Handicapped Woman's Wheelchair Didn't Fit On Train - Forced To Crawl To Seat - Passengers Do Nothing

[matcom]

<snip>

A train operator has apologised after a Cornwall woman's wheelchair could not fit through compartment doors, forcing her to crawl to her seat.

Edna Flambard, of Helston, was told beforehand that her wheelchair would fit on the train to London.

But instead it had to be stored in the guard's van for the journey, leaving Mrs Flambard unable to use it.

First Great Western said a revamp had left access to first class carriages too narrow, which they would rectify.

Mrs Flambard has used a wheelchair since suffering a stroke five years ago.

Her husband accompanies her on regular trips to London to attend a clinic at St Thomas' Hospital.

She said she was so upset by having to crawl through the carriage that she would be driving in future.

She said: "It was a full train. Everybody wanted to help and nobody could.

"They were so embarrassed that they couldn't look at me."

Mr Flambard said it was also difficult not having access to the wheelchair during the journey.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6702869.stm

[rug]

1. This wouldn't have happened if Billyskank wasn't locked in the toilet.

[DS1]

2. This wouldn't have happened if that wheelchair had guns on it

Besides, she couldn't bring herself to still in the coach class, so crawling to a seat in first class was the only option?

What an uptight bitch!

[Inchworm]

3. I hope she takes the same train every day

or they will forget all about what she went through.

[querelle]

4. Ooooh! That Infuriates Me!

Sadly I see it everyday on my commute to work. Able bodied people who refuse to give up their seats or assist the elderly and disabled are lower than scum. It's days like that I REALLY want to blieve in karma.

Q

:grr:

[pitohui]

5. did you actually read the story?

the passengers did nothing wrong, there was nothing they could do, the woman says that they wanted to help but couldn't

the train was screwed up, the doors were put on wrong, so that the wheelchair could not go into the compartment at all, the woman had no way to get into the compartment at all except to crawl

nothing to do with pax refusing to give up seats, everything to do w. a train company that didn't measure twice before it hung the doors

they say they are going to fix the doors and the problem will be solved, apparently they have now discovered several first class cabins of these trains were hung with the wrong door width

i don't know what the pax were supposed to do about all this? bash the door out with their fists?

[DS1]

8. Option

Get a refund for the difference of the coast between first and coach class, and sit with the povs.

Seems pretty simple to me.

In other news, some people would walk a mile to smoke a camel, and this person would crawl 30 feet to not sit with poor people.

[LibDemAlways]

6. Something not computing here. Judging by her

photo she's a fairly small person. No one could lift her to help her into a seat near the door? Or did she refuse to be assisted that way? The article is unclear.

As for not helping someone with a mobility problem, I've experienced that personally when I was on crutches following an ankle injury and had a three year old to contend with. Some people were simply oblivious to what I considered obvious.

[Inchworm]

7. Yea, the story does seem sort of "rantish"

I'm all for awareness in these type situations. It seemed she wanted on, as did the passengers, but the train wasn't able to accommodate her chair.

Apologies were made, and inferences were drawn. Now it is "awarenesses" turn to make sure the renovations are made.

:)

[ThomCat]

11. Unless your job involves lifting people

and you are trained/insured for this kind of work it's likely that nobody was allowed to lift her.

When I fall I don't want anyone untrained carrying me unless it's an emergency, so even if they were willing to carry me I'd probably rather crawl. But that's my personal judgement. Everyone's different. I just think that an untrained person is likely to just make things worse.

[Richard Steele]

10. Perhaps no one was ALLOWED to lift her...

I've heard of such situations here in the US-
the driver/conductor can't lift and carry someone,
nor can they allow their passengers to do so.

They are SPECIFICALLY told this during their
job training- because their liability insurance
won't cover it if they accidentally drop or
injure someone while doing that.

[LibDemAlways]

12. Understandable, though it's difficult to see why the

personnel on the train wouldn't do everything possible to at least find a seat for her closer to the door. The personnel I've encountered on trains in Britain were all unfailingly polite and accommodating. If the people on that train all wanted to help, as the woman stated, then somebody could certainly have prevented that 30 yard crawl by surrendering their seat at the request of an employee - especially since there was apparently an open seat 30 yards further up.

[nini]

9. airlines use a narrow type lift thingie to carry passengers to their seats

it looks like a dolly used to move refrigerators, but with a seat - why can't this fucking train get one of those?

Baby jeebus is crying :cry: