More hotels, more taxis, more problems!

A couple of weeks ago I had a very hectic schedule, four meetings in four days in London, and three separate hotels were booked on my behalf.

First hotel, the bed in the accessible room was against the wall, no recognition that a person needing an accessible room might only be able to transfer to and from the bed one way. Second hotel, wow an electric door opener, saved a lot of faffing around entering and leaving the room, but alas it made such an awful elctronic buzz all night it kept me awake ... shower next morning, something wrong with the accessible shower and it flooded the whole bathroom! Last hotel of the week was the best, even had electric sockets reachable from the bed and access wise was top of the list. Sadly all three had at least one emergency alarm cord tied up "out of the way".

I really do wonder who advises all these places as somehow something goes wrong between having a great idea and it being practical for everday use by people with mobility disabilities.

While on the subject of hotels, what is it that makes folk think that people who need an accessible room wouldn't like a view? Having had the need to use hotels across the UK, Europe and USA I have frequently asked for an accessible room with a view, even at Niagara Falls, this was impossible. The third hotel listed above has rooms overlooking the River Thames and at the back the main rail line into London Waterloo, yes, you've guessed it, their accessible rooms back onto the railway line! One has to then make the decision, a lower floor accessible room for easier evacuation in an emergency but more railway noise, or a higher room, take your chances with evacuation but a quieter environment! A bit of a no brainer really!

By far the biggest disappointment of the week was the number of times I was refused a ride in a London taxi! Grrrrrr, people with disabilities need to get to work as well you know! One morning, I was trying to get a cab for almost half an hour on a main road in Kensington, numerous taxis with their lights on to declare they are for hire, but I guess sitting on the pavement in my wheelchair with my assistance dog beside me makes me invisible! Several taxis literally turned around, turned their lights off or took someone else after I had hailed them. The prize has to go to the two taxis that refused to pick my up right outside the Dept for Transport ... it really is time the Carriage Office got out and about and did some spot checks and filming of such disgraceful behaviour.

Of course there is the option to take the number on the taxi and report them, which I have done on several occasions now, but unless there is clear committment from the legal department of the Carriage Office to prosecute, there is little point, disabled people will remain at the bottom of the heap when it comes to hailing cabs in the street in London.

Just this morning I received notification that a complaint following such an incident late at night in London is not to be taken forward for prosecution, I had a witness and the driver even admitted he was there ... what more does it take to prove discrimination?

It really is tempting to undertake a filming project to prove this point as so many people don't appreciate the problems involved unless they witness it first hand.

It is such a shame as it reflects on all the cabs, and probably 90% are run by decent helpful people.