'No room' on train for Paralympian

[Bantamzen]

The point you are missing is there was plenty of room on the train as many other (able bodied) people got on.

Trains are never completely full, so yes if someone will not move to allow a disabled person to use the wheelchair space, then tough - choose between moving to somewhere less comfortable or standing on the platform and wait for the next train.

I have boarded plenty of trains that have been full to bursting, there are plenty in 2, 3 and even 4 car formations around this neck of the woods. And there are the some of the peak XCs which can be uncomfortably loaded with no room to move in any direction.

 

[Bromley boy]

For walk ups, I've been on a train once which was full and someone offered a seat quickly for me (dad stood up, but that's fair enough). Just once I had a pre booked seat which someone else was in and wouldn't move. Staff gave me a seat in first, which was nice. For that sort of thing, maybe BTP could greet people when they get OFF the train. That would give time to get organised and delay the person not the train.

Thanks for your excellent posting.

This is yet another reminder, as if one were needed, of the unbelievable selfishness of people who will not move from a seat when someone needs it. I’m glad the staff found you a good solution on that occasion.

This sadly does seem to be on the rise as trains become ever more crowded and people seem to be permanently in a hurry and oblivious to their surroundings. I hope a more robust and effective method of enforcement can be found. Ideally this should be treated as seriously as fare evasion.

My Dad always thinks the label people use (able bodied, special needs, handicapped even) is rather lesss important than what they actually do and how they treat you, by the way. So thank you to the people above for the debate about not 'able bodied' - we just took it as people who can't stand up for a long time, which is I think what was meant.

I think your dad is exactly right and, yes, I believe that is certainly what was intended by “able bodied” in the context of this thread. You’ve put it far more succinctly than I managed to!

 

[sefton]

I have boarded plenty of trains that have been full to bursting, there are plenty in 2, 3 and even 4 car formations around this neck of the woods. And there are the some of the peak XCs which can be uncomfortably loaded with no room to move in any direction.

I have never come across a train as full as a tube train, where people are pressed so close in other circumstances they would be arrested and even then more people manage to get on (and that includes after GN's all too frequent disruptions).

 

[Bantamzen]

I have never come across a train as full as a tube train, where people are pressed so close in other circumstances they would be arrested and even then more people manage to get on (and that includes after GN's all too frequent disruptions).

I have on many occasion, believe me. And unlike the tube or even the capital's heavy rail network, there might not be another service along for half an hour or more which means people might be a bit more reluctant to give up their square foot if train.

 

[6Gman]

I have boarded plenty of trains that have been full to bursting, there are plenty in 2, 3 and even 4 car formations around this neck of the woods. And there are the some of the peak XCs which can be uncomfortably loaded with no room to move in any direction.

Meaning?

I don't think any train has ever been so full as to ... actually ... burst!

 

[Bantamzen]

Meaning?

I don't think any train has ever been so full as to ... actually ... burst!

It is a turn of phrase, though I have seen 142s loaded enough it was suprising that they didn't burst. Being pressed against the doors when bouncing along on one as other trains pass is no fun whatsoever!!

 

[WatcherZero]

Meaning?

I don't think any train has ever been so full as to ... actually ... burst!

Been on a few so full they couldn't close the doors!

 

[bramling]

But 99/100 the "packed" train has loads of room on board, it's just that people won't move down the aisle and won't move out of the relative comfort of the perch seats in disabled areas. There's nearly always somewhere to move to.

There are certainly times and places where it's a lot less than 99/100. Some of the worst conflicts I've seen have been classic "can you move down inside"/"we can't" spats. It's certainly not reasonable to assume that there will *always* be room inside, which some people do.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There are certainly times and places where it's a lot less than 99/100. Some of the worst conflicts I've seen have been classic "can you move down inside"/"we can't" spats. It's certainly not reasonable to assume that there will *always* be room inside, which some people do.

Possibly because most of the time there is.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Some of the worst conflicts I've seen have been classic "can you move down inside"/"we can't" spats.

99/100 those spats are caused by someone (usually not the argumentative loudmouth in the door, tbf) who won't move down the aisle when there's plenty of room

 

[Wombat]

Perhaps it depends on where you are, and what you consider to be the minimal humane amount of personal space. My usual morning train, which notionally arrives in Waterloo at 08:30 (hah), is often accompanied by cries of "Can you move down, please?" once it gets towards Clapham Junction. From the vantage point of my seat I'd have to say that "No" would frequently be a reasonable answer. But, yes, if you were to ask "Can you move down, please? And if you don't I will murder your family" then you presumably would manage to get a few more onboard. I suppose that if the question is taken literally it's physically possible but constrained by the amount of discomfort that people are willing to endure.