‘The system is broken’: Wheelchair user slams train company after he was trapped in carriage as hundreds complain about accessibility issues

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Anony_mouse202

11 comments

  1. > To stop the train from leaving without him getting off, he pulled the emergency alarm and wedged his chair in the door to prevent the doors from closing.

    I certainly understand the guy’s frustration but that was a really irresponsible reaction. Not being able to get off at the right station is not an emergency. And blocking the door with a wheelchair is just plain reckless. He undermines his own argument by flouting the rules like that.

    £100 compensation is still ridiculous though. The TOCs ought to be fined for each time this happens, maybe then they’ll start to pay attention to their legal requirements. Right now accessibility on the network seems to be at best an afterthought.

  2. We really fail those in our society most in need of help.

    There’s absolutely no excuse for the system to be so unreliable. If it’s so difficult to get a person to come out with a ramp then we should be fitting trains with automatic ramps, or building platforms that you don’t need a ramp for.

  4. Can editors please take a break from using “slams” in their headlines? Variety is the spice of life.

  5. Imagine a world where they had not gutted the 2015 Disability Discrimination Act, to a doorbell being good enough.

  6. My sisters kid has one leg, we have to take him to the departure gate and collect him when he is flying anywhere

    He’s been to the US, Holland, Chile, Mexico, Singapore. Spends most of his time in south america

    The only place he struggles getting around is the UK, everywhere else the airports and the locals just help him by default as he’s on his own.

    This country really does love looking away, when a clearly disabled person needs some help.

  8. why not just hitch them up behind the train ? 🤔 I might have to go to dragons den with this one 😬

  9. This is what the unions were going on about when they didn’t want unstaffed stations.

  10. I’ve been lucky so far but the stories I hear scare me. I’m in my 30s and I daren’t use the train alone for longer journeys. If I can’t get my sister to come drive down and pick me up I just cannot risk it. 

    And the most maddening thing is like I say, I’ve been lucky, I’ve been so well looked after, so clearly it is possible. So WHY are so many being let down so badly? Why does every single one of my wheelchair using friends have horrible stories? Why have I got friends who have been dumped at unmanned, innacessible stations with no way off the platform? Why have they been yelled at by staff for asking to be taken off the train at their stop? Why is asking other passengers to chase down staff and hold the doors so the train doesn’t leave so normal for wheelchair users? It’s just not acceptable. 

  11. My favourite idocy is the TFL using a wheelchair symbol for tube stations that have level access to the platform….after you have to get down a flight of stars with no lift. 

    Like, just take away the symbol from that station or use another symbol for level access!

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