Buses and Blatant Discrimination- wheelchair users

mgn83uk

Right, i'm the wheelchair user Rob is referring to...

I'm well aware that people using pushchairs for their children may have their own logistical issues concerning public transport, but at the end of the day unless such children have their own medical issues, I don't see the problem with the parents/carers/whomever folding the pushchair concerned and holding their children "manually".

I have a younger brother, so can remember my mother's experience back when buses didn't even have any space whatsoever (on some, you were lucky to even have a baggage area) and although it was inconvenient, it was not impossible. After this time, accessible buses were gradually introduced, but my mother would always fold down the pushchair for someone in a wheelchair to use the space provided.

For the sake of argument, I haven't always been in a wheelchair; when I was younger I could walk, so any postings along the lines of "How did you get on a bus then?" are somewhat irrelevant and unhelpful.

As for my perspective - and has someone else has already stated - these spaces have only arisen out of the legal requirements placed on operators for inclusion of wheelchair passengers on public transport. Thus, it would be natural for wheelchair users such as myself to have priority in terms of access to them - or so one may expect, or hope for.

Unfortunately, as a wheelchair user you soon realise that in the great scheme of things, nobody really gives a !!!!! Drivers are supposed to request that other people vacate this area (some bus companies enact conditions of carriage to this effect) but normally cannot be bothered to even ask, and even if they do, have no legal power to enforce this.

Then, there's the attitude exemplified by a certain user of this forum who I shall not dignify by mentioning by name, that it was an "unecessary journey". Well, it's also uneccessary for you to drive your children to school - they can walk - or for you to travel to Sainsburys/Tesco/wherever - you could utilise their home delivery service.

I have the right to existence just as much as anyone else here, and I damn well shall not feel any compulsion to hide away at home and rot just to appease your pathetic, socially outdated and disgusting attitude that disabled people should just go away and die.

I appreciate that certain children have medical issues, like a lady on this forum has mentioned with her child who is too small to fit into a pediatric wheelchair - I appreciate that. I also appreciate that someone else in a wheelchair may also be using the designated space. That isn't the issue. The issue is that people have this ignorant perception that despite this facility being provided for those who have a particular need for it, that if they so chose to use it, then too hell with such persons. After all, your inconvenience is worse than me freezing waiting for a bus, right?

As Rob correctly stated, it would be dangerous for him to attempt to lift me from my chair to a seat on the bus, and then back again. To do this safely requires a minimum of two persons, and it would be somewhat unwise to attempt to do this on a moving vehicle. There's also the constant risk of permanent physical damage through someone who's untrained in this attempting it, and I do weigh 70kg - in terms of my height i'm not overweight, but it's not like lifting a sheet of paper by any means.

Finally, get a taxi? Yeah right, because i'm so affluent that I was waiting for a bus in the first place. And drive? Oh, i'd love to, I really would, but i'm epileptic so it's pointless even considering that at the moment. Besides, and again, that's just avoiding the issue.

-Mark.

angelvoice222

withabix wrote: »

That's not what I'm suggesting.

I'm pointing out that they are not allowed to benefit from positive discrimination. They have to plan their journey just like anyone else.

where did it say she/he didnt plan her journey? she planned to use the bus... my nearest hospital is miles away to bus rides away or i have to fork out over £10 for a taxi... if you look at how many seats there are on a bus to how many disabled spaces there are... like someone said before a push chair is optional,,, a wheel chair isnt.

off topic i am disabled but not in a wheel chair and hav had a fair few rows over seats on buses as near the front it states it is priority seating for the elderly or disabled... becasue i dont look disabled they asume im not. so they wont let me sit untill i prove to them i am.

Mrs_Ryan

I know Loughborough hospital... its in the middle of nowhere, transport out there isnt great at the best of times without not being able to get on a bus.

Still... it could be worse. My mum is severely disabled due to a spinal condition and uses a mobility scooter as she is unable to operate a standard wheelchair and cannot walk more than a few steps. She lives in Newcastle, and there scooter users are BANNED from ALL public transport! Case currently with Human Rights Commission. Imagine being disabled and being banned from public transport through no fault of your own....

I agree with the whole view that bus drivers can be a nightmare. And unless there is genuine reason, I think that wheelchairs should always be given priority on accessible buses.

robpw2

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

I know Loughborough hospital... its in the middle of nowhere, transport out there isnt great at the best of times without not being able to get on a bus.

Still... it could be worse. My mum is severely disabled due to a spinal condition and uses a mobility scooter as she is unable to operate a standard wheelchair and cannot walk more than a few steps. She lives in Newcastle, and there scooter users are BANNED from ALL public transport! Case currently with Human Rights Commission. Imagine being disabled and being banned from public transport through no fault of your own....

I agree with the whole view that bus drivers can be a nightmare. And unless there is genuine reason, I think that wheelchairs should always be given priority on accessible buses.

i agree with your point about being banned from public transport through no fault of your own .

in fact it wasnt loughborough hospital i had to go to it was the leicester royal infirmary so was in a completley different town from where i normally visit the hospital , so this is in my belief worse as without getting the bus i have no idea how i get back to the station ,

nanokitten

OMG, I can't believe this forum recently, it's been such a great, supportive place until people started getting really insensitive.
What happened to 'be nice to all moneysavers'?
It's been just as bad with poor annewitterings over on her thread.

it's like we've been invaded by daily mail readers!

I think most of us get enough of this sort of thing in real life, we don't need it here. come on guys, try and put yourselves in OP's place before you stick you ha'penneth worth in.

Back on topic: Mark and Rob, I guess if it where me I'd be tempted to write to the local press and MP as its the oly thing most companies willlisen you and I guess you're not the first (and likely not the last) ths will happen too. I'm sorry you've had such poor treatment on here, we're not all like that

robpw2

i have written the company a letter and given them 14 days to provide a satisfactory response or i will take it further ,

lin473

As a Mum of a child with severe cerebral palsy I have found that disability laws are only really theoretical in many cases.
There is a large insensitive section of society who sneeringly refer to disability rights as PC with zero understanding of the real issues and the sever curtailment of our daily lives that we just have to put up with.
One day these people may be disabled themselves.

I am so glad we do not have to use public transport as we have a wheelchair adapted vehicle - but from my experience of Leicester Royal Infirmiry on the occasions my son was in Intensive care there ,we wouldn't have found anywhere to park it anyway!

calleyw

withabix wrote: »

That's not what I'm suggesting.

I'm pointing out that they are not allowed to benefit from positive discrimination. They have to plan their journey just like anyone else.

I am sorry I really don't get the whole plan there journey. As an able bodied person I go to the bus stop and wait for a bus. Which was the plan for the person who was disabled.

Seeing as you can't book spaces on a bus how else can you plan the journey either as an able bodied person or a disabled person

If the disabled spaces where being taken up by buggies and there was other seats on the bus I can't see the problem with asking them to fold up the buggies and move.

At one stage bus drivers didn't like buggies.

Yours

Calley

scroft21

Hi,

I am a wheelchair user and have travel all over eurpe in the summer using Bus, tram's and trains to get around. All the these has two and some three wheelchair/ pushchairs areas. I did not need to say a word, the pushchair if need be and left me on, on some we work out between us as adults, to fix as many wheelchair and pushchairs in each area as posssabiily. On one tram in Munich, these saw most another wheelchair, two pushchair and three other people with disabilies still in the areas. The drive did not get involed and worked out between ourself.

Planning trip, Ok all have to plan our travel, but how much addional do you add to make you get in time, I normal will go out for 2 buses before the I need to get which is normal a hour before hand? I do not think the non-wheelchair have to do? But its means most of the time I get to work on time?

Sarah

Mrs_Ryan

Oh dear.. the LRI.... that's shocking!!! The buses that go down that way are nearly all wheelchair accessible. Was it First or Arriva? The 40 - something (dont know the route number exactly - sorry! OH is Tigers season ticket holder and I catch the bus form Welford Road quite often) are all (I think) low-floored so there's no excuse not to let you on.
You can walk from there - But it is quite a walk, especially if you arent feeling so good. But even as an able-bodied person I find the drivers on that route are quite stroppy and some of them cant be bothered with even able-bodied passengers getting on! Hope you have complained to the bus company.
Lin473 - know exactly what you mean! I was in the LRI a couple of years ago with a serious bowel infection and when OH took me to A&E he couldnt get parked either - in fact it's so bad that on the occasions when we've had a medical emergency in the hospital where I work (Coalville Community if anyone knows it!) and we've had to take the patient to A&E at the LRI by patient transport ambulance, we cant get parked there either!