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Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#71

Post by soneca »

gadders wrote: post #58
alan_cx wrote: post #54

Wow. The cynicism and essentially self centered criticism of this story is nothing short of stunning and deeply depressing. If this place were the commentards section for a US right wing radio station or the UK Daily Wail, then OK. Be here? The community that threw a thoroughly reasonable collective fit when a depressed IT hero commits suicide? All those decent human threads about depression and other mental illnesse…

I'm not sure how you jump from "people have criticised this story" to "the people I would expect to criticise this story are all right-wing". I think you're just as bigoted as the people you are complaining about.

I agree. Some people may say I am a little "left-wing", though these things have different specific meanings around the globe (and I'm not in US). But I am afraid of one trace commonly seen in left-wing people: the monopoly of goodness.

If you are a good, kind person, with respect for humans, then you are left-wing. And vice-versa. An obvisouly tautological argument, aimed at creating a "us versus them" confrontation that brings no benefit for the political debate.

If you can't imagine that a right-wing person can be kind, generous, good and wholeheartedly support human initiatives like this, then you have no idea what you are talking about when you talk about "right-wing", you are justing creating the enemy you want.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#72

Post by altero »

Osmium wrote: post #70
altero wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me guess: usually travels alone with just cabin luggage. No children or friend who needs assistance. Most 'dangerous item' is laptop. Always has a return ticket. Never visited Belarus, Iraq or other 'dangerous' country. Does not work with chemicals or other 'dangerous' items which leaves traces.

Edit: Actually, I've decided I'd rather not share random details about myself with someone I don't know on the internet, but needless to say about 50% of your assumptions are incorrect. And even if they weren't, I'm not arguing with nor excusing anyone else's experiences, just providing a counterpoint that not all experiences with Heathrow have been bad.

Sorry, that might sound sharper than I intended.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#73

Post by gadders »

soneca wrote: post #71
gadders wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure how you jump from "people have criticised this story" to "the people I would expect to criticise this story are all right-wing". I think you're just as bigoted as the people you are complaining about.

I agree. Some people may say I am a little "left-wing", though these things have different specific meanings around the globe (and I'm not in US). But I am afraid of one trace commonly seen in left-wing people: the monopoly of goodness. If you are a good, kind person, with respect for humans, then you are left-wing. And vice-versa. An obvisouly tautological argument, aimed at creating a "us versus them" confrontation…

To be honest, I would hope that everybody - left or right-wing - has the same aims i.e. to increase happiness and prosperity in the world. It's just the recommended methods that differ.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#74

Post by aaron695 »

alan_cx wrote: post #54

Wow. The cynicism and essentially self centered criticism of this story is nothing short of stunning and deeply depressing. If this place were the commentards section for a US right wing radio station or the UK Daily Wail, then OK. Be here? The community that threw a thoroughly reasonable collective fit when a depressed IT hero commits suicide? All those decent human threads about depression and other mental illnesse…

Get over it. All this effort so some rich kid can go to a private school overseas?

What about the 99% of kids with autism who's parents can't afford to send their kids overseas four times a year to a rich kids school.

Their kids get stuck in a shitty British school. Even worse it might not even be private!

Seems to me this school is in the 'not really proven' category, which would make me extra cautious it's not just a scam given the normal scams run against parents of autistic kids.

But all that's irrelevant, the parents can spend their money as the wish and assuming Heathrow is not tax payer funded they also may do as they wish.

But saying 'Ok, now i finally understand why our governments treat us like filth.' because people here on HN see through fluff stories is a bit much really.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#75

Post by lmm »

jrockway wrote: post #36
iliiilliili wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One example... many airlines have a one bag policy, in most airports if you have an extra camera bag or small handbag, the staff will politely ask you to put it inside the bigger one or most of the time let you off, in London you can guarantee somebody will shout at you for it. It's not one particular thing, it's the general feel of the airport.

Yes, this is something I notice a lot on frequent flyer forums: people being mad because today they didn't get an exception they usually get. Once you let the rules slide once, people are outraged that you don't let it happen every time.

We're not talking about getting an exception, just about being told politely rather than rudely to follow the rules.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#76

Post by ajays »

anu_gupta wrote: post #51
ajays wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand that it's a fun little story. But, for god's sake, at least make it somewhat believable!

What's unbelievable about it? Why get so outraged?

I apologize for sounding outraged; I wasn't outraged at the actual events, but the story telling. It's as if someone leaves out critical parts of a story, and you're so engrossed in it that you think: wait a minute, how did that happen? I want to know more, dammit! :-)

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#77

Post by astrodust »

yaddayadda wrote: post #19

I'm genuinely curious and it wasn't addressed at all in the post - how did he make his first trip? Wasn't ALL of it novel the first time? Yet subsequent trips ALL of it has to be same or his stress level goes up? I have a friend whose son is mildly autistic, and each new thing in his life has to be introduced in a specific way. For example, a new shirt will be brought into his room for several days for him to look at…

For some people, once they've been introduced to something, it becomes burned in as the "correct" way of doing it, and any alteration to that procedure or arrangement will be a source of panic and confusion.

There are some people who are stuck in a state where everything is new, they can't make memories. For some it's the opposite, they can't alter what they already know without a whole lot of friction.

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