Public opinion

It is best to ‘play by the rules’. Although this blog post is a personal opinion, I aim to offer correct advice.

If you are in a wheelchair at a bus stop, it is best to just hail the bus when it arrives. Then, if overloaded with buggies, it is up to the bus driver and passengers to decide whether they ‘play by the rules’.

It is unwise just to accept a bus driver wave you away, saying that there is no room. All the time, make the bus stop, proceed to the side, and just wait for the boarding ramp to eject. It will. This then piles the pressure upon passengers to ‘play by the rules’. Make the decision yourself, will the rules allow you on?

The chances are that they will, but don’t let it become the bus driver’s choice (sometimes they are just too lazy to enforce ‘their’ rules).

Essentially, you must remember that these ‘recommended actions’ are not ‘rules’ anyway, so a bus driver cannot enforce anything. The general public opinion however, will aid you. So make sure the passengers call the shots…

Falling door

‘Look Mummy! The door fell down!’

A statement made by a young child, after I had left the bus and bus-stop, in Kingston, the other week. The mother then confirmed what I had predicted.
‘No, Tommy, that is called a ramp.’

This experience made me realise how I was accustomed to this ramp, having been introduced to it in my rehabilitation home (4 years ago), and used it ever since. I can now realise just how important this fairly new device, is.
OK, boarding ramps still need to be manually positioned on trains, but the recent advancements in ‘universal design’, are quite incredible. My ‘power-wheelchair’ is obviously the key, however this ‘falling door’ is also a wonderful  advancement that both encourages and allows for further independence of disabled people. Once the ramp has been used, the bus boarded, one’s horizons are expanded hugely, and ‘disabilities’ become ‘abilities’. 

a TFL bus trip by wheelchair

Four buses,

outside parliament.

Wheelchair access & avoiding stairs

TfL says:

We're introducing more and more step-free access, but it's important to plan your step-free route in advance and check before you travel, in case of disruptions.

TfL provide useful maps to help plan your route, at the website linked below.

How to plan

Now, I speak with personal opinion.

It is so important for wheelchair users to plan meticulously well, every trip that is to be made. OK, everyone plans, but we (wheelchair users) must realise that things go wrong, problems occur. Once completed, we can realise with glee, how easy these trips are. Yes, there are ever growing possibilities, for us. If planned, more and more is able for the disabled.

times are a changing...

Personally, I had the most unusual experience, the other day.  I was hailing the 281 bus, in my wheelchair, in Kingston. The bus looked empty, and I exchanged affirmative smiles with the bus driver, who pointed me back towards the ramp. All good.

I position myself alongside the ramp, and I see commotion inside the bus. Hmm, there are two buggies (occupied) aboard. Fair enough, I will wait for another. However, It seems that, to my surprise,  both mothers are trying to move the buggies, and are  creating space for me, a wheelchair! They successfully manage to do so! I board the bus.

Wow!

Times are a changing!

where are we?...

but...



Colours for London

London =

Accessible Kingston =

?

'That sign' again

Hmm. ‘That sign’, again. TransportForLondon do correctly seem to pride themselves on their high level of accessible communication of information and advice. Personally, I had a very new and unusual experience whilst travelling by bus yesterday.

I was at the bus stop and successfully hailed my bus, on arrival.  The bus stopped, the ramp ejected from the side, and I boarded. I ended up parking opposite ‘that sign’, facing the window. I had to face sideways, as the ‘wheelchair space’ was occupied by a Baby buggy. I had no problem with this, I was fine.

I look left, down at the buggy, and it is empty! Huh? Empty!...

I was fine in the position that I was so, made no complaints, but confused. A mother then walked up to me and offered to fold the buggy and remove it, but as I felt comfortable in my position, I declined, telling her that there was no need to dismantle it . I was still confused, what should I have done? I checked ‘that sign’ (displaying rules/suggestions). Nowhere does it say that a ‘baby buggy’ has to be occupied. A separate  sign talks about ‘wheelchair users’, so it assumes that wheelchairs  will be occupied, but baby buggies, no… Nowhere are baby buggy users, or babies, talked about. Passengers are left to make up their own rules!  

The next forum...

... will be held at 

Sessions House

17 Ewell Road

Surbiton

KT6 6A

What: Your chance to join our group discussing a range of topics to with transport in our borough.  The forum purposes are listed at the bottom, in the right-hand column.

When:  Tuesday 6th May, 4.00pm

Who: The forum is open to all who wish to attend. 

How: If you do want to attend, please email theo.harris@kcil.org.uk