Well all I wanted to do was book a train from where I live to Loughborough to attend a training course for a job I've just got. Just how hard can that be?
A Non Disabled Person's Experience of booking a train ticket:
A non disabled person would go to a train website, put in the details of where/when they want to travel, pick the appropriate tickets and pay for them.
Bingo! Job done.
Time taken: less than 5 mins.
A Disabled Person's Experience of booking a train ticket:
A disabled person would go to a train website, put in the details of where/when they want to travel, pick out the appropriate tickets they'd like to book...
Armed with this information they would then have to ring to book the tickets and assistance on a special assistance line.
They would have to go through all the relevant details, bit by bit. [In my case I'd have to argue for a while about needing to take a mobility scooter on the train - something I've done numerous times without an issue at the station]. Once they'd gone through this then they would book the tickets. Then they would have to go back over all the details again to book the assistance, bit by bit.
Time taken: about 30 mins.
But the problem with the journey I wanted to do was that it involved a leg with East Midlands Trains. The man at South West Trains who I use to book my tickets and assistance with insisted I called East Midlands Trains before booking...
So I call East Midlands Trains, I'm immediately told they have a very stringent scooter policy, health and safety and all that.
However, I explain that I have a very small scooter confident they can't possibly have an issue with it. As soon as the scooter name comes out of my mouth the man at the end of the phone says 'No, can't take that one.' He goes on to explain that he personally has seen one tip over on the ramp. I say OK I can walk it up the ramp. No not possible apparently too dangerous.
He suggests I get a wheelchair - but I don't have a wheelchair, I don't want a wheelchair, I already have a scooter which I feel very comfortable and confident on. I would not feel either in a wheelchair.
He then suggests that I could pack the scooter into a carry case [my scooter doesn't have a carry case] and carry it on to the train.
The scooter is 30kg. I'm 4ft tall, about 42kg in weight, all my joints are stiff and deformed, I find steps difficult, I find train steps impossible. As you can imagine carrying a scooter onto the train would be very difficult for me - and what about my health and safety? East Midlands rules clearly doesn't apply to me? Cheers.
I'm told the trains weren't built for taking scooters and that the man's own partner has a disability and can't travel on her scooter on the trains as if though that will make me feel better - it doesn't, it makes me feel angry - so she's not allowed on the trains either - there's another name for this Discrimination [under the guise of Health and Safety].
So Thank You East Midlands Trains for pulling out all the stops so I CAN'T travel on your trains, you've been SO helpful.
I'm going to drive.
