I started my blog off with a nice gentle story of hope with Southern Railway's good treatment of disabled people but I must now temper it with a not so happy tale.
I cannot say that all London cabbies are poor because I came across some very good ones but it was 75/25 split with the 25% being of a higher quality. We were ripped off regularly and the use of the phrase; "Hang on a mo while I move to where the curb is lower" BUT beforehand the clock is turned on and so WE are paying for that extra bit of time and also we are paying for that piece of time it takes for us get into the car; being disabled with a scooter (hence why we need the lowered curb for the ramp), it takes me and my family a little longer than an able bodied person and their family. All that wasted time costs us about £1 and on one occasion £1.60 at the beginning of the journey and a further £1.20 at the end of the journey.
After we were ripped off for the third journey, we knew it was not going to happen again and worked out our plan. Would you believe a cabbie tried it on for journey number four with the "hang on while I move the cab" routine. We politely told him to shove his hackney carriage where the sun didn't shine (OK we didn't really as the kidlets were there and we are too polite for our own good at times,) we knew another cab would be along in a couple of moments which was the case and this time it was a good driver who set his clock AFTER we got in and did not take advantage of us.
The only other driver I will give credit too is the last and only lady driver we used. I needed the use of a ramp which most black cabs have nowadays, and we found that some drivers were lazy and didn't like the thought of having to undo the ramp which was a case of using a special key to pull the ramp down. In the end a couple of times, hubby lifted the scooter up instead of waiting for cabbies because sometimes it wasn't worth worrying about but why should we as disabled people put up with the 'rolled eyes' routine when we are mere human beings? I would have been stuck without my husband and thank goodness he was there. We were told by a very nice man from Westminster Borough Council to speak to Ken Livingstone about this or at least to his department as it is he who pulls the strings here and this is where my letter will be going.
Watch this space everyone.
The only other driver I will give credit too is the last and only lady driver we used. I needed the use of a ramp which most black cabs have nowadays, and we found that some drivers were lazy and didn't like the thought of having to undo the ramp which was a case of using a special key to pull the ramp down. In the end a couple of times, hubby lifted the scooter up instead of waiting for cabbies because sometimes it wasn't worth worrying about but why should we as disabled people put up with the 'rolled eyes' routine when we are mere human beings? I would have been stuck without my husband and thank goodness he was there. We were told by a very nice man from Westminster Borough Council to speak to Ken Livingstone about this or at least to his department as it is he who pulls the strings here and this is where my letter will be going.
Watch this space everyone.
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