| Aj |
Jul 10th, 1998 11:07 PM |
Based on our more than 25 trips to London over the past 20 years, I have to disagree that London is difficult for the disabled. And I wear an above-knee artificial leg! Take a cane and use it; the Brits are sympathetic and helpful. The Tube CAN be negotiated by a gimp! Avoid the rush hours, of course. There are escalators at most stations in the central area. Most escalators are, indeed, fairly fast and, at some stations, quite steep. No problem. (An added benefit is the advertising along the escalators--wonderful copy, sometimes quite daring, and lots of ads for various cultural events. On the platforms, there are HUGE poster ads.) There ARE situations that require a lot of walking, usually when transferring from one line to another in the big stations. Be wise and plan your Tube trip so as to avoid major transfers. There are elevators--huge elevators, usually with an operator--at many older stations. Cabs HAVE become more expensive but so has everything else, everywhere. Except for pre- and post- theater time, I've never noticed a shortage of those traditional diesel cabs. We traditionally take the Tube to the theater and try for a cab after. The trick is to stop for a drink or coffee immediately after getting out of the theater; 30 minutes later, there are lots of cabs available. (At the rail stations, watch out for phony gypsy cabbies who will meet you as you get of a train, grab your bag and dash off before you know what's happening. They ARE NOT true cabbies. The real McCoy driver isn't allowed to leave his cab and scoop up fares inside the station. The fakeroos won't have a traditional cab, which must be licensed, and the drivers carefully trained. I can't recall ever being cheated by a licensed cabbie; the one time we were snatched up by a gypsy driver, a RR station, we were virtually kidnapped and he was ready to trip the rate to a hotel we'd been to many times. Happily, we quickly were onto his con and things were quickly solved when I spotted a cop and told the drive to pull up. Suddenly he became very docile and the cost went way down. When asked about fares, these phonies won't have a meter and will fob off some crap about "zones." Hah! ) <BR> <BR> As for walking around, my experience in London and New York City is that London is much easier. In NY, everyone walks at a run, and god help the poor gimp who tries to stroll along. In London, generally, the pace is not as frantic. The biggest problem for me is uneven paving. Oh, and don't forget that they drive on the "wrong" side of the street. The best rule is to "look right, look left, then look right again" before stepping off the curb. For the disabled, the best thing on a crowded street is to cross only at a "zebra" crossing, that is, the crossing with angled stripes. The ped has the full right-of-way at that point and drivers do stop. <BR> <BR> If you're truly in trouble handling the Tube, try the buses. No real climbing, etc. Not as fast but you can see more. <BR> <BR> As for crutches, thanks be, I've never had to use them. Be sure to take advantage of the wheelchair services at airports. <BR> <BR> If you are there in winter, you cn expect cold rain and, now and again, snow. That means the Tube stations will be wet. Always get a firm grip on the railing as you go up or down. In bad weather, the rails get cold, wet, and dirty. Use apair of gloves. <BR> <BR> Whatever the case, cane, crutch or chair, you'll find the English to be helpful and caring at all times.
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