Railcards and discrimination

sarich100

Not qualifying for any sort of railcard valid on routes in East Anglia (although unemployed, I'm either too old, not old enough and I'm able-bodied), got me feeling that I'm being discriminated against. I don't begrudge a disabled person their Disabled Person's Railcard, but I don't know why they should get cheaper railfares than me.

Does anyone know the basis for the Disabled Person's card and has it ever been subject to a legal challenge as being discriminatory?

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Perhaps because generally disabled people don't have the same opportunities as able-bodied people and are generally less well off?

womble100

maybe if you get a job you can pay full price like working people.:D

Inactive

Agreed, get off of your backside and get a job, stop worrying about those that cannot.

brightonman123

i can see the OP's point- able bodied persons are not getting the same deals / services that may only be available to 'lesser mortals'..

oldsongsnewstereo

I hate to break it to you but in no way, shape or form is this discrimination.

Your just making a fool of yourself.

anewman

I seem to remember there was some sort of pass or cheap fares you could get as an unemployed person in Leeds. I think the idea was to help you find work. Not sure if it's still about.

Best you can do to get cheap fares is book in advance and travel at off-peak times.

sarich100

Well that got some of you excited! Of course the point is that walk-up 'railcard' fares are not universally available. If I lived in the south-east of England as I used to to do, I could get 1/3rd off all off-peak fares centred on London. There's nothing like that in East Anglia, as a result of which our rail service probably has pound-per-mile some of the most expensive fares in the UK.

Conor_3

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

Perhaps because generally disabled people don't have the same opportunities as able-bodied people and are generally less well off?

Less well off? Not around here they're not. They tend to do quite nicely out of it.

esuhl

It's simply to do with social welfare. Those with a disability are less likely to be able to drive, so may be isolated without public transport. They are more likely to be limited in their choice of employment (due to travelling, physical or mental ability, etc.). Fare discounts are supposed to compensate or counteract the unfairness of one's personal circumstances.

Obviously everyone (able/disabled) is different and has different needs, so I don't mean to generalise, but generalisation is the only way that legislation/policy can be applied.

Would you begrudge someone who had £50,000 of life-saving surgery because the hospital hadn't given you £50,000 to spend as you like?

lisyloo

Does anyone know the basis for the Disabled Person's card

My understanding is that disabled people are given these benefits because they are less likely to be able to use other options available to able-bodied people e.g. they are less likely to be able to use walking or cycling options.

In some cases this doesn't seem very practical
e.g. It's thoerectically possible to walk or cycle across the severn bridge but very windy so whilst thoerectically the option is there it's unliekly to be practical for many able-bodied people.
Simiarly able-bodied people cannot for most pracitcal purposes walk or cycle a 200 mile trip, neither could a mother with small toddlers.

So it seems to me that the inital initention was good but doesn't always hold true and there is certainly some policitcal correctness involved.

My own personal opinion is that disabled people generally have enough to cope with so deserve all the help they can get and able-bodied people shouldbe grateful to be in that posistion.
Most disabled people I know are very hardworking and quite hardy when it comes to taking time off work (as used to pain).
Most that I know do actually work for a lving and try to be as independent as possible.