Disablity, discounts and discrimination

[Plain Talker 11]

Originally posted by Red 2

oh for goodness sake! sometimes in life things aren't always the way you want them. it's a no frills bus which means theyve done nothing to them.

 

I'm sorry? What are you trying to say?

 

because I am a wheelchair user, I have to miss out on cheap(er)travel?

 

And that is fair?

 

I don't flaming-well think so!

 

It's not a matter of how we "want" things, and being petulant,

 

it's a matter of equality of access for everyone.

 

It's a matter of all people, no matter what their colour, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability/ability being equal, and no one sector being treated in a lesser, "second-class" way.

 

If i wish to travel on a bus, there should be access, to enable me to travel on the bus.

 

If i want to buy something in a shop, should someone be permitted to say "You can't buy from me, or my shop, you have a disablity!"?

 

NO! NO!!! NO!!!

 

My money is as good as anyone elses. It is not "contaminated, because it has been handled by a disabled person.

 

You won't catch "disability" because you have permitted me to travel on your bus, or in your taxi.

 

I have the right to go where I want, shop where I want, holiday where i want.

 

and I should not have to suffer a second rate attitude and service because I have a 'chair!

 

and, BW- "No frills" Does not/ should not equal "no access".

 

RyanAir found *that* one out the expensive way, didn't they?

 

PT

[neeeeeeeeeek 10]

Should everyone in the country miss out on the chance of cheap travel because it is not possible for the companies involved to make all facilities available for all groups of people for such a cheap price. Right or wrong this extra cheap service has to cut corners and cram seats into the bus to be a cheap service.

[Plain Talker 11]

Originally posted by Red 2

thread is about a cheap bus. not infringements of your rights.

 

anyway i sympathise with you guys. i nkow it is annoying but unfortunately in this case it cant be helped. it's a cheap bus for a reason.

 

don't pretend you sympathise, when you are just shrugging your shoulders, and not getting up-in-arms about other people being treated in a descriminatory fashion. you could be in a wheelchair tomorrow... look at Christopher Reeve, Or Joni Eareckson.... if you will not fight the corner of equality now, who would fight for you when "tomorrow" came and you found yourself hitting barriers at every turn?

 

And, FYI, it *is*, actually, 100% about "our" rights to be treated equally.

 

it is not "Annoying" it is exclusionist, toward someone who is disabled.

 

the company are offering this service only to those able bodied enough to get on their transport without the assistance of wheelchairs....

 

That is totally discriminatory against those of us who are wheelchair users., and should be jumped on from a great height... END OF STORY

 

PT

[Plain Talker 11]

Originally posted by Red 2

whoa. i'm sorry. maybe i posted in haste. I apologise profusely for any offence caused. all i was saying is that sometimes it takes a long time for things to change and sometimes things don't change at all. at the end of the day they are a business trying to make quick bucks.

 

 

It doesn't matter whether quick bucks are to be made, red.

 

it should NOT be at the expense of inclusivity, and equality.

 

and if people do not stand up, and shout out when something is blatantly out of order, such as this exclusionist policy of this comapny, then people will STILL be sitting, scratching their backsides and shrugging their shoulders, tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, All saying "ooh, there's nothing I can do about it! "

 

Think about that possibility, for just one minute, will you?

 

as i said previously. no-one knows what tomorrow will bring. for any one of us, it could bring disability. For me, that "tomorrow" happened 11 years ago. and I do not see why I, or anyone else should have to suffer descrimination

 

PT

[Tony 10]

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek

Should everyone in the country miss out on the chance of cheap travel because it is not possible for the companies involved to make all facilities available for all groups of people for such a cheap price. Right or wrong this extra cheap service has to cut corners and cram seats into the bus to be a cheap service.

 

I agree with you.

 

In fact I would rather that they don't bother with seats, that way they can make it even cheaper for me. I don't care because I can quite easily stay stand up for 3/4 hours and I have a good sense of balance so I won't fall over.

 

I can wee out of the window so they won't have to stop at the service station either - try not to be following in the car behind when I do though.

[Plain Talker 11]

Originally posted by Red 2

Look I understand. You are saying it like they have targeted able bodied consumers only though or done it just to spite YOU. It is possible that they may modify the buses for wheelchair use.

 

no, red, you misunderstand.

 

It is not directed at me, personally. I have not got an ego *that* large as to believe that. (nor am i that delusional!!!)

 

No, I am arguing the toss about this because it is exclusionist to ANYONE who is more than say, a stick-user/ a bit unsteady on their feet.

 

if you act to exclude only one member of society, then you exclude everyone!

 

this attitude, in fact, spites just about EVERYONE who is mobility impaired.

 

PT

[jackthedog 10]

I understand the argument that the service is excluding wheelchair users.

 

What I ask is:

If the service would not have been viable had they created facilities for wheelchair users (for reasons such as cost) should they decide against running the service completely?

 

If so, then everybody misses out.

 

 

 

If one could complain and successfully get the non wheelchair-accessible buses withdrawn, but then the service was terminated because it was no longer viable, would this be okay?

[Plain Talker 11]

Jack,

 

the accessibility issue should have been factored in at the start, surely?

 

PT

[Tony 10]

Wheelchair access surely involves simply removing a pair of seats, a removable ramp and maybe a couple of wheel clips? £100?, £200 max? Surely not too much to ask on a £120,000 double decker bus?

 

I bet they spent more on repainting them as...

 

............ MegaBus !.........

[Andy C 86]

They cannot offer wheelchair facilities because they are using old style, second-hand buses.

 

However should they order new vehicles then they are legally obliged to provide access, so it should be interesting to see what happens then.

 

As most operators have found out, disabled facilities severely reduce the seating capacity of a vehicle, and add a lot of extra costs.

 

Therefore getting new buses with wheelchair spaces would probably mean the no frills business case doesn't work and they are likely to either close down the megabus.com service, or just make it a normal coach route with much higher fares.

[jackthedog 10]

Originally posted by Plain Talker

Jack,

 

the accessibility issue should have been factored in at the start, surely?

 

PT

 

This is true. And I reckon it probably was.

 

And the decision may have been made that it was not viable to provide wheelchair access on the service, but that they would still go ahead with it.

 

Maybe they should have never introduced the service, knowing this. I really don't know.

[Andy C 86]

Originally posted by Tony

Wheelchair access surely involves simply removing a pair of seats, a removable ramp and maybe a couple of wheel clips? £100?, £200 max? Surely not too much to ask on a £120,000 double decker bus?

 

I bet they spent more on repainting them as...

 

............ MegaBus !.........

 

Well, to start with the handrail in the centre of the door would need removing, then once past the driving cap there is a luggage rack on the right and staircase on the left, above the wheels. The aisle between these two features would be narrower than a wheelchair......