Should People move to other available seats if disabled seats are required on trains

Gymmers

Right

Let me put this to bed.

I know the person who originally posted this on her social media site. He account is very secure, but, unfortunately, the post was leaked with her name on it. As a result, anyone and everyone is spamming her and she's had to lock her account.

Regardless, as with all viral posts, the message inevitably gets twisted. So, for all of you - this is what actually happened, and then maybe she can get some peace.

She boarded at Woking behind the child and carer who were assisted via a ramp. Once in the vestibule area (which was packed with a family who had not been able to get seats together due to South West Trains 'no reservation' policy), the carer looked for the diabled spaces (clearly marked). The door opened and both women looked at the child in the motorised wheelchair and ignored them.

The carer sighed and backed out into the area outside the toilet (great... the kid is on an artificial feed... how hygienic is that?)

The OP signals to the women to move. One looks at her and then down at her book and the other looks out of the window and then starts talking to someone elses kid who is sat in the suitcase area.

The carer say she doesn't want to make a fuss as it upsets the boy (he's really profoundly disabled).

The OP moves to the next carriage and carts two student's suitcases occupying two side seats (they objected until they saw the boy and then couldn't help enough). The train guard then approaches the carer and offered to turf these lowlifes out of their seats (as he's seen what they did). Again, the carer declined as she didn't want the boy feeling ostracised). The Train guard reiterates his offer and is really supportive of the carer.

Once the boy and carer are settled, the OP goes back to the two women and tells them that they clearly saw the boy and should be ashamed of themselves. The woman on the left denied it. The woman on the right looked up and then carried on reading her book. The family in the vestibule were up in arms because they saw exactly what went on (in fact, the kids spoke to the OP and said they would never do this to anyone).

The OP got off the train with a few 'well dones, and here here's' as she left.

The point is -this is about basic decency and humanity. Stuff the 'I paid for a seat and there's no requirement for me to move'. The kid was in a large motorised wheelchair in a corridor outside a toilet whilst two women refused to move to other available seats because they couldn't care less.

Well

That's it, really

Thank you for reading/listening

Pollycat

That's very interesting.

Do you think that by not agreeing to the train guard 'turfing' these women out of the seats they should really have given up without having to be asked, the carer is enabling people to treat disabled people with little or no respect?

How are people with so little manners and compassion for other people less able-bodied than they to be taught that their behaviour is unacceptable?

hollydays

redmike123 wrote: »

I thought the disabled "just wanted to be treated like everyone else? "

No, they don't. they want to be treated better than everyone else.

Fair enough, but let's not pretend its anything else.

What an ignorant comment.
Mind you, redmikes other post on disabled people:

"I am sick of disabled car parking spaces. One or two maybe, but not rank upon rank of them in carparks. If disabled people are unable to stagger an additional 20 yards or so to the supermarket doors , then perhaps it the Almighty's way of telling them that they shouldn't go."

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4642677

Mr angry? Perhaps that's why he's red..

geerex

Gymmers wrote: »

The OP got off the train with a few 'well dones, and here here's' as she left.

The only question I have for you is this: Where, where?

meer53

In answer to the original question : Why wouldn't you move ?

kathrynha

If I had been sat in one of those seats I wouldn't have moved unless there was another seat available.

People will look at me and see a youngish femalequite capable of standing.
In reality standing on public transport would cause me excrutiating pain, and on a number of occasions when I have had to stand, has resulted in the service being delayed whilst an amubulance was called.

Whilst I would be happy to speak up and say that I really do need the seat I am sat in, I would not be happy to divulge to a train/bus full of strangers the details of my condition, and to be quite honest in that situation most people just want to rant at you, and aren't bothered about hearing why anyway.

You can't judge a book by it's cover, and not all disabled people fit the stereotype look.

Also it's not as if there wasn't space on the train, okay it was by the toilets, which isn't the most pleasant, but knowing the cleanliness of public transport I have used, I wouldn't class any of it as hygenic or clean.

JReacher1

kathrynha wrote: »

If I had been sat in one of those seats I wouldn't have moved unless there was another seat available.

People will look at me and see a youngish femalequite capable of standing.
In reality standing on public transport would cause me excrutiating pain, and on a number of occasions when I have had to stand, has resulted in the service being delayed whilst an amubulance was called.

Whilst I would be happy to speak up and say that I really do need the seat I am sat in, I would not be happy to divulge to a train/bus full of strangers the details of my condition, and to be quite honest in that situation most people just want to rant at you, and aren't bothered about hearing why anyway.

You can't judge a book by it's cover, and not all disabled people fit the stereotype look.

Also it's not as if there wasn't space on the train, okay it was by the toilets, which isn't the most pleasant, but knowing the cleanliness of public transport I have used, I wouldn't class any of it as hygenic or clean.

If you caught a bus in the NE you probably wouldn't be able to seat in the disabled section as some people just sit there for their own personal convenience.

It doesn't seem like you fit their criteria of someone who should be allowed to sit in these seats

Pollycat

JReacher1 wrote: »

If you caught a bus in the NE you probably wouldn't be able to seat in the disabled section as some people just sit there for their own personal convenience.

It doesn't seem like you fit their criteria of someone who should be allowed to sit in these seats

Yep, I guess you're insinuating that those people in the North East just can't be trusted to give up their seats to non-visibly disabled people.

Not sure what Geordies would make of that slur on their character.

Maybe it's a good job I don't live in the North East. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

And how many more times do you need it pointing out to you?
And it's not a 'disabled' section.

It's a space for a wheelchair if required or a baby buggy if not.

Jeez! What a slow learner you are!

Nothing so sad as someone trying to score cheap points and getting it wrong. :dance:

It's just a pity you think trying to score cheap (very cheap) points is more important than commenting on the alleged actual incident as described above.
But why am I nor surprised at that...?

JReacher1

Pollycat wrote: »

Yep, I guess you're insinuating that those people in the North East just can't be trusted to give up their seats to non-visibly disabled people.

Not sure what Geordies would make of that slur on their character.

Maybe it's a good job I don't live in the North East. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

And how many more times do you need it pointing out to you?
And it's not a 'disabled' section.

It's a space for a wheelchair if required or a baby buggy if not.

Jeez! What a slow learner you are!

Nothing so sad as someone trying to score cheap points and getting it wrong. :dance:

It's just a pity you think trying to score cheap (very cheap) points is more important than commenting on the alleged actual incident as described above.
But why am I nor surprised at that...?

I apologise I didn't notice the word "midlands" from your location.

As a cultural point not everyone from the NE is a Geordie so its a bit insulting to refer to them as such.

Your digs aside it still doesn't address the fundamental problem with you is that you choose (through laziness) to sit in the disabled section of a bus. You then decide when people get on whether they deserve the section more than yourself. If they pass this criteria you then move. People who are not instantly identifiable as needing those seats would be forced to sit somewhere else (or stand) just because you are not prepared to walk a bit further down the bus and sit in a standard seat.

I find that behaviour absolutely shocking!

Fuzzy_Duck

This reminds me of something I experienced on a bus a few years ago, and I'm still angry with myself for not speaking up.

A blind lady with her guide dog boarded the bus and sat in the disabled seating area. Shortly afterwards two women got on with prams, took one look at the blind woman in what they perceived to be their seats, and both of them grabbed one of her arms each. They hauled her into one of the seats opposite, talking in syrupy tones about how she was better off there. These were the regular seats however with no room for her dog, who stuck out in the aisle. As if that wasn't bad enough, when they got off the bus they ran over the poor dog's paws with their prams.