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?

[chitofftheshovel]

I take my hat off to her.

[SnuggyBuggy]

The rail company were BU for not being ready to assist her.

[diddl]

Presumably people wanting to get on could have done so at another door?

[Lunde]

The train company were BU - if you book assistance it should be ready when the train arrives.

Having been in the situation of being in danger of risking losing my leg if it took a bad knock I would have insisted of getting off first before a large group of commuters shove their way on. Travel by public transport is scary - people insist on shoving past.

[MissWilmottsGhost]

I would say she was right. Everyone off before people get on. It's basic etiquette of public transport.

Surely that particularly applies when someone has a mobility issue?

It may be a pain in the arse to wait for a few extra minutes but it's just tough luck really.

I always find it a good opportunity to be glad I'm not the one with a mobility issue.

[BoomBoomsCousin]

I think it's a huge shame she felt the need to be so assertive, but I'm not surprised she did. As others have said, if there are 25 - 30 people waiting to get on, she's in a vulnerable position waiting at the door while they "go around" her. Most likely, only the few at the front will actually have known her situation. By the time the 6th or 7th person was getting on there would have been pushing and "fighting" to get through the door and she could have been hurt. Making them wait to get on also makes it more likely the station staff would get the ramp to her so she can get off and not overlook it.

[Imchlibob]

I think the woman on crutches was entirely reasonable and the fault is with the train company who failed to have the ramp ready and waiting the moment the train pulled in. If she had done anything different she risked either being injured or being left on board and taken to the wrong station.

[Birdsgottafly]

The people didn't need to get on, the train was going nowhere until she got off.

People get off before others get on, that applies to someone disabled.

"Maybe she should just have accepted some help to get off the train rather than waiting for ramp."

She is entitled to keep what independence she can. It's vital for your Mental Health when you are disabled at a younger age. She also didn't have to risk someone getting it wrong and her being injured.

She was making sure that she wasn't left, stuck on the train.

I body-blocked people from getting on the bus, when a man was waiting for the ramp to be put down. The bus stop had seats and they wasn't rushing because they were disabled.

I'm getting over being invisibly disabled. I've had to argue with people so that I could have room to safely step off the train holding the side handles.

Life is piss easy when you are able bodied and you should have a level of gratitude about that, tbh.

[busybarbara]

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

[WalkingOnAFlashlightBeam]

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

What the fuck?

Perhaps anyone with a disability or injury should just stay at home sequestered from the rest of society eh?

[ERipley]

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

What?

[WalkingOnAFlashlightBeam]

Clearly she was fine travelling, with some adjustments like a ramp, that she booked ahead of time!

Don’t you think it’s a good thing to make adjustments so people with health problems can engage in society as easily as people without?

Do you think disabled toilets are a bad thing because ‘perhaps they should be out shopping in that condition’?

[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

[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.

[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)

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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!

[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.

[SheSparkles]

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

[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

[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.