Of course, he only does this to pretend that he, Boris the great society understander, has looked at the issue from all sides, and can now present us with the truth that the wokes can't accept (which, merely coincidentally, is the same one he's been describing from the get go).

It's also funny how he pretends for a moment not to accept the story coming from the definitely real 'airline representatives', and posits instead that it might actually be good that people have, in general, realised that there is nothing shameful about using a chair towards positive outcomes.

As for treatment: my friends who use chairs have many stories about street abuse and very inadequate public transport. On a few occasions I've felt like a piece of luggage when using chair assistance.

or languished in the bowels of airports, had to taxi between terminals because the airport couldn't provide a connection, and had my fingers grabbed and pressed onto a fingerprint scanner.

(Caveat: many airports have adequate services.)

The genuinely funny bits are when he tells us assistance is some kind of elite service, and that wheelchair users are universally treated with 'sympathy and respect'.

The quality of assistance is hugely variable, within and between airports. I've had no-shows, been left at the wrong place…

I'd say his examples are ill-informed, but they're clearly inflammatory appeals to disability faker stereotypes (the person who cartwheels off the plane). He doesn't care that there are fluctuating conditions, he just wants to do a bit that was already shit and unfunny when Little Britain did it.

It's embarrassing stuff. Even if he is recounting accurately what airline representatives are saying, what makes them reliable reporters of the needs of older and disabled people?

Boris noticed this shift, and put his mighty journalistic skills to work by 'wondering vaguely aloud' to one (1) staff member, alluding to the mysterious 'representatives of many airlines' ('people are saying'), and then confected a story about fakers and the need for public shaming.

Travel is tiring and stressful. Many airports are huge. Travellers need to queue a lot. If older people benefit from assistance, they should absolutely have it. The same goes for anyone else, regardless of whether they Boris's idea of who looks like they should have assistance.

I'm disabled, and I've been using airport assistance for about 15 years. The quality of service I have received has been largely… fine, with some exceptions.

I too have noticed more people using assistance recently. It's generally older folks. That's a good thing!

We’re watching a shift where AI simulates the cohesion and reinforcement that used to require an entire online community. A single person can now build a complete parallel reality with nothing more than a prompt window. Which seems bad.

“Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.”