Trains
Before my stroke, train travel was easy. You checked the train times, got to the station, got on the train, and got to where you needed to be. Obviously, train delays have always been an issue, but other than that, it was easy. Train travel now, as with most things after a stroke, requires a lot of planning and being able to adapt to unforeseen surprises.
Assistance is incredibly unpredictable. Our local station staff are brilliant, kind, helpful, and know what a ramp is and where they can find it. This naturally makes them a rare breed within the rail network. Larger stations are more of a problem. I can understand; they have more work and are stretched thinner than small stations, but that's not an acceptable excuse for how you are generally treated. In four years, I've had a couple of good experiences, but the majority are negative. I tend to travel with someone as it's easier. At first, I was using my walker and needed a ramp to board the train. I'd book assistance, go to the desk to check in and stand around waiting for someone to remember I was there or be considerate enough to actually get the ramp so I could board the train. I ended up getting on a train by lifting my walker onto the train, with the help of whoever I was travelling with.
One thing I have found is that sometimes you have to laugh at things. I can't let myself flounder seeing everything in a bad light. One time, a friend and I had been out to our local town and were at the station on the way home. I had only just come home from rehab, so I was using my walker. I'd booked assistance and saw a member of staff on the opposite platform and politely asked if he could bring me the ramp.
He nodded, disappeared into the subway beneath the platforms, but never reappeared. My friend and I decided he'd gone to live underground with a pigeon called Nigel. Together, Nigel and his new minion were plotting to take over the British railway industry.
Three and a half years later, with no sign of positive changes, I'd say they've been successful!
These days, I travel with someone, using my stick, as the varying heights of platforms make getting on and off the trains hard. I want to give it a try, but I don't completely trust the assistance.