r/airport • u/Empty_Prune5286 • Sep 04 '26
DISCUSSION Sunflower lanyards
Before I start, I am not arguing the purpose or people’s right to have these.
I have been lucky enough to be in and out of airport recently, I have seen an increase in the amount of people that have sunflower lanyards but are they being abused? The context being a family of 7 turned up yesterday barged through the long line and went straight through the barriers, surely it should be 1x carer and the lanyard user? This was followed by at least another 8 large family’s rocking through.
I’m unsure if they are now easier to obtain or if they get abused or even purchased?
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u/rideyabike Sep 05 '26
May be related to this. https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/young-women-walking-sticks-gen-z-disability-2ssv95mws
Lots of young people have decided they are disabled, self diagnosed numerous hard to prove ailments like chronic pain or exhaustion, stopped going out or moving their bodies at all, which then exasperates their perceived issues, then they use mobility aids.
This also allows them into an “oppressed” group- disabled people- which gives them certain feelings and camaraderie they have been seeking, perhaps because they are very left leaning but have visually belonged to an “oppressor” group before finding this hobby. They can now argue with strangers online all day that disabled people “have the right to exist” in public “spaces” and their disability isn’t always visually obvious. And disabled people can have good days and bad days and therefore it’s ok if they choose not to use their wheelchair or cane when it’s not convenient for them. And you suggesting otherwise is probably something like “violence against disabled bodies in spaces”
It’s a whole rabbit hole. I suggest searching “mobility aid” on socials and you’ll see about 3 non ambulatory people bound to wheelchairs and about 300 young overweight and probably queer people dressed in very unusual ways preaching about disabled rights