Public transport: sometimes Hell!

[Andrea_Shapiro]

I'm fortunate enough to have a travel pass, which covers the whole of the Merseyside network. I usually use my motability car, but avoid it when going into town because of parking charges. I used public transport all the time until being made redundant 3 months ago. Well! How rude people are! I waited for a bus on which I could actually sit down. When I got on with my stick, someone moved for me & I thanked her. The older woman next to her was more unhappy, and made a point of shoving me out of the way, and had a mouth like a cat's arsehole

[Hidden]

Thats bad they mistakenly assume because you are young you dont need a seat ?!

I am assuming if you have a motabiltiy car that you have a blue badge?. does not that gain you free or reduced parking anywere In mersyside?

Mind you saying that I have recently been granted a blue badge and you still pay half the parking charge in town public car parks in wales! x

[julieporter]

I use the bus and i always find it's the old people who tut and pull faces when i get on with my stick.Just smile sweetly!!!

In my area if you have a blue badge you can get a free bus pass but you still have to pay normal car park charges in the city centre(£8.00 daily) .Thats why i get the bus.

[Hidden]

I use my electric wheelchair when out on bus journeys or long journeys so I can manage the journey,

However doing this I not only get problems with other passengers but nine. OUt of. ten bus drivers are a nightmare too.

They pull up at the stop not close enough over the pavement so I can't drive on so then I have to ask for them to lower the ramp. Which means them getting off there arses! So I get either a big tut, a dirty look or a mutter or even ones who start reversing the bus and trying to get closer to the kerb lol

Then you have the passengers you have the old people who are sat in the pull down seats were the wheelchair space is who have to move and find it disgraceful they were there first you know!

Then you get the people who come on with a pram, most bus drivers tell them they have a wheelchair on and if they want to come on they need to fold the pram up. Needless to say the bus driver then gets abuse. they fold there pram up but RAM it into my legs as they do it.

I could go on all day about how bad people on buses can be lol, good job I can laugh at it.

Another one not bus related was in our local post office in my wheelchair and a an old lady approached me and said were have you got that from, I asked her what she was refering to and she said my wheelchair so I explained my doctors got it for me then she turned to the postmaster and said I'm 83 and could do with resting my legs but no doctor would give me one! I wanted to say but how do you know I can walk without the chair but let her go on with herself that she had been through a war and here I was in a bloody wheelchair when older people should get them! Needless to say when she went the postmaster apologized but it wasn't him who needed too.

[Andrea_Shapiro in reply to Hidden]

I've had a lot of the pram experience! I've had demanded of me, "Gerrout me way! I need this for me baby!" I've always relocated to another seat, and heard tutting that would indicate a level of support for the disabled woman moving down the bus to make way for Vicky Pollard. I'd perform a victory leap over the velour seats, if I could. I try to tread heavily on their feet when I get off. It's little pleasures such as this that sometimes gets me through the day!

[Hidden in reply to Andrea_Shapiro]

That's given me an idea now I will try wheeling over there feet next time

[sylvi]

I'm now a user of a electric scooter as i'm still not allowed to drive. Have given my car up as it was costing me too much money sitting in the garage. I have manage the bus once, it was so much hassle i don't think i'll bother again. I might try the train next,but i'm not holding out much hope,my husband works on the railway and he says that every train should have a ramp.

Sylvia. x

[Hidden in reply to sylvi]

I'm not allowed to drive either.

I find using my electric wheelchair better for longer distances and for fitting on buses etc than my scooter was.

I too have not tried the train yet, let me know how you get on x x

[sylvi in reply to Hidden]

I think i'm going to coventry next week with my daughter and her friend so we'll see how that goes. Everywhere you go is difficult for us disabled folk. I complained to the council yesterday about the dustmen leaving the bins all over the path so i had to travel on the road. That and the gas works going on in bedworth. I also moaned about the drop kerbs that are supposed to help. They are still too high and dangerous to use. The chittys are a mess as well as uneven. I don't know about you but i feel every bump in the road and it goes through me and it hurts as well. The upshot is she is getting the surveyor to come and have a look. I told her that he wants to drive one road the village and see how hard it is. Will update you when i hear anything. I don't need a wheelchair happily,but the scooter is bad enough. I hate that, but i need it. Its good for what it does and i wouldn't be without it, even though i don't like it.

[Hidden]

I have tried trains I can walk with reduced moblitiy I struggled to get on and off there is a big gap between the train and the platform and a big drop down between the two.. it was v difficult.. X