Invisible Disability And A Turnstile

I'm about to post a non computer game issue. If you want you to skip this then feel free, but I need to vent because I want to get it off my chest before tomorrow. I'm on my way to sunny Yorkshire for a very good friends' wedding, which I've been excited and apprehensive about.

As many know,my physical   health has not been great, with a potential Lupus diagnosis in the offing, and Fybromyalga. The long and the short is that I'm in pain all the time, which gets worse and more severe when I have to do stressful or physical things. So travel from Kent to Yorkshire was going to be a stressful experience, so MrMe and I planned this carefully, plenty of time for changes and reservations when it was possible. MrMe is a bit poorly today and his back is playing up, but the gentlechap he is he has my case and his backpack. I had to make a coffee stop, since I need to make it Yorkshire without falling over, so cue Starbucks. Yumyum.

We got to Kings Cross fine, and I found Starbucks and bought a coffee, laughed at the queue of people wanting platform 9 3/4 photos. So now I have to navigate the turnstiles, with two biggish bags, a hot coffee and tickets. I can't carry much in my left hand, and I certainly don't trust it with a coffee, since it cramps randomly and drops things. The ticket thing has its slot on the right.

Do you see the problem?

MrMe has gone ahead, I don't want to overload him anymore as he is struggling too. I think to myself "Time to get over the British insecurity of asking for help when I need it" That's what the staff at ticket barriers are for, after all. Two of my friends work at South East Trains, and the trains are rubbish, but the staff are super helpful in the stations. This morning I saw one staff gent help a lady with her pushchair down the stairs at Gillingham whilst explaining how to get to her destination.

So I ask for help, all I want is for one of the gaggle of three to check my ticket and open the barrier so I can waddle through. It must have been a really interesting conversation between her and her two colleagues, because they ignored me for what felt forever. I coughed it that polite British way, and still no dice. Buggeration. So I did the "Excuse me?" The universal call of the stranded. Well, bloody hell, if I was a lesser lass the woman's dirty look would have mad me skittle off ashamed for disturbing her conversation. But not today, I'm tired and I hurt all over and I'm really quite cranky*. My left hand is starting to cramp trying to hold my wallet and my ticket. "Could you help me through the barrier please?"

"What help do you need" while she looks at me like I smell of doggie poop.

WTF help do you think I need, I think.

"Errr, my hands are full?!?" I reply sheepily,  thinking I've committed some grievous faux par of train travel.

I'd have thought the tired haggard look on my face, the fact I limp plus the fact I'm a customer would have been enough. I'm on this side of the barrier, and I need to be on the other. Here is my ticket of passage, I require your assistance to facilitate the transition.

The extent of the help?

She turned the ticket round in my left hand and pointed at the barrier.

I looked at the barrier, back to her, but she had gone back to her conversation with her back to me again.

With some creative personal origami I got to the train and sat down. I was angry, and a little humiliated by the whole thing. I don't have a crutch or a wheelchair, nor any major external indication that I'm struggling. Why was I made to feel so stupid and silly for asking for a tiny amount of help to make my journey a little easier.

I have a number of friends in the invisible disability team, who are worse than me by a long way, it's an issue I'm acutely aware of. I'm made of sterner stuff than most, so I can imagine that if I'm a little cross, someone else could be quite upset. No one should be made to feel like dog do for asking someone for help, especially when it's that persons job. A few people I know have messages me with similar stories, so it's not an isolated inn dent. So this is an open letter to East Coast Train to give their staff some equality training and and a reasonable apologise to all disabled people, pregnant, little people etc who have been made to feel awful for asking for help.

As an aside, the chap next to me is having issues because the previous one was cancelled and he want to claim back some money. Sounds like they'd wiggle out of that too.

EDIT: As of today (5/6/13) I have not heard a dickybird from East Coast Trains. I am not surprised. So off I go to poke them again. The good news is that it didn't ruin the weekend, and I got back to KX with little trouble by just avoiding any issues by planning ahead!


 * London is full of entitled twits at lunchtime, who are far too important to look where they are going.