Necati Ayhan, 22, said he was left feeling “terrible” after the delivery driver made the comment
Necati Ayhan
A man has claimed that an Asda delivery driver questioned his disability while delivering his groceries. Necati Ayhan, a 22-year-old part-time childcare student at West Lancs College, had arranged for his shopping to be delivered to his flat in the centre of Southport, Merseyside on Friday, October 31.
However, when the delivery arrived, Necati alleges that the driver asked him to help carry the shopping up the stairs. Due to his fibromyalgia, autism, and other medical conditions, Necati was unable to assist.
He claims he heard the driver mutter “disabled my a**e”, before returning to the van to fetch more items.
In an audio recording obtained by the Liverpool Echo, Necati can be heard questioning the driver about his comment, to which the driver responds: “You don’t look disabled to me.”
When Necati asks if the driver believes he is in a position to judge him, the driver responds: “Yes.”
The driver then explains that he “whispered it” and suggests that Necati should have clarified his disability when placing the order online.
Following this exchange, Necati instructed the driver to return his shopping to the supermarket and arranged a taxi to the store on Central 12 in the town centre.
At this stage, Necati claims that he submitted a formal complaint before receiving a £30 voucher for the shop to help with the taxi expenses.
Necati said: “It was shocking.
“He made me feel degraded, embarrassed and terrible about the whole thing.
“I need to tackle the issue and I want the outcome of the investigation to come to light. It’s arrogance from the driver.
“It would have been completely different if I had been in a wheelchair.
“I actually have a wheelchair, I need it when I go out, but not when I’m at home.”
Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes pain throughout the body, according to the NHS, and can trigger other symptoms including muscle stiffness, sleep difficulties, cognitive problems and headaches.
He also claimed that when he raised his complaint at the shop, he was told it would be investigated but he would not be informed of the outcome.
An Asda spokesperson said: “We’re aware of Mr Ayhan’s complaint and are looking into it as a priority.”
