Parkinson's Sufferer Ejected From Halfords 'for Funny Walk'

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-43033055

This is unbelievable !

"He said when he told a shop assistant he had Parkinson's, she replied: "I don't care what you've got, I want you to leave the store."

[Peter Pedant]

for people who wonder why he was chucked out for stumbling

thieves conceal things between their legs ( someone even managed a portable telly )

[douglas9401]

Why is it so often the case that tongues only go to cheeks after a challenge and a lack of backup?

Now, it's not just good people who get bad illnesses, maybe more information will leak from Halfords experts.

[ludwig]

I'm surprised to see this on the BBC website. It's more like a tabloid newspaper story.

[youngmafbog]

//But just exactly what kind of training did Halfords have before this incident, to allow something as clearly ignorant as this to take place ?//

Just what training do you suggest that can cover all medical and mental Heath issues?

In addition as pointed out above we simply do not know the whole story, one way or another.

Still trial by media is the fashion these days.

[naomi24]

This sounds fishy to me. The store must have other customers with disabilities. I think there's more to it than meets they eye.

[mikey4444]

When I posted this story yesterday, I had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before some people would come along and shed doubt on its veracity. I first saw in yesterday's Guardian, but it has been widely reported ::

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/parkinsons-sufferer-humiliated-after-being-1199252

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/halfords-apologises-after-man-with-parkinsons-disease-is-kicked-out-of-store-for-walking-funny-a3764961.html

I can't see any evidence of there being anything "more to it than meets they eye"

Halfords have admitted that the event happened and have apologised....not sure why some people can't accept that and move on ?

[Tilly2]

Why would you be asked to leave a shop because of the way you walk?

[mikey4444]

Tilly....Perhaps he was thought to be drunk ?

I doubt that we will get much more info from Halfords, as they will want to put this behind them as quickly as they can. But it would be interesting to hear, first hand, from the Staff Member why she reacted as she did ?

[Old_Geezer]

Because they were probably mistaken for John Cleese.

[naomi24]

Mikey, //I can't see any evidence of there being anything "more to it than meets they eye"//

Neither can anyone else, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to it than meets the eye. As Tilly says, why would anyone be ejected from a shop because they walk funny? That man can’t be the only disabled customer the assistant has ever seen in the shop. And Halfords will of course respond to any complaint in the easiest way. Apologise.

[fiction-factory]

Maybe Halford's solicitors or PR people have advised them not to give further information or make any comments about their original suspicions/concerns about the man- eg if they thought he may have been shoplfting or smelt of alcohol. Their silence does mean though that we will probably only ever hear one side of the story and many will understandably think that by being silent they are accepting the family's version.

[mikey4444]

I still think its typical of the kind of response that we see all the time on AB.....the story sounds "fishy" and therefore its probably not true.

If Halfords can apologise, why can't we accept that the incident happened ?

[Tilly2]

As you said in the OP, Mikey, 'This is unbelievable.'

I agree with what you said but not your reason for saying it.

[jno]

The story does seem to have been fairly comprehensively reported, so while I sometimes feel something may have gone unreported, there's simply no evidence that this is the case here. Man comes over a bit funny and is ordered out of the shop, his son tries to explain and is ignored ... Unless you're prepared to posit, on no grounds at all, that he assaulted or insulted the assistant, this appears to be unprovoked.

[mikey4444]

Tilly...from your comments, you obviously think that this story has more to it than meets the eye. You may be right, by where is the evidence that there is ?

[naomi24]

Mikey, I//f Halfords can apologise, why can't we accept that the incident happened ?//

I’ve no doubt the incident happened, but would question the circumstances.

[mikey4444]

Well deserved BA jno.

[naomi24]

Mikey, how come you say Tilly might be right .... and yet my posts .... ?

[Tilly2]

There isn't any 'evidence', Mikey but then again we have only one side of this story.
As it stands, it is 'unbelievable'.

[mikey4444]

Its quite clear Tilly, that you have made your mind up, despite the complete absence of any evidence to the contrary.