Woman on crutches getting off train - who was in the right?

[witchofzog]

I am on an extremely busy rush hour train. So busy that people are standing and you often literally have to fight your way on.

The train pulled in and there are scores of people trying to get on. I am opposite a door as it pulls in (One of only 3 doors as we have crappy trains here) There is a lady on crutches who wants to get off the train and she says she has booked assistance and a ramp. She waits for everyone to get off but then blocks the door and says she is not moving until the ramp arrives. A guy says that is fine but asks if we can walk round her to get on ourselves as the train is filling up and there are probably 25 to 30 people waiting to get through that door at least but she refuses again and blocks the door until the ramp arrives a minute or so later. The guy is visibly cross but doesn't say anything else.

So who was wrong? Should the lady have let people on? There were just as many people getting off as getting on. Or was she in the right for refusing to move? The doors could not have closed as she was leaning out of them and the conductor always checks the train before signalling it can move off. Or was she in the right to worry about being missed in the crowd?

[Lunde]

busybarbara: She was right though at the same time she probably shouldn't have been traveling in that condition

So you think that disabled people shouldn't be allowed to travel to their work, family or medical appointments!

What a ludicrous think to write! You do realise it's 2018?

[SubtitlesOn]

She was in the right IMHO

[ShoesAndFood]

She was right.

[Bramble71]

She was right though at the same time she probably shouldn't have been traveling in that condition

I can't quite believe anyone would say that, busybarbara! Why on earth should disabled people be stopped from having what little independence they can muster! I'm gobsmacked. That might've been the first time she was out of her house in weeks, or she could be forced to travel as she's desperately struggling to hang on to a job.

birdsgottafly has it dead right - Life is piss easy when you are able bodied and you should have a level of gratitude about that, tbh

[MarthaArthur]

She was right. People should not get on a train until.people have gotten off. Thats logic. Its not her fault the train people were delayed in getting her the ramp.

[SadieHH]

She was right. I feared for my life most of the time when I was commuting through Clapham junction and I was completely able bodied. The train wasn't going anywhere at that point and so there was no desperate hurry for people to get on.

[MissVanjie]

This is why this country is fucked and getting fuckeder

When people are faced with a shitty unfit for purpose service which they also pay through the nose for, like trains in this country, instead of demanding real change from people with the power to make that actually happen (enough carriages for the demand on the service, assistance for disabled people to access the service properly) they turn on each other instead like rats in a cage

We’re all doomed

[Bramble71]

Please stop and think about how worrying it is to travel when you are disabled, slow to walk etc.

People seem to lose their minds when trying to get on and off trains, buses, trams etc. When you're disabled it's very easy to be jostled or knocked out of the way, trampled on and, yes, even pushed. I know; they have all happened to me.

Also, there is the anxiety that the person who you've had to specially arrange in advance to operate the ramp or help with your luggage or bring you a wheelchair (no, you can't always just travel at will like an able bodied person) might not be able to see you in the crowd and will just give up and leave. Then, after all that, what if the doors close and the train pulls away with you still on it.

I think she was absolutely right to wait. Usual train etiquette is to let everyone alight first before boarding. All those waiting could easily (if not disabled) have gone to another carriage to get on if they were that concerned.

[SheSparkles]

@TheHatOfDoom, fair point, the ramp person wasn’t to know where on the train she’d be (I’m grumpy as feck just now as I have a streaming cold so may be a tad unreasonable )

[NotWeavingButDarning]

She was right. I would hope that the waiting passengers were annoyed at the right people (i.e. the train company for not having their act together re the ramp).

Good for her for standing her ground.

[UrsulaPandress]

I'm in awe of her. Well done that woman.

I use a stick and have a death stare that I use when getting off the tram or the tube.

[TheHatOfDoom]

@SheSparkles, in their defence they might have been. On Saturday there was a guy with ramp ready and waiting for me. But you can’t book on that train and he’d been sent a message that I was at the opposite end of the long train to where I was and had to run

[StealthNinjaMum]

I wasn't there, didn't see it, she could've been really rude to people but....

I have struggled on crutches and had arseholes push me out of the way to get on trains before (but not when I was on crutches) so I'm inclined to think she probably had a point.

Maybe she's had an experience of the train pulling out of the station because she had meekly not made a fuss about her ramp before.

[grasspigeons]

she was right
any crossness should be directed to the late ramp person - although I guess they might have been waiting to see which door she was waiting at

[SheSparkles]

The one who was in the wrong was the person with the ramp. Should have been there waiting for the train coming in.

[Ellie56]

I agree entirely with Imchlibob. I would put money on her previously having had a bad experience with so called "Passenger Assist".

Passenger Assist is crap. I have booked it 3 times over the last few months for my son and each time something has gone wrong.

busybarbara I do hope you're going to stop at home all the time if you have the misfortune to become disabled later in your life.

[Chouetted]

The train company was BU, the man was NBU to be frustrated (it's not like he got on anyway and pushed past her) , the woman was NBU to stand in the doorway because train assistance is notoriously terrible, and if the message hasn't gotten through that you're getting off, I'm afraid making a small scene is sometimes the only way left of alerting people that you're there. Just ask Tanni Grey-Thompson about her experiences...

Ideally one of the passengers waiting to get on could have gotten someone to come over with a ramp!

[TheFairyCaravan]

She was right though at the same time she probably shouldn't have been traveling in that condition

Fucking Hell! I’ve been on crutches for almost 22 years. I didn’t know I was meant to stay in. I’ve even been on a plane in that time. Thank you for correcting me I won’t go out again! 🙄

Well done to that woman. People shoul be more empathetic towards disabled people. Waiting on a platform for 2 minutes won’t harm anyone

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

I'm disabled and live near a little station but I actually can't use the train anymore because the gap between train and platform is massive on every single station.

Station assistance is pretty crap in my experience.

[TheHatOfDoom]

I use assisted travel. I stay by the door until they get the ramp down to stop in shutting and my ending up in the next station. Which has happen several times. Anyone with a problem with that is much more mobile than me in my wheelchair so if they’d rather moan then try a different door they can fuck off.

[MimpiDreams]

She was right though at the same time she probably shouldn't have been traveling in that condition

Quite right. Because disabled people don't need to get to work or to the shops or drs or go out to visit friends or family. What a cheeky fucker she was holding up able people for a few minutes. Doesn't she know how their lives are so much more important.

Sometimes I despair of humanity. Reading this post is one of those times.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Sorry I didn’t realise I should stay at home because I’m disabled. 🙄

Just noticed an equally twatty post on another thread by the same poster.

I totally agree with how the woman dealt with the situation. Trains have several doors so passengers could have gone to the next one. Unlike the woman on crutches.

[ARoomSomewhere]

busybarbara I use double crutches, have done for 14 years.

should i stay at home?

(i dont btw but i have been shoved by people on trains buses and trams)

[Noqont]

And yes she was right to stay in the doorway otherwise staff wouldn't have been able to spot her easily, she may have been pushed back or knocked over, and no doubt if she had been pushed back she wouldn't get to the door easily again. I'm sure the people of the platform could exercise a little patience and wait, or go to another carriage.

[Noqont]

She was right though at the same time she probably shouldn't have been traveling in that condition

Don't be ridiculous. Are people with disabilities supposed to stay home then