Big Wheelchair is Watching You

[davidgillon]

The other day I received a letter letting me know that Kent and Medway Wheelchair Services is being privatised (they were worried about this happening when I went through the system last summer). Now in theory it shouldn't make any difference to the service I receive, but, as I noted on Twitter, it does mean someone now expects to make a profit out of my needs/my wheels.

Today the new franchise holder followed my twitter account. Now admittedly it's a new account, but they're following a grand total of 7 accounts, only two of which are individuals, and the other one is Tanni, aka Baroness Tanni Grey-Thomson, parliamentarian, multiple paralympian and the most famous wheelie in the country.

The scary thing is I didn't mention where I lived. They must have pulled it out of the #wheelchair stream from a week ago, figured out I was talking about them and made a note to follow me once their account was up.

Of course that's not remotely likely to intimidate someone from freely discussing the service they depend on.

Nope, not one bit.

(Well, not if you know me, but other people...)

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Block remains an option, but I imagine there are reasons one might wish not to employ it.

[davidgillon]

Oh, if I comment on them I'll want them to hear it (I may have just tweeted something about not expecting to have to link #wheelchair and the #surveillancesociety when I got out of bed this morning), it's the potential to silence other less self-confident bolshie voices that concerns me slightly.

[alexseanchai]

Gotcha

[sovay]

Tanni, aka Baroness Tanni Grey-Thomson, parliamentarian, multiple paralympian and the most famous wheelie in the country.

While I recognize this was not the point of your post, I didn't know about her on account of not living in the right country, so thank you for making sure that now I do!

[davidgillon]

:)

Everyone liked Tanni when she was winning gold medals but now she's in the Lords and is even more awesome.

[hilarita]

I think it's possible they've just followed me...

[davidgillon]

Hmm! @KM_WCS still shows as only following me and Tanni as individuals as far as I can tell(not sure it would show accounts with privacy options set), but @MB_Healthcare is the parent company and I expect they'll have different accounts for the other services they provide.

[hilarita]

Phew. No, it's not them. I just got randomly followed by some other wheelchair sales account...

[jesse_the_k]

I'm sending you ALL the virtual beer.