The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

GDB2222

Doozergirl wrote: »

I need to know how long the visitors took to clear immigration now. I'm invested.

She was classified as disabled and whisked through on a fast track. Otherwise, she thought it would have been an hour.

Pyxis

GDB2222 wrote: »

She was classified as disabled and whisked through on a fast track. Otherwise, she thought it would have been an hour.

That reminds me.......one of the last times I came through immigration, it might have been Gatwick, can't remember, the queue was moving along fairly swiftly, and as I got to about 15 people away from the automated booth things, a man just in front of me started kicking off.

Why? Because someone in a wheelchair was was being fast-tracked with his family, in front of him.

The things this guy was saying were unbelievable. People tried to explain, but he was having none of it. In the end, he was just ignored, while he continued mouthing off.

Tw*t.

(It probably added 30 -40 seconds to his waiting time. Tw*t).

chris_m

Doozergirl wrote: »

I need to know how long the visitors took to clear immigration now. I'm invested.

Invested? Why?
Got a sweepstake going?

Pyxis

A question for well-travelled NPs.

Does anyone know which hotel is the nearest and most convenient for Heathrow Terminal 2?

There don't seem to be any right next to Departures, like there is at T.5.
I am looking for one that will give me the easiest way of getting into Departures at T2.

Is there one where you can walk to the Terminal, like at Terminal 5, or do they all need a shuttle?

I don't want to have to wheel my case for any distance, due to some physical problems, especially if it is over bumpy pavements and curbs. I could go for the option of checking my suitcase into the terminal the night before, and then just walking to the Terminal in the morning with a backpack, which would be fine, but I don't know if walking is an option.

I have googled, but the information seems very limited. The nearest hotel seems to be 0.8 miles, which is too far to go dragging a case, and might be on roads not geared to pedestrians.

I am more concerned about the convenience and ease than getting the cheapest, within reason.


Any advice? (I've only ever stayed at a hotel at Terminal 5, which was right by the Terminal.
I have once stayed somewhere else, forget where, a while back, but in the morning, I had to wheel my case across bumpy pavements to the shuttle pods, wait for ages, and lift the case up kerbs a few times, which hurt me, so I am trying to avoid that at the start of the holiday!)

vivatifosi

Morning all! Signing in very briefly from my digital detox to say it's FMP free weekend for the family history buffs.


Also Pyxis, I'd stay in a hotel on the Bath Road or similar and get a taxi or shuttle bus, check if they'll drop you at the door before booking. Beware hotels the other side of the M25 if you are using a taxi... They are outside of the London taxi zone, so unless you book a private hire they fleece you for pick ups and drop offs.


Signing off again. Toodle Pip!

GDB2222

Pyxis wrote: »

A question for well-travelled NPs.

Does anyone know which hotel is the nearest and most convenient for Heathrow Terminal 2?

There don't seem to be any right next to Departures, like there is at T.5.
I am looking for one that will give me the easiest way of getting into Departures at T2.

Is there one where you can walk to the Terminal, like at Terminal 5, or do they all need a shuttle?

I don't want to have to wheel my case for any distance, due to some physical problems, especially if it is over bumpy pavements and curbs. I could go for the option of checking my suitcase into the terminal the night before, and then just walking to the Terminal in the morning with a backpack, which would be fine, but I don't know if walking is an option.

I have googled, but the information seems very limited. The nearest hotel seems to be 0.8 miles, which is too far to go dragging a case, and might be on roads not geared to pedestrians.

I am more concerned about the convenience and ease than getting the cheapest, within reason.


Any advice? (I've only ever stayed at a hotel at Terminal 5, which was right by the Terminal.
I have once stayed somewhere else, forget where, a while back, but in the morning, I had to wheel my case across bumpy pavements to the shuttle pods, wait for ages, and lift the case up kerbs a few times, which hurt me, so I am trying to avoid that at the start of the holiday!)

I was at Terminal 2 yesterday, and there was no sign of a hotel. There are numerous hotels just outside the airport, and the Heathrow Hoppa (shuttle bus) serves most of them for about a fiver.

I would not recommend even trying to walk from the hotel to the terminal. Some hotels may have their own shuttle bus, still, but I get the impression they have offloaded that particular headache onto the Hoppa.

silvercar

Pyxis wrote: »

A question for well-travelled NPs.

Does anyone know which hotel is the nearest and most convenient for Heathrow Terminal 2?

There don't seem to be any right next to Departures, like there is at T.5.
I am looking for one that will give me the easiest way of getting into Departures at T2.

Is there one where you can walk to the Terminal, like at Terminal 5, or do they all need a shuttle?

I don't want to have to wheel my case for any distance, due to some physical problems, especially if it is over bumpy pavements and curbs. I could go for the option of checking my suitcase into the terminal the night before, and then just walking to the Terminal in the morning with a backpack, which would be fine, but I don't know if walking is an option.

I have googled, but the information seems very limited. The nearest hotel seems to be 0.8 miles, which is too far to go dragging a case, and might be on roads not geared to pedestrians.

I am more concerned about the convenience and ease than getting the cheapest, within reason.


Any advice? (I've only ever stayed at a hotel at Terminal 5, which was right by the Terminal.
I have once stayed somewhere else, forget where, a while back, but in the morning, I had to wheel my case across bumpy pavements to the shuttle pods, wait for ages, and lift the case up kerbs a few times, which hurt me, so I am trying to avoid that at the start of the holiday!)

Hilton Garden inn Heathrow will probably your nearest hotel (opening early 2019). Or the Novotel T123.

There is a long thread on flyertalk on hotel options at Heathrow here.

And a shorter but older thread here.

SingleSue

Pyxis wrote: »

That reminds me.......one of the last times I came through immigration, it might have been Gatwick, can't remember, the queue was moving along fairly swiftly, and as I got to about 15 people away from the automated booth things, a man just in front of me started kicking off.

Why? Because someone in a wheelchair was was being fast-tracked with his family, in front of him.

The things this guy was saying were unbelievable. People tried to explain, but he was having none of it. In the end, he was just ignored, while he continued mouthing off.

Tw*t.

(It probably added 30 -40 seconds to his waiting time. Tw*t).

As a wheelchair user I get ever so slightly (read completely, utterly and eeky) uncomfortable at bypassing queues just because I have a wheelchair.

I want equality, not a higher level of treatment than an able bodied person. So I am happy to wait in the queue for however long it takes as long as the person at the end of it is able to then move to a lowered desk to deal with me.

We are not special beings, thus we do not need special treatment, just lowered desks, wider doorways etc. To be honest, at least we have a comfortable seat to sit on while we wait...bonus!


I do understand that some disabilities can make queuing or being around busy places uncomfortable but that too can be overcome with suitable therapies/training/coping mechanisms (I say that as someone who suffers panic attacks in busy places and as a parent of autistic children)

Pyxis

SingleSue wrote: »

As a wheelchair user I get ever so slightly (read completely, utterly and eeky) uncomfortable at bypassing queues just because I have a wheelchair.

I want equality, not a higher level of treatment than an able bodied person. So I am happy to wait in the queue for however long it takes as long as the person at the end of it is able to then move to a lowered desk to deal with me.

We are not special beings, thus we do not need special treatment, just lowered desks, wider doorways etc.

That's true Sue, but of course, for this particular family, there might have been other health issues which were taken into account.

As regards equality, though, I would have thought that if you get overtired by being in very long queues, that affects your well-being more than someone else, so being fast-tracked just keeps you on a well-being par with other people?,

As regards hotels at T2, I'm going this year, so the new Hilton Garden one won't be open.
It looks like I'll have to mess about with shuttles, which is a pain, due to my wrists not liking lifting cases.

SingleSue

Travelling is tiring for everyone, as is waiting in queues. For me, yes I would get more tired than someone more able bodied but that would be prepared for and expected and as I said, at least I would not be expected to stand and wait in the queue, I have a comfy seat!

I just get really really annoyed with those who are disabled who believe that because they have a disability, that they then deserve special treatment over and above what an able bodied person would receive. It's one of my bugbears with some parents of autistic children, the "My child can't do that because they are autistic, what special things are you going to do?" gang. Well yes their children may find it difficult, they may scream, they may become distressed but if you do the right therapies with them, they will eventually be able to do those things. Joe was at one point completely unable to cope with being around other people, completely unable to stand in a queue, would have meltdowns and become very distressed and ok, it took years of training but he is now able to. Don't get me wrong, it's not his favourite thing in the world and he will still feel anxiety but he then uses his coping mechanisms to get through.

There does seem to be this thing where some believe having a disability is this special club where you get special service. I'm in the group where we believe that having a disability means having the same level of service as others but with modified access.