Headline makes me chuckle for some reason, even though the story is serious.

from CBC NB

Snoop Dogg show disappoints man in wheelchair

A wheelchair-bound Saint John man says he won't be spending any more money on events at Fredericton's Aitken Centre, after he had a bad experience last week at a Snoop Dogg concert.

"It wasn't worth it," said Jon Polley, 29. "I paid a certain amount of money for floor seat tickets, and I couldn't see the concert."

Polley has spina bifida, and has been in a wheelchair his entire life.

He paid $60 for a ticket to rapper Snoop Dogg's concert at the Aitken Centre last Wednesday, and couldn't see because other members of the audience were standing in front of him, blocking his view.

The theatre has no elevator to get to an upper level where he could have seen the show.

To make matters worse, he was cold and wet from having to wheel himself from his parking spot to the back of the building for the only wheelchair accessible entrance to the floor area.

"Being in a wheelchair, slush and snow comes up on the side of your wheels and it soaks your pants. Your arms get soaked from pushing," Polley said Monday. "I was soaked head to toe by the time I got into the concert. And same thing after, when I had to go around the building to get back to our vehicle again."

Aitken Centre facility and events manager Andrew Higgins said staff are doing what they can to update the 31-year-old building on a limited operating budget.

Higgins said there would have been no problems, had the concert been a sit-down affair. But the floor area was standing room only.

"That's the type of concert they decided to have, so there were no seats at all on the floor," Higgins said. "The floor is not raised at all, so it would be difficult for someone in a wheelchair to see from the floor."

The Aitken Centre recently added more handicapped parking spots outside, Higgins said, as well as 16 more seats in the stands for people with wheelchairs.

Polley said what's needed most is an elevator, or at least a platform off to the side of the stage, so people in wheelchairs can get what they pay for.

1, 2, 3 and to the 4... y'all can't see the show by sitting on the floor.

I'm just picturing this thugged out Irish-Canadian handicapped guy shouting out K-fed expletives through the whole concert.

And trying to impress the wimmins with his wheels.

this shit wont fly with the crips

He's the Don Juan of the Disabled... The Casanova of the Catheter.

the E.T. of E.D. ?

sorry... i only got an hour of work left

Pussy.
I mean, seriously, if you've been in a wheelchair your whole life you know you have to check this shit out in advance and see if it's even worth it to buy the ticket. Plus, if you're in a wheelchair security will blaze a trail up to the front of the stage for you so you can see. My friend and I cut through 30,000+ people @ Coachella a couple years ago to be down front for Radiohead and The Pixies. It's amazing what a smile and some "please" and "thank you"s will accomplish.
Shit like this just makes me so mad because it makes the rest of us seem like whiney bitches who can't adapt to their situation.
Handle your business and bad shit like this won't happen.

chad r00lz

If using a microgram of common sense means that I "r00l", then yeah, I guess I do.
If you think of disability activism along the same line as civil rights, I'm firmly in the Booker T. Washington camp as opposed to taking the W.E.B. DuBois (ie, borderline militant) view on things.

Do your thing in a business-like fashion, ask for help when you need it and devote your energy to blowing people's minds on a daily basis.
That'll get you a helluva lot farther than constant confrontation and alarm ringing.

Honey instead of vinegar.

SWIATECKI IN '08!

snoop dogg should get in a wheelchair and do a driveby on this dude.

Architecturally speaking the guy might have a lawsuit against the building owner. There are a ton of regulations that buildings open to the public have to adhere to, but only if they do renovations, do they have to bring things up to code. I'm sure the building has done renovations...

But I agree with BDM. I have a couple of friends in wheelchairs, and people trip over themselves getting them better seats and always on stage or down in front. My friend used to get Bearcats basketball tickets on the floor whenever she wanted. I on the other hand had to sleep out in the hallway to score tickets. She just showed up at gametime.

It being Canada, I dunno if they're under the same constraints. Though it seems such a progressive country would be pretty stingy about that stuff.

There is that advantage of disabled seating rarely selling out. When a big show sells out before my friends get tix, it's not unusual to get a call to see if I want to go see such and such a band. Membership has its priveleges.

Ask Chuck(e)D about the benefits from last year @ SXSW.