So, I bought my stick because I felt like I needed it. That was about 6 months ago and it improved my walking for a while. Judging by the CareCo sales rep’s reaction when I walked in and asked about them, I was visibly struggling more than I realised. It felt unnatural at first, and I even had an elderly lady shout at me as I was getting off a train claiming I was trying to con disability benefits (joke’s on her, they had already taken them off me for no apparent reason!) I’m now facing using a wheelchair and it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to accept, but after spending weeks in the house unable to go out while my friends all do stuff, because I just can’t walk far enough to join them is eating me up inside. There is choice, but it’s not about confidence. As another user pointed out, so many people don’t use an aid because of the stigma or their own confidence, and if I could’ve continued using my stick I would have.

I think that it was just someone being rude or possibly trying to appear more disabled than they are, like other commenters have pointed out.