Scared of getting on trains and stepping over the gap

[FairViewRosie25]

Scared of getting on trains. Frightened of stepping over the gap.

Because obviously while the train stays the same size the platform varies increasing the size of the gap in some stations. Not every station is the same.

I don't think big gaps that an adult could fall through are that common though (and maybe tales of falling through gaps are not exactly going to calm the OP.....)

I’ve seen at least 3 this weekend commuting in and out of London. Multiple underground, overground and train platforms.

OP is able bodied so she won’t fall in them if she just takes precautions like holding the handle and making sure her foot is fully planted.

I’m not scared of that but I am convinced I’m going to lose my footing or a shoe come off one day. 😂 If you are travelling with your husband can he not get off first and hold your hand to help steady you?

thank God you’ve cleared that up for OP, she’ll be fine now.

you honestly think she doesn’t know it’s irrational? These things come from nowhere often and happen even to smirkers like you. They can be completely debilitating and cause huge shame.

I hear you OP! The gaps are getting bigger all the time,I travel a lot on trains. My mobility isn't the best and I get really stressed about it. Clapham is awful. There's a YouTube channel about people falling through the gap!

Yes, so much for accessibility! I missed a train once as I simply couldn't get onto the train,it's only happened once but the gap was ridiculously high, loads of people couldn't get on.

Lauren, no offence but the reason I told my tale of falling through the gap was for the exact reason of calming the op. I mentioned my compensation of a food voucher too in the hope that if the worst did happen to the op, that there is light at the end of the tunnel

I'm also so terrified of going down escalators. Once I was in a shop and their fire alarm went off and I couldn't go down in the lift. I froze and couldn't go on down escalator so in the end I was allowed to go down staff stairs with the manager. If you freeze you just can't move.

It’s a form of vertigo I used to have this

Ha ha if only! Some country stations that are very old have much larger gaps (talking nearly a foot) and nobody there to help you. Then very steep steps to exit the station - which is unmanned.

If it mostly got bad after the flood experience, it could be that your nervous system never calmed back down and felt safe, so what used to be assessed as a small risk is now amplified because your system is on high alert. A nervous system that's in high stress mode finds it very difficult to sensibly assess risk, and can hyper react to stuff that shouldn't be a big deal.

A few years back I did some nervous system calming work due to a health issue. Didn't realise until much later that I must have been in a high stress state for years, because after my nervous system calmed down both my arachnophobia and my fear of heights calmed down a lot too.

Please don't be embarrssed about asking for passenger assistance. When my body isn't working, I ask for it as it stops me feeling like a nuisance to the people around me. Freezing on your way onto or off the train can be a real problem.

was there any need for that comment?