To think if I book disabled assistance for my son on the train that it should be in place?

[Elderflower14]

Every time I book it something goes well. He is deaf and autistic. He needs help getting on and off the train and leaving the station.
Today he was assisted on to the train. He got to his first destination. No one there to meet him. Took him ages to find someone.... They hadn't been notified. Apparently they got the email but as the first station hadn't rung them they didn't go to the platform... 🤔
They did offer to walk him through the shopping centre to the next station.. He managed to get on the tube and off at the next station. He found someone at the next station and facetimed me. I told the man where he was going and he quite rudely said "Platform 2" I had to ask him to take ds to the train.
Coming back he got to the station. They had no record of the disabled assistance!! They were very helpful though and put him on the train....
He's currently on the tube heading back to the next station. The lady is supposed to be ringing the next station to say he's on his way... He's having Mcds first... Well deserved I think... Why offer the service id it falls apart every time he travels? I would love a glass of wine but I'm on antibiotics!!! 😔 😔 😔 😔

Can he take a pocket sized notebook and pen with him when he is out? I had a deaf boyfriend who did this. I also like to have a pen on me for the same reasons sometimes because my hearing aids don't fix my hearing enough in certain circumstances.

I also have cards to carry which state my disabilities and say different things depending on how I am and what I might need help with. They're from a site online, I think it's called differently normal. Sorry if this cross posts with anyone, write this then spent ages looking for the lanyard from there

YANBU.

My only experience of disabled assistance was when one of DP's relatives who is a wheelchair user and her grand-daughter (who was about 10 at the time) travelled from abroad to visit us.

At a station where they were due to change trains the assistance didn't arrive. The young grand-daughter had to get off the train alone and, with her limited English, try and explain that she needed to get her wheelchair bound grandmother off the train to get to another platform. Whilst doing this she risked the train leaving without her!

It was a nightmare experience and sadly put DP's relative off using UK trains again.

I booked travel assistance following an accident but as my train had been cancelled I was left without travel assist or booked seats for a 6 hour journey.

I used to organise collecting guests who needed to use travel assist and its inflexible when arrangements change.

Your DS needs to travel with a power pack so he can recharge his phone. He also needs identification to show his needs and contact, together with any prebooked travel assist.

Do complain every time and perhaps keep your MP in touch as well as people such as Tami Grey Thompson or Nikki Fox (Watchdog)

He does have a power bank! He's in the taxi and almost home.
He started talking about when he does the journey again in December!!!
I shan't even tell you my reply!

HE IS HOME IN HIS FLAT!!! Thankyou everyone for your responses.
I have Tweeted TGT...!

Thank goodness he is safe and sound.

Thank heavens he got home safely!

Posted on wrong thread...

Just to update. This morning I sent an urgent email to Ds2s MP. I outlined exactly what happened on Saturday. I explained how the experience had affected ds2. I also told him I thought the disabled assistance was flawed.. He has already emailed the train company and asked for a response!

Elderflower14

That's great.

Sorry to hear about this, it happens to me all the bloody time. I travel a lot for work, and it's exceedingly rare that I have a train journey or flight without the special assistance falling through at multiple points. The Special Assistance service in the UK (and many other countries, although many seem to do better than the uK) is not fit for purpose.

Definitely get Tani Grey Thompson involved, she's very engaged on this and has suffered some pretty awful failures herself.

The only thing train companies seem to understand is money

Unfortunately, my experience of modern UK railways is that the staff are more concerned about the trains and the staff themselves rather than the paying traveller. It seems as if they've lost sight of the purpose of their very existence.

Only this weekend, I was waiting on the platform (correct one as per displays) but the train arrived on a different one. There was a tannoy announcement just as it was stopping (useless for anyone deaf!). There was then the inevitable stampede across the bridge and a queue for the lifts. It then departed on time with dozens of very angry people left standing on the new platform and a couple of staff with the usual "don't blame me" attitude. Very poor. If there's a last minute platform change, they should hold it to make sure everyone gets on, particularly the elderly/disabled etc who can't run as fast and may need the lift.

This happened to my mother when travelling with me . All we needed was a ramp to get the wheelchair off. Didn't arrive. Thank goodness my OH was at the station to help.....

Not heard anymore yet... I did have an afterthought and copied and pasted the email that the train company sent me. Sent it to MP and all those he'd cced into his email...

Sorry to hear of your sons experience OP. I work for one of the rail companies you mentioned, it's really frustrating when the origin station doesn't phone through to let you know that the passenger is on the train! I've complained about this to management before, as how am I meant to help the passenger when I dont know where the person is on the train? I used to work in care before this job so I understand how frustrating it is. Luckily the guards on the trains in my patch make themselves known to the passenger / always ask me where they are going so they can help if the station is unmanned/assistance doesn't show.

I hope you get a response soon as it just isn't good enough.

Following yet another SA failure, I was told by the surly station employee that his priority was to get the train to depart, and then help the passengers. I asked how he expected to help me off the train when it had already departed. He was unable to see the flaw in his logic.

Had this so often. Dd doing the uni trip, almost every time there is a fuck up.

I had a missed call this morning. When I rang back it was someone to discuss what had happened last weekend. We had a 20 minute conversation. I can't really go into details but I'm very happy with the outcome and really feel I was listened to... 💙

Ds2 with a little help from me has emailed the man from the train company and thanked him for his response and what he is proposing to do to improve things for him.
Amazing what can happen when you rope in your MP to help!

Unfortunately, my experience of modern UK railways is that the staff are more concerned about the trains and the staff themselves rather than the paying traveller. It seems as if they've lost sight of the purpose of their very existence.

This is so true. They seem to keep the last minute platform changes quiet to avoid people finding out and actually trying to get on the train. They seem to think the entire point is to make sure trains run on time and not care whether anyone is on them or if they are, whether they have a seat.

This is so true. They seem to keep the last minute platform changes quiet to avoid people finding out and actually trying to get on the train. They seem to think the entire point is to make sure trains run on time and not care whether anyone is on them or if they are, whether they have a seat.

Just like that old YesMinister episode with the new hospital ward that was super efficient, met all its' targets, etc., but never actually saw any patients!

Just updating. The other train company aren't playing ball. Have lost the reference for the original complaint. They emailed to ask for train ticket details so they could refund. I replied that I wasn't sure if my son still had the tickets two weeks later. Also that they hadn't responded to my complaint and I wasn't going to be pushed under the carpet. No response. Emailed again this morning. No response.
I have now found the phone number for the Managing director. I have had a long conversation with his PA and told her I was fed.up with dealing with the monkey and had come looking for the organ grinder... Told her if the other company could respond reasonably swiftly why couldn't they.
I have emailed her my paper trail from email and twitter and she's passing on to someone to deal with...

Update... Eventually spoke to one of the managers of the second train company. They have also given ds2 a generous refund.
Whilst the money will help him it isn't about that. It was about explaining to them all the things that had gone wrong and making them understand how distressing the whole experience was. I have hopefully educated them!!!

In Wales we have the Orange Wallet Scheme which is designed to help those with hidden disabilities.

I'm a railway guard. When a person requiring assistance is put on board my train, I make sure that I keep an eye on them, phoning ahead to their destination to double check booked assistance is in place (and see if I can summon some assistance when nothing is booked). On occasion, I've picked up an elderly lady's suitcase myself and helped her over the bridge when platform staff have done a disappearing act (obviously when I haven't got my own duties to attend to).