Ford Executive Mocks Senior Citizen For Watching Fox News On Flight, Then Requesting Free Wheelchair

A Ford Motor Company executive took to social media to mock a wheelchair-bound passenger for accepting free wheelchair assistance after watching Fox News on her flight.

Ford Executive Calls Out Passengers Who Watched Fox News Then Oreded Free Wheelchairs At San Diego Airport

Barrett Evans is the Chief Learning Officer for Ford and flew into San Diego on an airplane with seatback screens, where he noticed his neighbors watching Fox News.

 

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As Evans sees it, offering care to disabled passengers is a form of Diversity-Equity-Inclusion (DEI) too, a concept that is about more than race and sexuality but pursuing equal dignity.

Many disagreed, however, with a typical response, “Wrong this is ADA which predates DEI. DEI would be pushing one person out of the wheelchair and pushing another person in according to someone else’s political agenda.” Others responded, “Everyone screaming about how this actually falls under the ADA is missing the point that the ADA is a form of DEI.”

ADA is The Americans with Disabilities Act, though what actually governs courtesy wheelchair transport is The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 (ACAA).

Regardless of whether he was technically correct or incorrect, his attack was mean-spirited and such vitriol is not the way to win hearts and minds…I’ve come to realize that people tend to be deeply set in their ways and the best way to change minds is not to preach to them like they are fools, but to model your life differently and only defend your worldview when asked. Yes, I know this is hard sometimes…for me especially.

There is room for dialogue for those “keep your government hands off my Medicare” or “I believe in tolerance…except when it comes to Israel” folks. But not on an airplane or when stepping off one. Not unless it is solicited. Otherwise, you make the problem worse…

This guy may be feeling smug and self-righteous, but mocking people for watching Fox News and using a wheelchair is not a good look, regardless of any logical tension in doing so.

image: Evan, on left > @kdinarda / Instagram