[Travel] PEOPLE FAKING DISABILITY/INJURY ON TRAIN RAMP

[METALMICKY]

I witnessed all this yesterday. I left at the final whistle and as I made my way down toward platform 2, more and more people seemed to be crossing over to the disabled side. As I reached the final bit before getting on the platform, an Eastbourne train was there and a bloke and his daughter both wearing Liverpool shirts decided to cross over to the disabled side and an Albion supporter behind me got quite irate and called them out. They weren't the only ones who crossed over and none of the platform staff attempted to stop anyone. The guy behind carried on and then then remonstrated with the staff, one of whom threatened him that if he carried on he wouldn't be getting on a train at all and then pointed him out to a couple of British Transport Police officers. The Eastbourne train pulled off and I got on to the platform in time for the 1616 to Seaford which was cancelled.

The incident I witnessed was us all waiting for the platform to clear so we could catch the 5.05 train to Eastbourne.

 

[Horses Arse]

Back in the first few seasons you would get waved along that aisle if you had a small child with you, took me by surprise but was very handy.

On the flight from Nice airport on Saturday night a bunch of Americans walked up and in front of me as I was about to move on to passport control. "We've got speedypass" one of them said in the most american way possible. As they were a group with boarding passes on one phone they all had to go through passport together - so they still ended up behind us. I've always wondered who would ever pay for a speedy pass on an easyjet flight that won't make you fly any earlier/sooner. The answer is Americans it seems.

 

[Questions]

Of course I know the point you were making, but you shouldn't be saying "solidly built black chap", you should just say "solidly built chap". Adding "black" in there implies that part of the reason that the steward can handle himself is because he's black, and 'we all know those black fellas like a good scrap, right?' No.

Bet he was selling drugs.

 

[Questions]

People who aren’t disabled but wish to park in a disabled bay should have their wish granted.

I’ll happily help their dream come true.

My wife has a blue badge so we always park in the disabled bays. On Friday I parked in one outside Morrisons on my own without thinking …. I realised what I had done when I came out and had to do a lopsided walk back to the motor.

 

[WATFORD zero]

So are you going to engage the Gareth Keenan process of sticking pins in their legs or shouting fire to see if they can run? Not all disabilities are physical you know

Bit of a lull in the political career Timmy ?

 

[JBizzle]

Out of interest, how disabled/injured do you need to look before you can use the ramp? Is there a handy scale we can use? Should we all demand those using the ramp wear their blue badge around their neck and limp, just to make sure?

 

[East Staffs Gull]

Scrapping it and allowing the few legitimate walking disabled to use the side entrance at the bottom of the steps would be ideal. Doubling undercover capacity on rainy days would be a side benefit of that. Probably not possible though due to the need for an accessible ramp.

My initial thought was what a stupid suggestion, but thinking it through I struggle to find a rationale for the ‘fast lane’, other than perhaps providing assistance for people with mental or physical conditions that make standing in a queue difficult and for people in wheelchairs. There is no actual difference between the two lanes. I’d be inclined to either retain it for wheelchair use solely, or allow everyone to use both lanes and have a wider platform access gate at the bottom. As well as getting more people undercover, it would reduce congestion on the bridge and reduce the need for special stewarding on the ramp. If they don’t make changes, they need to properly police the fast lane and only allow people with genuine need to use it, rather than anyone with any form of disability and their entourages.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Out of interest, how disabled/injured do you need to look before you can use the ramp? Is there a handy scale we can use? Should we all demand those using the ramp wear their blue badge around their neck and limp, just to make sure?

As someone who has a disability, I’ve been told on many occasions before that I’m not disabled enough for such things. There is usually a scale, including for the blue badge for cars.

Its pleasant being disabled enough to suffer discrimination but not disabled enough to get the benefits. I’m the disabled equivalent of a mixed race person.

 

[zeetha]

As a side effect of osteoarthritis, I find standing still or a slow shuffle very difficult as well as steps particularly going down so being able to access the ramp after the game is very helpful to me. I use a stick, so hopefully nobody is doubting my need to use it. I don't qualify for a blue badge though so wouldn't be able to 'prove' my disability though I could show you the scars on my knees from various ops if that woudl help?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That fast track queue needs some kind of firm policing by the club I'd have thought. Else the usual Clevor Trevers will just take the piss. Make them show a club-approved wristband, QR code, some old thing. That's one of the few bucks the club can't just pass back to their rail company 'partners' shirley?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Without trying to derail the thread, as someone who can’t bear QT because of her, I’m genuinely curious. What did she say?

She pointed out several people in the audience with their hands up, man with the pink shirt, lady with the yellow top etc but then said black man with the blue top.
There was no need to reference his skin colour in any way shape or form.
Apparently, she has contacted him to apologise.


Please be careful targetting people in disabled parking bays. I used to take my mother shopping on a Monday afternoon, to Asda. A couple of times, I'd taken her inside, helped her get a trolley, and she'd forgotten something in the car. I popped back to the car, displaying a blue badge, but still got terse remarks about why I needed it.
Pointing out, it was my mother's badge and she was inside, didn't produce a sorry, but a humph!

 

[JBizzle]

As someone who has a disability, I’ve been told on many occasions before that I’m not disabled enough for such things. There is usually a scale, including for the blue badge for cars.

Its pleasant being disabled enough to suffer discrimination but not disabled enough to get the benefits. I’m the disabled equivalent of a mixed race person.

I can only imagine. I know enough people who have disabilities that aren't visible that have received dogs abuse for using disabled spaced and services. It's why, as a general view, I try not to question usage of those amenities.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

She pointed out several people in the audience with their hands up, man with the pink shirt, lady with the yellow top etc but then said black man with the blue top.
There was no need to reference his skin colour in any way shape or form.
Apparently, she has contacted him to apologise.


Please be careful targetting people in disabled parking bays. I used to take my mother shopping on a Monday afternoon, to Asda. A couple of times, I'd taken her inside, helped her get a trolley, and she'd forgotten something in the car. I popped back to the car, displaying a blue badge, but still got terse remarks about why I needed it.
Pointing out, it was my mother's badge and she was inside, didn't produce a sorry, but a humph!

Thanks for the first paragraph reply.

As for the second, nothing to do with me, never said a dicky bird

 

[Justice]

I actually called out a bloke on this at Asda last week it really pisses me off , big Range in a disabled bay NO badge, I pulled next to him with my with my mum who has a disabled badge just as he was heading into the store, I said “ some disability’s are invisible, but all disabled badges are not” his reply, “what are are you going to do about it” my reply “ I already have done something about it, I’ve called you out which is going to irritate you for the rest of the day” told me to f*** off and mind my own business while he took himself and his five bellies into McDonald’s at 3pm in the afternoon!

Trouble with doing things like that these days is you are risking getting stabbed all over a blue badge argument. I mentioned this to a busy body who came over to my window when my car wasn’t running too well and didn’t want to risk turning the engine off until I had got home. I was on the phone to my mechanic and the Karen was screaming about how I was destroying the planet etc etc. Lucky for him I’m reasonably sane someone else would stick a knife in him without a second thought.

 

[Gazwag]

I'm more upset about the use of capital letters

 

[dazzer6666]

I'm more upset about the use of capital letters

There you go, attacking something that might have been done to help those with limited vision.………

 

[Colonel Mustard]

As a side effect of osteoarthritis, I find standing still or a slow shuffle very difficult as well as steps particularly going down so being able to access the ramp after the game is very helpful to me. I use a stick, so hopefully nobody is doubting my need to use it. I don't qualify for a blue badge though so wouldn't be able to 'prove' my disability though I could show you the scars on my knees from various ops if that woudl help?

If you have a wristband, nobody should question your right to use the fast lane as you will have had to apply to the club for an exemption and presumably they will have been satisfied that you qualify — either as disabled or as a helper. This goes for anyone with an invisible disability eg severe anxiety in crowds (though I guess you’d have to explain why attending matches is wise in the first place but that’s another matter).

The bigger issue for me is helpers. I’ve been in the slow lane when a group of 5 or 6 adults accompanying one disabled child have walked up the fast lane. When someone questioned it, one of them said "We’re all in the same group". The way they hurried past, heads down, clearly indicated to me that they knew they were taking the piss. I can’t see how the club would have issued 7 wristbands for 1 disabled child so obviously no one checked them as they entered the fast lane.

 

[dazzer6666]

If you have a wristband, nobody should question your right to use the fast lane as you will have had to apply to the club for an exemption and presumably they will have been satisfied that you qualify — either as disabled or as a helper. This goes for anyone with an invisible disability eg severe anxiety in crowds (though I guess you’d have to explain why attending matches is wise in the first place but that’s another matter).

The bigger issue for me is helpers. I’ve been in the slow lane when a group of 5 or 6 adults accompanying one disabled child have walked up the fast lane. When someone questioned it, one of them said "We’re all in the same group". The way they hurried past, heads down, clearly indicated to me that they knew they were taking the piss. I can’t see how the club would have issued 7 wristbands for 1 disabled child so obviously no one checked them as they entered the fast lane.

There aren’t any formal checks……stewards just look people up and down and let them through in my experience (I’ve taken an elderly neighbour - walks with sticks - to a few games and got the train back to Lewes, was never challenged or even asked a question just let through)

 

[Colonel Mustard]

There aren’t any formal checks……stewards just look people up and down and let them through in my experience (I’ve taken an elderly neighbour - walks with sticks - to a few games and got the train back to Lewes, was never challenged or even asked a question just let through)

I thought you’re supposed to have a wristband? Is this not checked?

 

[queens park pete]

The problem with the “fast lane” is that it is self selecting rather than being managed - what should the club do? Ask for evidence of disability before entry?

Probably just get rid of it tbh, I’ve only ever seen it been used by people to skip the queue.

My son uses it. He's got about nine inches of one leg missing. Without asking him to adjust his trousers, how would you know whether he's a queue skipper or not?