Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) Abuse Report

On release from The Dinan Hospital in Brittany my wife and I flew from Rennes to CDG at 12:10pm on AF7531. I was recovering from a broken right femur. I could walk for a few steps with crutches but required a wheelchair to move and disabled toilets. I was placed in a wheelchair after being lifted by hoist from the rear of the aircraft. A young African male put me on a bus and took me around the perimeter of the airport and then to a yard full of catering vans. He didn't speak English, he lost my release notes in French so didn't know about my condition and was not aware that there were three terminals in CDG and he was taking me to the wrong one. We spent almost 3 hrs in T2 instead of T1 either in a waiting area for cripples. I was left in locked rooms alone and at one stage in the street where I had to relieve myself in full view of the passing traffic. At one stage I discovered a woman's handbag in the basket of my wheelchair. My attendant left it on the floor of the terminal. With my limited French I understood from a group of insolent women in uniform who took our passports that they were in training for the Paralympics. I complained that we were going to miss our flight and was shouted at "Shut up and wait your turn". This was the only English they spoke to me. A kindly man who spoke English understood my problem and finally hailed down a bus outside T2 and sent us to T1. I was returned to the "care" of Assistance Mobilite. There was more abuse before finally taking me to the gate of QR0040 at the gate closed at 16:25pm. There, in my wheelchair carrying my crutches and carry on bags in excruciating pain, I was reprimanded by an Air France official in uniform who accused me of being "rowdy". He said he had the power to prevent me from boarding. We had no idea what he was talking about. It was a fitting end to a nightmare layover. The Qatar crew finally interceded and rescued us. We were the last to board. I sought medical expenses as I returned to hospital for two weeks on arrival back in Adelaide. I am still in rehab. CDG and Air France have handed this matter to their lawyers who have done nothing to settle our claim in 5 months. I have nightmares about being in a concentration camp.

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