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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this railcard advert's treatment of disability is not right?

35 replies

RealHuman · 04/08/2015 21:12

Prepared to be told I'm overreacting, but bear in mind I'm not saying this is Nazi eugenics levels of unacceptability, just that it made me go Hmm

I can't find the advert online, but the latest railcard ad has a voiceover saying something along the lines of, "Whether you're 18-25, over 60, travel as a family, or in a pair, there's a railcard for you" - followed by a picture of their five railcards - young person's railcard, older person's railcard, family railcard, two together railcard, and also the disabled people's railcard.

Huh? Are we still invisible in 2015? Is it damaging to the company somehow to mention disabled people out loud?

OP posts:
BeyondTheWall · 04/08/2015 21:16

Perhaps its a positive, that any one of them could have an invisible disability?

doubt it

bangbangprettypretty · 04/08/2015 21:19

I work in marketing and I reckon it could just be a fuck up with the filming.

I bet they got the rushes from the studio back at a different time to the voice over and someone in the office piped up with 'But you forgot the Disabled Railcard!' If it is in a different revenue stream (may be part funded by the government) it might not be looked after by the same team.

It's not an excuse but it does happen - I speak as someone who once put a typo on a London Underground billboard campaign Blush

Original poster
RealHuman · 04/08/2015 21:24

Thanks, that's interesting, bangbang!

I once saw a massive vinyl window decal thing in... New Look, I think it was (could've been Top Shop), clearly part of a proper campaign, that said in foot-high letters, "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, YOUR THE STAR"

OP posts:
Hurr1cane · 04/08/2015 21:29

Round here, they've painted a massive road sign on the road telling you to turn right for a certain town and they've spelt the town name wrong. Grin

IcaMorgan · 04/08/2015 22:30

The disabled card could be covered by the travelling in a pair as its for disabled and a carer to use

Original poster
RealHuman · 04/08/2015 22:48

I can't remember the exact wording (and, annoyingly, can't find the as online) but I didn't get that feeling from it at the time, though you could be right of course. But the disabled person's railcard does also give you a discount if you're travelling alone.

OP posts:
Original poster
RealHuman · 04/08/2015 22:48

Ad. Bloody autocorrect changes it to "as" every time.

OP posts:
Samcro · 04/08/2015 22:58

don;t get the problem.
I would just think oh thats good (but I don't do trains)

cuntycowfacemonkey · 04/08/2015 23:01

Hmm I do see your point, the only thing I can think is that people with disabilities also fall within all the categories they mention so may want to travel on a family card or a two together card etc so maybe they could not think of a way to word it in a way that acknowledges that as well as advertising they have a disabled card too? If that makes any sense? Maybe they felt they would get complaints that somehow they are seperating disabled travels from others in someway?

cuntycowfacemonkey · 04/08/2015 23:03

Also the other types of cards are "special offer" types of deals so it would be in poor taste to advertise a disabled card as some sort of special offer/perk?

Iwouldnt · 04/08/2015 23:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WickedCrip · 04/08/2015 23:09

I think this is one of those things that would make me roll my eyes but I'd leave it. We should be visible and it annoys me we aren't but at the same time on the grand scheme of things it's small (to me)
Disabled person's rail fares are problematic anyway - wheelchair users who travel in their chairs aren't required to have one but the discount for those who qualify can't be applied online and is a complete different system (amount discounted is higher but it can only be applied to different types of tickets) which means no one even the station staff know how much journeys should cost and having a rail card might be cheaper but it's not possible to determine that. I'd much rather the train companies sorted that mess.

WickedCrip · 04/08/2015 23:10

disabled people who travel in their chairs aren't required to have a railcard I mean. We need a ticket, obvs.
I should proof read better before posting.

Cabawill · 04/08/2015 23:17

The Disabled Railcard is different because it can't be bought online or at a station like the others. You have to apply by sending off the form so that the credentials can be checked.

I'm guessing that's why they left it off the advert because it was telling you have to purchase etc

Pipbin · 04/08/2015 23:21

they've spelt the town name wrong

The next village to mine has my village name spelt wrong on the road sign. It's been there for about 100 years though so I don't think anyone is going to change it now.

Pipbin · 04/08/2015 23:26

"Whether you're 18-25, over 60, travel as a family, or in a pair, there's a railcard for you"

I do see your point OP. I think it is a little off too. However I guess that as a disabled person you could easily fall into some of the other categories too.
And I would assume that a person entitled to a disabled persons rail card is likely to be aware of it and it doesn't need advertising, unlike a family rail card for example.

Lurkedforever1 · 05/08/2015 00:00

I didn't get that at first from your op ( had to read it twice to see what you meant) so maybe the advertisers viewed it the same. I see it as having four groups, all of which you can get railcards for, and all of which can include able bodied or disabled. And in addition to their group railcards there's also a card for people with disabilities regardless of whether they travel in one of the aforementioned categories or as single 25-60yr olds

Original poster
RealHuman · 05/08/2015 00:07

But people who fit the age criteria (either older or younger) could also travel on the couple or group railcards, and they didn't separate out the age-criteria cards from the number-of-travellers-criteria cards. As far as I see it the disabled people's railcard has more in common with the young people's or older people's railcards than with the family or two together railcard, as it's to do with a personal characteristic of the traveller rather than their party size.

OP posts:
sashh · 05/08/2015 06:37

*The disabled card could be covered by the travelling in a pair as its for disabled and a carer to use^

I don't take my carer everywhere with me.

TattieHowkerz · 05/08/2015 08:17

As a former disabled railcard user I agree.
There might be explanations (the whole sending off for it thing is a good point).
Would be good for them to have the disabled railcard pic showing a non clichéd view if a disabled traveller. I used mine for commuting. No need for a "carer" Confused

Iwouldnt · 05/08/2015 08:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

x2boys · 05/08/2015 09:02

Hurr1cane i think i know what town you are talking about as i,m very near also and it was in my local paper!!

borisgudanov · 05/08/2015 09:16

It's also bollocks. If you're between 25 and 60, travel on your own and are able-bodied there is not a Railcard for you.

Original poster
RealHuman · 05/08/2015 09:23

I may be misquoting the phrasing boris.

OP posts:
BeyondTheWall · 05/08/2015 10:15

Hang on, slight derail

I have a f&f railcard, never got a disabled one as i didnt think you could use the two together. Is someone here saying you can??

And on top if that, as a wheelchair user, i wouldnt even need a disabled railcard to use disabled fare if i bought in th station?! Shock

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