 2 women are magically there to help me back to my chair. that worked better but I was kind of stunned by how poorly my legs were working. One of those days.
The return trip was better because no waiters were around to kidnap my chair handles and push me the wrong way. I went round to the correct door and avoided the steps.
I cannot say either one of us really enjoyed this outing. Dee Ann summarized the outing as "sub-optimal". Close enough.
I really hate dining out. And the anniversary? 12 long years...
