Mar 2012
Buses, Trains and Automobiles
27/March/2012 04:09 PM Filed in: Travel
The current Channel 4 'No Go Britain' report got me thinking about this last year.
Due to needing to get to a London Hospital, I had to use the train for the first time.
I'd avoided trains all my life because of the horror stories I'd heard from people about not being able to get on, get off, have assistance or ending up at the wrong destination.
Well, I did have experience of the Docklands Light Railway in London - you can read the joys and woes here. In summary level entry and access was great until the lifts to the platform broke and we had to travel on to the next stop and walk back through the streets. A ten minute car journey would have replaced the half day route via the railway system. Rush hour was a no go zone. I couldn't move through the people very well and they kept bumping me and knocking my hand that steers my chair - so really they ran themselves over.
Anyway, back to trains going to london from my nearest main town station. Yes I had to book in advance but none of this 'press 1 for x , 2 for y '. I got a number that went straight through to the assistance service, quoted my assistance number and the super helpful person arranged everything. To be honest, there is not a lot to arrange - a person has to put up a small portable ramp to get on and off! However, the have asked if I needed assistance with getting tickets, carrying luggage or getting food. I didn't even have to be specific about the time - they understood I might be on an earlier or later train. Staff on the train reassured me on the journey that the ramps were organised the other end so not to worry….. top service.
Eventually I got a discounted rail card for disabled people too - so it's not all that bad.
Or is it?
Quite a lot of the stations (including my local one) only have one accessible platform - so you can leave but you can't get back without going past to the next accessible station, getting off the train and booking into another going back up the track again or getting a taxi.
and that's another thing… taxis.
I've requested accessible taxis locally and despaired when a standard cab turned up (I need ramp access to stay in my chair when travelling). I've seen taxis look at me and drive past. On the other hand, when my chair ran out of umph in Cardiff, the accessible taxi was great and the driver was perhaps over helpful of all things!
London cabs have been a pleasant ride (apart from one nutter driving all over the place) but it seems difficult for them to park somewhere they can extend their ramps out the side. I think I'd be too scared to do it alone as it can involve crossing the busy roads to a dropped curb to enter the taxi which is a death wish.
Oh - and not forgetting the thing that happened when I was little that scared me even trying out a taxi unless my job depended on it. Our school taxi broke down and the school sent the biology teacher in a mini bus to pick me up - they didn't tie my chair down and when they braked my chair flew forward and I fell out on top of two other children.
I've been scared to travel on buses and all sorts because of that incident. Park and rides involve a lot of Hail Mary's to this day.
So that brings us neatly to buses…… the worst of all. Aside the odd park and ride I have only been on a bus a few times - and that was in South Wales on holiday last year. I hate buses with a passion. I know I won't tip out of my chair and I have a belt a racing driver would be proud of but try telling my head that.
The bus system in Cardiff was good, level entry (bus lowers and driver has to get of his bum and fold out the little ramp to cover any gaps). There lies the problem - the drivers sometimes refused to get of their bum. Staring at them and asking didn't help. Some were rude and arrogant and couldn't give a toss. Others were nice and did their job and made my day much nicer because of it. One seemed to pull up and drive off again …
Like most wheelchair users I would suspect, my experiences on public transport have been mixed. Sometimes it's poor physical access, poor organisation or simply attitudes of drivers who won't use the equipment they have to let you on.
Due to needing to get to a London Hospital, I had to use the train for the first time.
I'd avoided trains all my life because of the horror stories I'd heard from people about not being able to get on, get off, have assistance or ending up at the wrong destination.
Well, I did have experience of the Docklands Light Railway in London - you can read the joys and woes here. In summary level entry and access was great until the lifts to the platform broke and we had to travel on to the next stop and walk back through the streets. A ten minute car journey would have replaced the half day route via the railway system. Rush hour was a no go zone. I couldn't move through the people very well and they kept bumping me and knocking my hand that steers my chair - so really they ran themselves over.
Anyway, back to trains going to london from my nearest main town station. Yes I had to book in advance but none of this 'press 1 for x , 2 for y '. I got a number that went straight through to the assistance service, quoted my assistance number and the super helpful person arranged everything. To be honest, there is not a lot to arrange - a person has to put up a small portable ramp to get on and off! However, the have asked if I needed assistance with getting tickets, carrying luggage or getting food. I didn't even have to be specific about the time - they understood I might be on an earlier or later train. Staff on the train reassured me on the journey that the ramps were organised the other end so not to worry….. top service.
Eventually I got a discounted rail card for disabled people too - so it's not all that bad.
Or is it?
Quite a lot of the stations (including my local one) only have one accessible platform - so you can leave but you can't get back without going past to the next accessible station, getting off the train and booking into another going back up the track again or getting a taxi.
and that's another thing… taxis.
I've requested accessible taxis locally and despaired when a standard cab turned up (I need ramp access to stay in my chair when travelling). I've seen taxis look at me and drive past. On the other hand, when my chair ran out of umph in Cardiff, the accessible taxi was great and the driver was perhaps over helpful of all things!
London cabs have been a pleasant ride (apart from one nutter driving all over the place) but it seems difficult for them to park somewhere they can extend their ramps out the side. I think I'd be too scared to do it alone as it can involve crossing the busy roads to a dropped curb to enter the taxi which is a death wish.
Oh - and not forgetting the thing that happened when I was little that scared me even trying out a taxi unless my job depended on it. Our school taxi broke down and the school sent the biology teacher in a mini bus to pick me up - they didn't tie my chair down and when they braked my chair flew forward and I fell out on top of two other children.
I've been scared to travel on buses and all sorts because of that incident. Park and rides involve a lot of Hail Mary's to this day.
So that brings us neatly to buses…… the worst of all. Aside the odd park and ride I have only been on a bus a few times - and that was in South Wales on holiday last year. I hate buses with a passion. I know I won't tip out of my chair and I have a belt a racing driver would be proud of but try telling my head that.
The bus system in Cardiff was good, level entry (bus lowers and driver has to get of his bum and fold out the little ramp to cover any gaps). There lies the problem - the drivers sometimes refused to get of their bum. Staring at them and asking didn't help. Some were rude and arrogant and couldn't give a toss. Others were nice and did their job and made my day much nicer because of it. One seemed to pull up and drive off again …
Like most wheelchair users I would suspect, my experiences on public transport have been mixed. Sometimes it's poor physical access, poor organisation or simply attitudes of drivers who won't use the equipment they have to let you on.