Losing a leg is more then it seems, being permanently disabled and unable to perform a lot of everyday tasks will increase stress; a disabled person has less control of their life and will have to rely more on other people and equipment, this leads to more stress and possibly a stress related illness . Marmot et al (1997) concluded that believing that you have little control over your work influences work stress and the development of illness. If the person had work that was physically demanding, especially of the lower region of the body, they will have reduced or no efficiency which will give them a them a lack of control. This would cause them to possibly lose their job and become unemployed or work in another institute causing stress of its own. As mentioned earlier, a lot of worries will arise such as health, travel, social status, relationships etc. These individually accumulate stress, some occur more frequently than others. Another thing would be daily tasks that the person is used to doing, they may become much harder, forcing the person to adapt or live with them. The pressure from all those stressors may not even be enough for the person to handle, but they will have no choice or decision that could affect the situation. Some people could argue that a bionic leg would be a suitable replacement, but is it really? The costs will be high, a loan taken for the costs will just produce more stress, and with the possibility of having lost their job, they may not even be able to afford it, nor does it come close to the value of a real leg. A wooden leg also sounds like a fair option, but if they were to catch flame, its game over! A packed bus ride sounds like fun compared to the disasters of being permanently disabled.
On the other hand, a packed bus ride everyday would be a daily hassle! Kanner et al (1981) concluded that daily hassles are linked to stress and health. It may only be short term (depending on the circumstances, until the person leaves the school, buys a car or finds alternative transport) but it is still capable of reducing immune response. Kiecolt-Glaser et al (1984) carried out a natural experiment that suggests that short-term, predictable stressors reduce immune system functioning, increasing vulnerability to illness. If an injury was to be sustained during one of the many uncomfortable bus rides, it will have a delayed healing time. What if the person is disabled and has to get on a packed bus every day? The amount of stress will be huge.
The initial question mentions that the person goes to school every day, being on a packed bus everyday is likely to have a negative effect on the person’s school performance. They may have their mind clouded with thoughts on how they are going to survive the next morning’s journey to school, or if the person they accidentally pushed will forgive them. They may start thinking ahead about all future bus rides and become pessimistic about each outcome, leading to more stress. Stress will be inevitable and a part of daily life. Hmm, maybe a missing leg wouldn’t be so bad after all...
Taking in everything into account, my conclusion is that losing a leg in a car accident would ultimately be more stressful, the long term effects are greater than any short term effects caused by being on a full bus every day. There may be possible alternatives or future outcomes that may solve the problem, but there is nothing that will bring back a person’s leg. It’s something that cannot be replaced and has its unique value. The fact that the person is disabled will bring down their physical appearance and ability, leading to being less socially acceptable and will cause an impact on mental health. Being in a packed bus does not necessarily reduce someone’s social status as they will not be the only one “packed”. The person will also have a bit more piece of mind knowing that everyone else on the bus is sharing his/her problem!
