Tag: Train

Dear people who use trains with babies, can you not leave your buggies in the wheelchair spaces. Thank you.

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment
Image Description: An over the shoulder photo of a buggies on the edge of a wheelchair space on a train.

As I write this post I am still on the train. It is worth noting that the buggy was moved so I could get in before the photo was taken. Before this, it was completely in the wheelchair space. The owner of the buggy is nowhere to be seen.

I know that children and buggies have every right to take up space, but please remember your buggies are optional, my wheelchair is not.

It’s one thing to leave your buggy in the wheelchair space with you there. But to leave it there while you go into another area of the train is even more surprising to me. Why would you do it? Why would you leave your belongings unattended like that? Is being in first class really that important to you?

While the buggy has been moved out of the area, it is now blocking the isle and other passengers. It is not as easy for me to move as it is for you to not leave you things in the way in the first place.

Travel day

On By Katy DalyIn My Disability TruthLeave a comment

If you pay attention to this blog you might notice this post is backdated. It’s back dated because yesterday I had a very long day.

I went on a train, well two, well four, if you count there and back. And I had to have a bit of a wonder in the middle there.

Wonders can look very different when you’re disabled. I didn’t travel too far, I only went round the corner, but that counts as a wonder.

Going to new places is difficult when you’re disabled, so I try not to do it.

So this is your reminder that sometimes to go on a wonder you don’t have to go far, just somewhere new.

Travel is hard.

On By Katy DalyIn Writing PromptsLeave a comment

Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

I’ve actually had a lot of discussion about travel recently. And I will be getting the train for the first time in about a year. So I find it interesting that this question would come up.

But to answer it, it would depend on how you ask it. Do you mean the furthest I’ve travelled in distance or independently? I can answer both these questions.

The furthest I’ve travelled in the distance is either to Ireland or Scotland when I was a child, I’m not actually sure which trip covered the biggest distance.

The furthest I’ve traveled independently would be to London I think.

I do remember getting stuck on a train once when I was a child because the passenger assistance hadn’t come despite it being booked and I didn’t know what to do.

Thankfully as you can tell by the fact I’m going on a train next week, that experience didn’t put me off traveling on trains. In fact I’d probably travel on them a lot more out of my area if they weren’t so expensive.

Not strictly answering the question.

On By Katy DalyIn My Disability Truth, Writing PromptsLeave a comment

What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?

This isn’t exactly the last thing I was searching for online but it is the most interesting. Technically speaking the last thing I googled online was a British pound to US dollar conversion tool.

After seeing on a tiktok how much disabled Americans who are on benefits, have to live on I wanted to compare this to disabled people in the UK. I’m not going to answer who is better off, if you want the answer I suggest Google yourself.

But I recently had to Google for a train journey I’ll be taking next week. Its been a while since I’ve been on a train. The last time was soon before I lost my mum. Truth be told I’m kind of nervous.

Thankfully from an accessibility point of view, I have been able to book wheelchair assistance using an app, which I really appreciate on a personal level as it avoids me having to make any kind of phone call. I hate phone calls.

But anyway, I’ll let you know how it goes.