London Banter - View Single Post

Eric[_3_] · October 6th 15, 09:42 AM posted to uk.transport.london

On 2015-10-06, wrote:
In article ,
(Neil Williams) wrote:

8 --------

Some solutions for wheelchair accessibility make things worse for
those who can walk but only just. For instance, while low-floor
buses are good for everyone, the removal of the central pole does
make it difficult for people to climb aboard. I saw this today,
FWIW, and see it most times I use a bus - there is an elderly person
who finds it hard to walk aboard almost every bus, but almost never a
wheelchair, at least outside London. And I can see why - if I were
in a wheelchair and able to drive an adapted car, I would travel
exclusively by car. And I think most wheelchair users do if it is an
option.

I'm not sure of the answer to this if the regional bus companies
continue to insist on not using a dual-door approach, where a pole
could be provided at the front and wheelchairs board at the centre
door. Though even in London the pole is missing, even at the rear of
the Boris bus where that door is not used for wheelchairs - there is
a pole, but it isn't in the middle so there is still no way to board
while using both hands to help haul yourself up.

It's not just wheelchairs. Before my granddaughter was walking and in a
buggy her mother couldn't get her onto older local buses (London cast-offs)
because of the centre pole in the entrances which she could not get the
buggy past. To get her and baby onto the bus and fold the buggy she needed 3
hands. Some drivers treated her appallingly.

I said this 3 years ago, but it's worth saying it again:

The problem here is usually the buggy. What we used to do is move child
to parent's left arm, kick the right place between the back wheels
while holding one handle with right hand, bend knees and grab the bit
below the handle and the bit above a front wheel, stand up again. Thus
we had a child on one arm and a folded "buggy" in the other hand,
ready to get on. Did it lots, got very good at doing it quickly.

Of course this wasn't a buggy, but what we called a stroller and you
would probably call a push-chair. The problem here is the buggies with
their big wheels and heavy framework that seem to be designed and used
as general cargo carriers, with a space for the baby that often seems
somewhat secondary.

Wanting people to have a folding "buggy" is nowhere near as bad as wanting
everyone to have permanent internet access before they can do anything.

Eric
--
ms fnd in a lbry