cagga1
23-03-2008, 3:31 PM
I have spinal canal stenosis in my cervical & lumber regions of my spine, an Arthritic Right Hip, Asthma, Angina & I’m also in the early stages of possible Emphysema.
I’m currently on the NHS waiting list for Hip replacement surgery at The Kent & Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells & I’m in absolute agony.
On Sunday 09/03/2008I had the misfortune to endure the Train trip from Hell. I’d been to my native Black Country hometown of Tipton for an old schoolmate’s 50th birthday party & caught the 08.59 train to Birmingham New Street Station to catch the 10.00 from there to London Euston. As the train approached, I along with my fellow passengers, were “shepherded” down the platform, away from the First Class carriages, by some Bolshie Jobs worth sort of person with the Catherine Tate Laurens character “I AINT BOVVERED” sort of attitude. Given I was using my walking stick & carrying for me what was a heavy bag on my shoulder, I made my way, limping along the platform to the rear of the train. When I got there, it appeared that all the seats were taken, so I started to limp back towards the middle of the train, to see if I could spot a seat there or pay £15 to upgrade to First Class. The Guard blew his whistle & the train doors closed as I was trying to get on & the train pulled out.
To say I was angered is a slight understatement! I expressed my disgust with the Bolshie “girl” only to be told “There were seats right at the rear of the train”!
I eventually got home to Tunbridge Wells 6 hours after I left Tipton.
Granted some of the overcrowding on the train was due to Cruft’s being held at the N.E.C. But surely you’d have thought A) Virgin/ BR would’ve put on more trains or
B) Some respect towards my Disabled plight would have been expected.
London Underground:-
As you probably know, the Tube network is old and was constructed during times when very little thought was given to those with limited mobility. Furthermore, over recent decades it has been starved of the investment necessary to make the network more accessible for mobility-impaired people. Nowadays, attitudes are very different and they are trying to fulfill their obligations under the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act, the third part of which came in to force in October 2004.
London Underground's policy is to build all new lines and stations with step-free access from street level to platform, with straight, level platforms with no gaps or steps. The 1999 Jubilee line extension from Westminster to Stratford is an excellent example of their commitment to this.
They currently have 45 out of 253 stations with step-free access. As part of its massive current investment programme on the Tube, they are in the middle of refurbishing or modernising all their stations. As part of this, they plan to make about 25% of stations step-free by 2010 and around a third by 2013 (and 2012 for the Olympics, where possible). Unfortunately, due to geological and architectural factors, there will always be some stations where improving access is impossible, but eventually they aim to have a key network of about 100 stations that are fully accessible for everyone.
Have you ever tried using the London Underground on crutches/walking sticks & carrying an heavy bag?
You get able bodied people pushing past you,not offering to carry your bag or heaven forbid,offer you THEIR seat.Even though there might be a sticker of a Wheelchair behind it!
What do other forum users think?
To date I have not been offered ONE PENNY in compensation & have only had the most pathetic of apologies,even after threatening them with action under the Disabled Discrimination Act with assistance from equalityhumanrights.com (http://equalityhumanrights.com/):mad:
I’m currently on the NHS waiting list for Hip replacement surgery at The Kent & Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells & I’m in absolute agony.
On Sunday 09/03/2008I had the misfortune to endure the Train trip from Hell. I’d been to my native Black Country hometown of Tipton for an old schoolmate’s 50th birthday party & caught the 08.59 train to Birmingham New Street Station to catch the 10.00 from there to London Euston. As the train approached, I along with my fellow passengers, were “shepherded” down the platform, away from the First Class carriages, by some Bolshie Jobs worth sort of person with the Catherine Tate Laurens character “I AINT BOVVERED” sort of attitude. Given I was using my walking stick & carrying for me what was a heavy bag on my shoulder, I made my way, limping along the platform to the rear of the train. When I got there, it appeared that all the seats were taken, so I started to limp back towards the middle of the train, to see if I could spot a seat there or pay £15 to upgrade to First Class. The Guard blew his whistle & the train doors closed as I was trying to get on & the train pulled out.
To say I was angered is a slight understatement! I expressed my disgust with the Bolshie “girl” only to be told “There were seats right at the rear of the train”!
I eventually got home to Tunbridge Wells 6 hours after I left Tipton.
Granted some of the overcrowding on the train was due to Cruft’s being held at the N.E.C. But surely you’d have thought A) Virgin/ BR would’ve put on more trains or
B) Some respect towards my Disabled plight would have been expected.
London Underground:-
As you probably know, the Tube network is old and was constructed during times when very little thought was given to those with limited mobility. Furthermore, over recent decades it has been starved of the investment necessary to make the network more accessible for mobility-impaired people. Nowadays, attitudes are very different and they are trying to fulfill their obligations under the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act, the third part of which came in to force in October 2004.
London Underground's policy is to build all new lines and stations with step-free access from street level to platform, with straight, level platforms with no gaps or steps. The 1999 Jubilee line extension from Westminster to Stratford is an excellent example of their commitment to this.
They currently have 45 out of 253 stations with step-free access. As part of its massive current investment programme on the Tube, they are in the middle of refurbishing or modernising all their stations. As part of this, they plan to make about 25% of stations step-free by 2010 and around a third by 2013 (and 2012 for the Olympics, where possible). Unfortunately, due to geological and architectural factors, there will always be some stations where improving access is impossible, but eventually they aim to have a key network of about 100 stations that are fully accessible for everyone.
Have you ever tried using the London Underground on crutches/walking sticks & carrying an heavy bag?
You get able bodied people pushing past you,not offering to carry your bag or heaven forbid,offer you THEIR seat.Even though there might be a sticker of a Wheelchair behind it!
What do other forum users think?
To date I have not been offered ONE PENNY in compensation & have only had the most pathetic of apologies,even after threatening them with action under the Disabled Discrimination Act with assistance from equalityhumanrights.com (http://equalityhumanrights.com/):mad: