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!

Witchend Booked assistance is great, when it works. DD at uni books regularly, most of the time it works, but not always. The train companies need to be a lot more consistent in delivery. Part of the problem is though, that they are often different train companies on the one trip. DD for example goes through three different companies to get back to or home from uni. If said companies don't communicate, dd is stuffed!

I get on a very busy commuter train from Sussex to London. Standing room only from less than half way up the line.

Last week a wheelchair user boarded and a couple of people sitting in the fold down seats in the wheelchair space actually signed and eye rolled as they realised they had to vacate that space.

I really struggle on trains as I have arthritis in my hip but to look at me you wouldn't know unless you watched me walk. I don't have anything to show to prove that I have it though and not sure what I should have because as far as I'm aware I'm not bad enough to be considered disabled for the purposes of a blue badge or anything...

littletike This is something that I worry about too. My work classify me as disabled, because my condition is long term and significantly affects my day to day life, in particular if I am unmedicated.

The requirements for PIP mean I wouldn’t meet those requirements and indeed I can stand on a train. But I spend a significant proportion of my time in pain and therefore I usually would significantly prefer to sit, because it’s really hard to concentrate on staying upright when you’re in a lot of pain.

So I don’t get PIP, so then I don’t qualify for a disabled railcard - so then how would I show I was disabled “enough” for a seat? I worry about this anyway, because I don’t look disabled, and also because I could give up my seat and just be in more pain, so it’s not like I specifically need it to travel, just to not suffer so much while I do.

I definitely agree we need to enable disabled people and others with temporary disabling conditions to travel more comfortably and more easily, but I also think those measures need to take into account the people who wouldn’t qualify for e.g. a disabled railcard, particularly as I think the requirements for obtaining one are quite strict and PIP becomes ever more difficult to obtain.

In always amazed at the decency of london travellers. I've seen people in a full carriage shift into goodness knows what space to accommodate a Wheelchair coming on the train, I've seen people willingly give up seats for people with very hidden disabilities and nd people always offer us a hand with the Wheelchair on to the train.

Maybe the difference is that I ask them politely. "I'm very sorry but I'm going to need a seat for,.. Please can someone give theirs up..". Thing is you don't actually know whether the people in those seats already do have bigger need than you. Th e guy in the article. Seems very passive agressive if not actually downright unpleasant. If the dog is wet I scratch behind he eats so he shakes water off on people, just not nice. I wouldn't automatically assume a blind person couldn't stand but I would willing my give up my seat if asked.

I think he might find the situation very different if he just asked

I travel in London daily and both from my personal experience (bad ankle which is sometimes visibly bound) and observation, people are in the main considerate and offer seats.

I think the problem is the trains are just so crowded, with people packed into the vestibule and standing in the aisles, that if you’re sitting down you just can’t see if anyone gets on who needs a seat. The picture of that poor dog shows her sat amongst a crowd of feet, so I’m not sure if this is everyone on the train being arseholes or just pure overcrowding. The train companies need to do much more to tackle this.

Posters with no blue badge or disabled persons railcard, can get this

www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/travel-help/priority-seat-card

I looked into it initially for DD, but as she wears head protection (which is obvious), we have never had a problem so far on trains, when we ask for a seat for her (although we only travel occasionally on trains into London, for hospital appointments for her).

I'm another one who generally thinks people are kind and courteous. I commute sometime in rush hour for work, when it's everyone for themselves. However when on the same really busy trains with DS in his wheelchair I have only once had to ask people to help, which was because the train was so full of luggage in the wheelchair space that it was really difficult to move the stuff as there was nowhere to move it to, but everyone did make space. The bigger problem is on my line Kings Cross they often announce platforms with 5-10 minutes to spare which means it is everyone for themselves and it is very difficult to get through the crowds with a wheelchair and there is only one wheelchair gate. So I cannot be as fast as I am on my own and there is a lot of pushing and shoving, but then I am often later to the train and the luggage etc space is full, if they just announced platforms earlier rather than kept people at the waiting area this would all be avoidable. I have spoken to staff numerous times but they don't have a solution.

I think most people are kind. The problems can arise when there are more people with disabilities than there is available priority seating.

The pre booked help doesn't always turn up which is also a problem. I got off a train once and a blind man was getting off. He stood on the platform as people rushed past/jostled him. I stopped and asked if he was OK and he said he had booked help to get him to his next train. I waited with him for a couple of minutes and then offered to take him and find help. He agreed. it worried me as I could have been a nutter who was going to push him under a train/off the bridge we had to cross. Anyway I got him to the barrier and left him with one of the people taking tickets. Hope they got him to his train but how awful to be in a strange, busy place and unable to see anything and just left waiting.

Ahem................

www.which.co.uk/news/2018/04/250-fridge-freezers-fridges-and-freezers-named-which-dont-buys-over-fire-safety-concerns/

Helena, I'm not sure what a Which report about fridges and freezers has to do with it?

I too believe people are kind and courteous. However I think that as a society we still have a long way to go in order to make life as easy as possible for disabled people.

I was reminded of this trying to navigate the tube with my 16mo dd in her buggy last weekend. I often find myself thinking "how the hell does a person in a wheelchair get around?" And that's despite all the advancements in recent years. It's the same reason I get annoyed having to ask for a key to get into a disabled toilet (where the baby changing facilities are usually placed). Why should someone in a wheelchair have to ask permission to go to the toilet?

Accessibility is about so much more than physical access to space, it's about not inconveniencing those with disabilities to the point where it causes them embarrassment or discomfort to go about their normal business in a way that the rest of us take for granted - like popping to the toilet.

We don't use the tube with DS' wheelchair. In London we bus or walk. It's slower but the central London tube just isn't accessible. Modern tube stations generally are, but most of our tube is old, retro fitting it would cost a fortune. But I haven't encountered a bus in london that isn't accessible.

If you need the disabled toilets generally you have your own radar key. I only need to ask when I've forgotten it!

LittleLionMansMummy was it a radar key? I prefer those toilets kept locked to stop them being misused and trashed. I have to change my son on the floor and lots of disabled toilets are in a disgusting state because people use them because they are nearer or use them to get changed in.

I've not used public transport with ds for years. I can't face the pram battles.

we used the buses in London last year and I was very impressed with how easy the buses where.

As for radar keys I am another one who agrees with them being kept locked. A lot of disabled toilets aren’t fit for purpose as it is and more people using them than need to doesn’t help.

Spikey no, not all of them. And to be fair they're usually the ones in nicer bars and restaurants where the toilets are clean. I can see how a radar key stops people abusing the use of disabled toilets. It just always makes me think about the things most of us take for granted. Before greater public accessibility, I should think that thousands were socially excluded. I know we've come a long way.

In bars and restaurants it is often to keep wanderers in from the street out or to stop everyone using them because they can't be bothered to go upstairs.

Our local weatherspoons have disabled toilet with radar downstairs, and the other toilets upstairs. It never fails to amaze me how many people try the door of the disabled toilet, realise it’s locked and then happily manage to go upstairs to the toilets! All too often they are used because people can’t be bothered to go to the others sadly.