Disabled people need to be better looked after on trains

[Purplelife]

I feel they need to be better looked after, maybe given first class seats for free, when the trains are packed and non- disable pigs refuse to get up from the disabled seating.

Did anyone see this upsetting story about a blind man who got on a train to Waterloo with his guide dog. Not one commuter got up to let him sit down in a disabled seat and watched this poor bugger in tears as well as his guide dog sliding around on the wet floor.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5556695/Blind-man-reduced-tears-stands-London-Tube.html

I think it’s an absolute disgrace that not one person on that train had an ounce of humanity. I know I hate standing up and struggling to balance myself on the train. Imagine what it is for someone blind. This man’s career before going blind was working in emergency as a doctor looking after others!

I wish I had been on that train, I would have spoke up and shamed the lot of them! Grrr!

It is not appropriate to threaten tenants with move it or we will destroy it...............they didnt even talk to us before putting the tort notice up.

It's a tough one really because mobility scooters can literally be a Death Trap in communal areas.

I understand that disabled people need seats and what happened to this blind man is awful. But with all due respect some of us can't give up our seats.

For example i am 19 and not disabled and very lucky with my health generally. However i do sometimes get dizzy. Sometimes i can have dizzy 'periods' where i feel this wad constantly or on and off for a couple of days, other times it comes out of nowhere. I know i look like i'm just taking up a seat when someone elderly or pregnant steps onto a full train (especially if i'm sitting in the priority seats) but sometimes i really can't give the seat up or within a couple of minutes i would be falling into or passed out on the very person who i'd given the seat to. I'm not saying all people who don't give up seats are in the same situation (some are just wankers) but please dont demand one off a specific person or stare pointedly at anyone because in that situation i do feel intimidated and it can be very upsetting to have someone accuse you of being entitled when you really do need that seat.

Equally i am in no way disabled and would never claim to be but these spells do come on randomly so the idea of a blue railcard or paying specifically for a seat would have a serious adverse effect on me, and people with similar condition, if i suddenly felt very dizzy so I agree that the problem needs to be fixed by a general shift in culture and attitude.

TheFairyCaravan Sat 25-Nov-17 11:28:29

I’ve just found a link for this study because it’s been bugging me.

Here it is. It says that since 2009/10 there have been 36 fires involving mobility scooters, of which 24 were started deliberately. So that’s 12 over 7/8 years. They are not a big risk. I bet the fire service go out to more than 12 fires started by candles a day.

And there is a good fucking chance that the 24 started deliberately were caused by disability hatred.

How ignorant is that its because the space was campaigned for by disabled people that its there in the first place.

It's not just disabled people though. I think my child should be allowed a seat so I do not move him after he fell flat on his back and banged his head on a very packed bus and everyone gasped but stayed seated. I ended up getting off in the end and walking the rest of the way as I didn't feel it was safe to stay on the bus.

7days if you couldn’t stand then people aren’t talking about you being one of the selfish people. You’re one of the people the priority seats are for. Yes, you’re not officially disabled but you need a seat. No-one means you when they are criticising those that don’t offer seats.

As much as I moan about ScotRail they are really excellent at looking after sightninpaired customers. A man gets on my train with his guide dog each day, he is escorted onto the train and into a suitable seat (needs a table for the dog to fit under). They also told some people to get up as they were in priority seats and they were now required. This is every day.

Fluffyears
Read up thread, they were shite with me!

Virgin East Coast are brilliant, as is the Eurostar.

There are disabled person railcards - so a disabled person can show it to other people, if they are asking for a priority seat?

'And there is a good fucking chance that the 24 started deliberately were caused by disability hatred'.

I agree with you Helena, I think this is highly likely.

My DS school bus was shot at by an air gun a few months ago, luckily none of the children were injured. I discussed this with friends/family who tried to unsuccessfully to persuade me that the bus wasn't deliberately targeted because it was for disabled people (it was really obvious what it was….huge wheelchair sign on the back of it for one thing).

Because of course, being shot at by air guns whilst out & about is such a common occurrence for most people.

It would be simpler if a disabled person could just show some form of evidence when buying a ticket, if necessary, and then be entitled to an allocated space, at normal prices, in First. It's not that 1st passengers are any less likely to be arseholes, but there isn't the competition for space. So less cause to kick off.

And there should also be an assistance button next to the disabled seating, so the train staff can come and explain to any arseholes who might be in those seats, refusing to move, that the sign is not just a decorative feature.

I also think buggies should be sold with a card that bluntly spells out the realities: that buggy owners may benefit from disabled people's provision when it is empty, but it is not there for their benefit, and they are not to deprive those who really need the spaces, and for whom they are intended. Because the entitlement expressed at times is appalling.

'And there is a good fucking chance that the 24 started deliberately were caused by disability hatred'.

Yes.

Those are great suggestions perfectstorm. The thing about being in a wheelchair is that it is pretty much impossible to go looking for assistance when people refuse to vacate the seat…so being able to summon assistance would be a huge help.

And yet raileway staff are currently striking because The Cunts That Be want rid of railway guards. Super.
Anyone who treats the disabled and in particular blind people, like this, should be utterly ashamed. Makes me embarassed to be human.

It would help if there were photos on disabled railcards.

ScotRail can be pretty shit, I try to buy my tickets online now as I struggle to hear when buying tickets.

My best experience was coming off the sleeper I had a first cLass ticket for which includes one onward journey on the tube. Obviously the date was the night before given its the sodding sleeper train. I had my stick and was knackered but couldn’t get through the barriers. Despite it being a single ticket they told me I had to use the tube journey the night before - somehow in Glasgow! I eventually bought a ticket as I couldn’t stand any longer - I complained and got my money back. Of course this wasn’t because I was disabled - it was someone sticking to some rules they’d made up, but I cohldn hang around to argue like I would have done on a good pain day!

YY Living. Disability hate crime is minimized and played down by many..........sometimes by those in authority.

I have to say I’m not 100% convinced all his experiences are entirely genuine and I think a lot of it is staged money making click bait and we’re not seeing the full story. WTAF!

Virgin East Coast are brilliant My dd has been let down by them on more than one occasion. The last journey however was good, they remembered to turn up with a ramp.

You can book assistance for changing trains.
I did for my (disabled) 14yo going from here up north changing trains 3 times both there and back last Christmas.

She had someone to help her onto the train at the beginning, escort her between trains and help her and luggage off at the end.
At one change we couldn't book seats and they assured me that they would get her a seat, even if it meant asking someone to move from a priority seat.
For the way back, after I'd booked a train strike was booked so I called and asked what happened in that situation. They told me that if she missed, or couldn't get a train, the assistance at the station she was at would make sure she was on the next possible train (with seat) and would phone the next station she would get out at to make sure someone was there to meet her. If there were no available trains then she would be put in a taxi.

They were excellent, even when she did end up on a different train due to delays and even gave her chocolate at one change.

Its not even about the train operators, it's about people having some fricking decency and empathy!

This, in spades.

It’s not a popular view on here, but I don’t think elderly people, pregnant women or people with mobility problems should have to ask for a seat at all. People should offer. It’s not good enough to just be too absorbed in your phone/newspaper.

I also think people in their 70s+ should be offered a seat, whether they are fit and healthy or not.

There’s no easy way to legislate or police for decent manners. I think it’s going to take an attitude shift in society at large, which is unlikely.