Kicking the wheelchair is much the same as kicking her in the shins. It would be considered as such. A wheelchair is considered as an extension of the person. For example, to grab someone's wheelchair handles to try to wheel them somewhere is what some well-meaning people try to do, thinking they're helping, when in fact what you're doing (if you grab the handles without asking) is taking control away from that person. When I was at school I had a young friend (incidentally, also friends with husband, even though he & I had not yet met) who was in a wheelchair. He showed me how NOBODY would ever take control of his wheelchair. He asked me to try it - then twisted round and jabbed his thumbs into the pressure point on my hands. he taught me a lot about wheelchair etiquette - a good friend and a lot of fun (even if he left me with sore hands!).
Whether the kick at the wheelchair deserves the suspension - I can't say. But it's interesting that she says he hit her hands, and then he hit you in a similar-sounding way. There's something going on there. Is he normally this edgy and aggressive?
Marg
