Derrick Jones is a physically handicapped Metallica fan who traveled seven hours to the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, AB so that he could see the band’s August 16th live performance. Unfortunately he was unable to see it at all.
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/6u91lu/my_view_of_metallica_from_the_handicapped_section/?ref=share&ref_source=embed&utm_content=title&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_name=036fb03b7ab84872a9b3515a5e542817&utm_source=embedly&utm_term=6u91lu
Jones is confined to a wheelchair given his Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Naturally, he sought for wheelchair-accessible seating, but still had his view obscured by a group of fans standing in front of him. And even an usher on the venue refused to offer help in the situation.
Later on, Jones spoke to the CBC and explained that although other wheelchair-accessible locations had elevated platforms, his did not. The story quickly went viral, earning the front page spot on Reddit, and the Commonwealth Stadium quickly responded to the CBC on the matter:
“We understand that Mr. Jones did not have a good experience at the Metallica concert at Commonwealth Stadium on Wednesday evening. We will reach out to him to better understand what happened in order to ensure a better experience for everyone in the future.”
While Jones failed to have a great visual experience, he did praise the band’s sound quality. The show happened to be the final stop of Metallica’s North American Worldwired Tour, which was also live streamed across the Internet.
It’s unfortunate that our society is so incredibly inconsiderate even to the physically handicapped. Let’s all hope the Commonwealth Stadium really does improve their experience for audiences in the future. And let’s hope people will start to take the time to at least sit down so someone else can enjoy a show. Or – have proper seating in the venue.