tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post6054907589748329766..comments2023-11-25T01:12:34.326+00:00Comments on Benefit Scrounging Scum: 2 wheelie women, 1 wheelie space #nogobritain BenefitScroungingScumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08939136229593231935noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-50170117137404141042013-08-05T20:08:02.193+01:002013-08-05T20:08:02.193+01:00I've found First ScotRail terribly sloppy abou...I've found First ScotRail terribly sloppy about this sort of thing; even reserving a seat is no guarantee of getting one. I once found someone occupying my reserved seat - only to be told the ticket collector had told him to sit there and ignore the reservation! No reason, he'd just decided to overrule the system for his own whim.<br /><br />Booking disabled assistance is a lottery too; last time my (disabled) grandfather booked it for changing trains at Edinburgh, it simply failed to show up. My brother's had even worse experiences changing planes with crutches, including being relegated to a back seat "so he won't get in the way in an emergency". I'm still surprised he got through that holiday without any airport staff being found with crutch-marks...<br /><br />A shame they seem to have talked over/about the woman in question: you'd think in that rĂ´le they would know not to!Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-37979716694795751412013-07-19T13:41:58.597+01:002013-07-19T13:41:58.597+01:00This is such a depressing story. It sucks that the...This is such a depressing story. It sucks that the world is so poorly set up for anyone who is anything other than perfectly "able" that we have started to turn on each other! <br /><br />The comment above that says careers and PAs have a hard job - I second that. I know how distressing it for my partner when I can't sit, or if I am somewhere she knows will cause me pain later. I think it's harder for her to watch me struggle that it is for me to go through it. I have tablets and sedatives to make it manageable. She has to constantly watch and be aware of it and of me. <br /><br />Lets turn the frustration and anger towards the right people. The people who can make changes - not the ones suffering with us!! <br /><br />Fribitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01471150941925427401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-71306328096275897152013-07-19T11:11:06.675+01:002013-07-19T11:11:06.675+01:00My wife was using a wheelchair as a post-op patien...My wife was using a wheelchair as a post-op patient having had surgery on her spine, we were travelling to Spain to visit my elderly father. I booked space on the train for my wife and assistance. I got the wheelchair space and very little assistance from the station staff of Southern Rail. <br /><br />Half way through our journey to the airport a woman in a non-foldable chair got on, saw my wife and was astonished. She said nothing of it and parked herself opposite where the cycles normally go. <br /><br />When we were chatting about different things, I mentioned how helpful the train managers were, but I was surprised that they had allowed a double booking for wheelchairs. "Oh, I never book the chair space, there's not normally anyone using it, so I don't bother!"Anthony Turtlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07993116878999713674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-38547454363103341402013-07-18T11:10:21.874+01:002013-07-18T11:10:21.874+01:00Well done for working out an amicable solution wit...Well done for working out an amicable solution with the other person! I have encountered situations where I'm happy to shuffle over to accomodate a second wheelchair user or even a baby in a buggy, but some Jobsworth tells the other person to get off the bus because I was there first (without asking me first). It strikes me as "Does He Take Sugar", others making decisions about my life, my space, without first consulting me.JLThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17897134202782013542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-37193198921164063672013-07-17T18:47:12.387+01:002013-07-17T18:47:12.387+01:00What a horrid, horrid situation to be in! You migh...What a horrid, horrid situation to be in! You might not feel able to say it, but that bloke and PA sucked! If the other person didn't need one of them next to her, as she said, they had no business trying to intimidate you. Sometimes people can be so thoughtless and make life even harder than it needs be for us. I'm sorry that it happened. Shirleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17836191339067634906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-53552129310168095712013-07-17T16:56:56.159+01:002013-07-17T16:56:56.159+01:00Whilst not in any way condoning the carers' ac...Whilst not in any way condoning the carers' actions, I have some sympathy with them. They probably struggle on a quotidian basis to assist the lady. They probably were lulled into a false sense of security thinking the travel arrangements had been sorted. When these arrangements so obviously and publicly failed there were probably feelings of guilt and injured pride.<br /><br />One of my carers has occasionally snapped angrily at others for their ignorance or treatment of myself. I always reproach him, as it is threatening especially to women.<br /><br />Carers are as fallible as the rest of us however hard they try to be saints. It's a tough job. %)Criquaerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05674014458662056474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-53239664233408848902013-07-17T12:21:02.472+01:002013-07-17T12:21:02.472+01:00Ugh, nasty, and I can see myself not being too muc...Ugh, nasty, and I can see myself not being too much help if faced with aggression, but hopefully I, and most people, would have had the sense not to initiate it in the first place! (OTOH it's not purely a male thing, I know a woman or two who would - and have - been as aggressive in my defence on occasion!)<br /><br />I don't need to book the wheelchair space, so I've never had an incident with other disabled people, but I probably find people in my pre-booked seat about once every other trip, mostly they're fine about moving, or there's another seat that's as convenient for me, but sometimes you get people who will move, but are clearly reluctant - I guess that territorial <i>possession is 9/10s of the law</i> is buried just below the surface in most of us. <br /><br />(On purely inadvertent aggression terms I must admit to once accidentally clouting the lady opposite on the temple with my crutch as I tried to put it up on the luggage rack. I couldn't have apologised more, but she wasn't best pleased)DavidGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734028655032503805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-11422376967192732892013-07-17T10:58:47.837+01:002013-07-17T10:58:47.837+01:00Completely unacceptable behaviour from the other w...Completely unacceptable behaviour from the other wheelchair user's husband and PA. If this had been another male wheelchair user who could transfer (we both know one), that could easily have led to them getting physically aggressive with him, regardless of his agreement with the lady, as they obviously weren't prepared to do with you. And it clearly wasn't your fault or the other lady's but Virgin's, who not only should have booked it properly but should really think about providing more than one wheelchair space per train -- it's not like a bus where the next one will be along in 5 minutes and will also have a wheelchair space.<br /><br />I hope the lady gave her husband and carer a good talking-to once you were gone. Then again, I worry for her as they clearly weren't willing to respect an agreement between the two of you, both competent adults, which makes me wonder if she's in a position to reason with them.Matthew Smithhttp://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/noreply@blogger.com