Category: Let's talk
In the rare occasions that I use the bus I have noticed a blinmd passenger with her dog. She invariably demands a seat, even when there are none available. It seems she is unwilling to stand with the rest of the serfs, {including me}.
I think this is a cheek. As we travel for nothing, do we have the right to make these demands, or are we being unreasonable.
In the city where I live, the bus drivers usually will ask passsengers in the front seat to move if a blind person gets on. It's best for us to sit near the driver so we can hear our bus stops being called out if the driver manages to remember to do that, which is another problem as they do forget. But I have never asked someone to give up their seat for me. If the bus driver doesn't do it, I just go further back to try to find a seat, and if there is none, I stand.
Yeah. I think it is a rule here that the front seats should be reserved for elderly/disabled passengers for the reason the last poster mentioned, but I've never asked or expected anyone to give up their seat for me either. People usually just offer their seat on their own anyway. I actually think it would be better to sit in or near the front if possible, especially if you don't know whether the driver will use the loud-speaker because some don't. But if the driver does, or if their is already those automatic talking announcements, then it probably shouldn't matter where one sits or stands.
I don't mind if no-one gives up their seats for me on buses, trains or tube trains. I don't actually need to sit down. I'm more than able to grab a pole to steady myself when the bus or train starts to move out of the stop or station, but mum nearly always takes advantage on my behalf, and makes sure I get a seat, even when I'm always telling her if there isn't a seat on the bus or train, there isn't a seat on the blimming bus or blimming train, now just drop it wil yer? I'm only blind, I don't have any medical conditions affecting my physical stability, my back, legs, feet (whic[h apostrophe r]e completely flat, but I normally wear boots with insteps in to support the arches of my feet, so to cut an even longer story than this is turning out to be, short, i do not need to sit down if i can not sit down! Thank, you, mother!
When I was in Washington DC, especially during rush hour, it was a lot easier to just grab a pole on the Metro than it would have been to find a seat.
I wouldn't mind just grabbing a pole to stand on the bus. It's less of a hastle to just do that.
The problem here is that said passenger will complain repeatedly if she isn't given a seat. This goes on, until probably through desperation, some generous passenger stands up and helps her to the seat.
It's people like that which can give all disabled people a bad name.
LibraLady's right. Why do people have to be so childish?
I must disagree with one point. Despite what some random strangers might think, if one blind person sports a bad attitude, they are the only ones to blame. If some random stranger decides that because this blind person had a bad attitude, all of them do just for being blind, they are fools, plain and simple, even if such an idea is popular.
Well, I can't speak for guide dog users here as I'm not one, and maybe such things are a lot more difficult when trying to look after a dog as well as yourself but, certainly when ever I travel on busses or trains I'd happily stand if there were no available seats. To the point in fact that I'd quite often refuse a seat even if it were to be offered. Particularly in busy times I feel that seats are taken on a first come first serve bases. If I wasn't first then that's just my tough luck and I'm certainly not going to exploit my visual impairment to usurp that system.
As I say, not having any experience of what it's like traveling with a dog as well as myself I'll not pass comment upon the lady of this story, other than to say that, from the description, it does rather sound as though she is persistent to the point of being obnoxious.
Dan.
I agree with harp and most others on this board. i don't demand a seat and most people will give their one up for me, but on tubes, i'm more than happy grabbing the pole. as dumbledoresgirl said, i've no problem with my back, legs etc.
She might feel that she will have better control of her dog and making sure he does not get stepped on and is out of the way if she is sitting down.