"Let the record show Tom doesn't give a rat's ass about tube stations being accessible for all....They don't care about the disabled using tubes and buses".I don't believe the record shows anything like that - maybe someone's broken record perhaps! Most public infrastructure could be put into the "nothing but an outgoing cost" category - roads, pavements, hospitals, sewers, schools etc.The argument is if you are for cycle lanes, then you must hate disabled people.Using the same reasoning, if you are pro step free access at tubes, then you must be against educating children. Of course, supporting one thing doesn't automatically mean you don't care about a long list of other things.I don't know if the anti-cycling lobby cares about step free access at tubes - when I suggested that we get together as a community and raise money for step free at Chiswick's tube stations, I was shot down for the idea. Yet The OC are able to raise huge sums to spend on legal actions against cycle lanes - you could argue they care more about lawyers than disabled people, but that would be just as fallacious :-)Step free isn't just about those who are mobility impaired - it also impacts those of us who have large prams and kids in tow and can't leave the station without help up the stairs. And it isn't just tube stations - once we had kids we found we couldn't access certain stores and cafés with steps without help. It was almost as if the proprietors didn't "give a rat's ass" about mobility impaired people accessing their establishments!
Ed Saper ● 1941d