Tanni Grey-Thompson forced to 'crawl off' train
Discussion
Must admit this is a bit of a shocker as someone who takes being able to get on and off a train for granted.
Tanni Grey-Thompson forced to 'crawl off' train
Am I being a bit naive thinking this sort of issue about needing to plan ahead or risk this sort of thing happening was a thing of the past or is this just a one-off?
Tanni Grey-Thompson forced to 'crawl off' train
Am I being a bit naive thinking this sort of issue about needing to plan ahead or risk this sort of thing happening was a thing of the past or is this just a one-off?
I read this and it was quite shocking. What really made me shake my head though was that there were cleaners on the train who didn't want to or couldn't help "because they weren't insured". Really? What sort of messed up world are we in when common sense can't take over and they say 'bugger that, lets help this lady off the train' or at the very least offer to go find an LNER staff member. Sounds like there were people around who seemed to think watching her crawl out on her own was the best thing to do? If a company was going to punish the staff for helping, perhaps they need to have a word with themselves.
Did anyone know there was a person who needed assistance on that train, we know she missed the train she had planned on getting and arranged assistance for? Did she call ahead to ask for assistance?
Should the station operator supply staff to wait incase someone needs assistance, in my mind the answer to that is no, when ever I have travelled on a train with someone who needs assistance they seem to have been met from the train by a person to help, Not used a bus for years but I imagine it would be much the same.
Unfortunately "Person doesn't ask for assistance and doesn't get any" doesn't make much of a headline.
Should the station operator supply staff to wait incase someone needs assistance, in my mind the answer to that is no, when ever I have travelled on a train with someone who needs assistance they seem to have been met from the train by a person to help, Not used a bus for years but I imagine it would be much the same.
Unfortunately "Person doesn't ask for assistance and doesn't get any" doesn't make much of a headline.
It doesnt make sense, that article
She says there were cleaners on the train who couldnt/woildnt help her
Then she says there was no one around
Then she says "if the train manager hadnt seen her she'd have been forced to pull the emergency cord"
Im confused and think maybe we arent getting the full story and struugle to believe that at a major London terminous there were no station/platform staff on duty that could have assisted her
She says there were cleaners on the train who couldnt/woildnt help her
Then she says there was no one around
Then she says "if the train manager hadnt seen her she'd have been forced to pull the emergency cord"
Im confused and think maybe we arent getting the full story and struugle to believe that at a major London terminous there were no station/platform staff on duty that could have assisted her
biggles330d said:
I read this and it was quite shocking. What really made me shake my head though was that there were cleaners on the train who didn't want to or couldn't help "because they weren't insured". Really? What sort of messed up world are we in when common sense can't take over and they say 'bugger that, lets help this lady off the train' or at the very least offer to go find an LNER staff member. Sounds like there were people around who seemed to think watching her crawl out on her own was the best thing to do? If a company was going to punish the staff for helping, perhaps they need to have a word with themselves.
I heard her interviewed on LBC on the drive home and what she said was they offered to help but she didn't take them up on it as she didn't feel it was fair to ask them to do that when if there had been anything happen as a result they would have got into trouble.Part of the interview is here.
https://x.com/LBC/status/1828465005999648902
She was also at pains to point out that being reasonably well known she's in a very "lucky" position in terms of platform (pardon the pun) to raise awareness about these issues compared to many people who are forced to just get on with it and who can't make a similar fuss and get a similar level of response.
biggles330d said:
I read this and it was quite shocking. What really made me shake my head though was that there were cleaners on the train who didn't want to or couldn't help "because they weren't insured". Really? What sort of messed up world are we in when common sense can't take over and they say 'bugger that, lets help this lady off the train' or at the very least offer to go find an LNER staff member. Sounds like there were people around who seemed to think watching her crawl out on her own was the best thing to do? If a company was going to punish the staff for helping, perhaps they need to have a word with themselves.
I imagine it’s more a case of the cleaners not having access to the special ramps as they are generally locked in their holders and health and safety being what it is, if you ain’t trained, you don’t use it.LNER screwed up. This is Kings Cross not some backwater unmanned station and there would have been staff around especially at that time. Disabled passengers have a hard enough time using our railways as it is so steps should be taken to ensure that they are treated as a priority as a vulnerable user.
Mr Whippy, that’s a horrible vile thing to say. Have a word with yourself and put yourself in someone else’s shoes for a minute and consider how you’d feel in her predicament.
Incidentally not that I'm suggesting it would be deleted but could I please ask that Mr Whippy's "So crawl off?" remains?
Partly because it's a lasting testimony to the sheer nastiness of some people but mostly also because it does highlight nicely how some people view how people with disabilities should be treated - which was part of Grey-Thompson's interview about some of the responses she's received on social media.
Partly because it's a lasting testimony to the sheer nastiness of some people but mostly also because it does highlight nicely how some people view how people with disabilities should be treated - which was part of Grey-Thompson's interview about some of the responses she's received on social media.
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: Incidentally not that I'm suggesting it would be deleted but could I please ask that Mr Whippy's "So crawl off?" remains?
Partly because it's a lasting testimony to the sheer nastiness of some people but mostly also because it does highlight nicely how some people view how people with disabilities should be treated - which was part of Grey-Thompson's interview about some of the responses she's received on social media.
Well said. Partly because it's a lasting testimony to the sheer nastiness of some people but mostly also because it does highlight nicely how some people view how people with disabilities should be treated - which was part of Grey-Thompson's interview about some of the responses she's received on social media.
I hope he thinks again on his post and apologises, We should hold hope that he is a better person than that.
There seem to be several versions of this story. First time I read it this morning she said she had missed the train for which she had booked assistance, the TV interviews don’t mention that and the bits about getting help from cleaners seem to vary.
Clearly she should have had assistance and it’s hard to believe that there weren’t staff available somewhere at Kings Cross. It seems hard to believe that neither the train manager nor another member of staff had passed her during the journey and perhaps that was the opportunity to flag that she would need assistance. If she did so and the train crew just buggered off without checking then, again, shame on them.
She also made the point that the commitment for step free access to trains had been missed time and again but frankly it’s unrealistic to think that would be top of the list of things to put right about our rail network.
Understandably she’s using her profile to make the point, but it seems to me that there were several opportunities on that journey to make sure she was given the assistance she needed.
Clearly she should have had assistance and it’s hard to believe that there weren’t staff available somewhere at Kings Cross. It seems hard to believe that neither the train manager nor another member of staff had passed her during the journey and perhaps that was the opportunity to flag that she would need assistance. If she did so and the train crew just buggered off without checking then, again, shame on them.
She also made the point that the commitment for step free access to trains had been missed time and again but frankly it’s unrealistic to think that would be top of the list of things to put right about our rail network.
Understandably she’s using her profile to make the point, but it seems to me that there were several opportunities on that journey to make sure she was given the assistance she needed.
The question for me is simple
Did she during the journey from the North East to London make contact with LNER or the train manager to make tbem aware that
1. She had missed the train for which she had booked assistance
2. Request that assistance be provided at Kings Cross on arrival of the train she was actually on
And if so what was the response from LNER and if not why did she not
As in said above i dont think we are getting the full facts here
Its very easy to throw stones but its hard to criticise the railway staff if they didnt know she was on the train and needed assistance and she surely has some responsibility there
Further we dont know if when the train manager saw her they offered assistance which she declined or didnt want to wait for
Did she during the journey from the North East to London make contact with LNER or the train manager to make tbem aware that
1. She had missed the train for which she had booked assistance
2. Request that assistance be provided at Kings Cross on arrival of the train she was actually on
And if so what was the response from LNER and if not why did she not
As in said above i dont think we are getting the full facts here
Its very easy to throw stones but its hard to criticise the railway staff if they didnt know she was on the train and needed assistance and she surely has some responsibility there
Further we dont know if when the train manager saw her they offered assistance which she declined or didnt want to wait for
Earthdweller said:
The question for me is simple
Did she during the journey from the North East to London make contact with LNER or the train manager to make tbem aware that
1. She had missed the train for which she had booked assistance
2. Request that assistance be provided at Kings Cross on arrival of the train she was actually on
And if so what was the response from LNER and if not why did she not
As in said above i dont think we are getting the full facts here
Its very easy to throw stones but its hard to criticise the railway staff if they didnt know she was on the train and needed assistance and she surely has some responsibility there
Further we dont know if when the train manager saw her they offered assistance which she declined or didnt want to wait for
A friend of my wife's needs assistance when he travels by train. It is always booked in advance, but often no one turns up. The system doesn't always work.Did she during the journey from the North East to London make contact with LNER or the train manager to make tbem aware that
1. She had missed the train for which she had booked assistance
2. Request that assistance be provided at Kings Cross on arrival of the train she was actually on
And if so what was the response from LNER and if not why did she not
As in said above i dont think we are getting the full facts here
Its very easy to throw stones but its hard to criticise the railway staff if they didnt know she was on the train and needed assistance and she surely has some responsibility there
Further we dont know if when the train manager saw her they offered assistance which she declined or didnt want to wait for
Leon R said:
Pretty sure you are supposed to book this kind of thing in advance so if you miss your train and don’t tell anyone how are they supposed to know to be ready to meet you on a later one?
The train/station operators usually want at least 24 hours notice, but disabled people have a right to 'turn up and go', so as long as the train manager on the train knows they are onboard, all that has to be done is to call ahead to the next station.gruffalo said:
Did anyone know there was a person who needed assistance on that train, we know she missed the train she had planned on getting and arranged assistance for? Did she call ahead to ask for assistance?
Should the station operator supply staff to wait incase someone needs assistance, in my mind the answer to that is no, when ever I have travelled on a train with someone who needs assistance they seem to have been met from the train by a person to help, Not used a bus for years but I imagine it would be much the same.
Unfortunately "Person doesn't ask for assistance and doesn't get any" doesn't make much of a headline.
The only station I have travelled to/from in the UK that employs people for assistance is Euston, all the others are just normal station staff and the majority of the time all they have to do is put a ramp at the door (there is a ramp on every platform).Should the station operator supply staff to wait incase someone needs assistance, in my mind the answer to that is no, when ever I have travelled on a train with someone who needs assistance they seem to have been met from the train by a person to help, Not used a bus for years but I imagine it would be much the same.
Unfortunately "Person doesn't ask for assistance and doesn't get any" doesn't make much of a headline.
What has happened to Tanni, happens a lot on the trains probably multiple times a week. But most of the time it doesn't get reported in the media because they don't have the platform like she does. Broken lifts for platform access is common too.
The aviation industry also has it's issues with regards to accessibility for disabled people including people being left on planes for 20+ minutes after everyone else has disembarked. It happened to me twice in the same day in July.
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