'I've been threatened over my Please Offer Me A Seat badge'

Lucy_Scope

From BBC News

Londoners living with disabilities and chronic health conditions say they have struggled to use a Transport for London (TfL) scheme while travelling, with one even threatened by another passenger.

The "Please Offer Me A Seat" badge and card scheme, which marks its eighth anniversary this month, is designed to help those with disabilities and health conditions by signalling, external to other passengers they should give up their seat if needed.

But Eliza Rain, 28, who has a chronic pain condition, said when using the badge they were often challenged and one passenger "threatened to push me off the train because I'd asked for their seat".

A TfL spokesperson encouraged passengers to give up their seat to someone who asks where possible, even if the person asking isn't wearing a badge.

It comes after TfL commissioned research last year into the effectiveness of its sister priority seating, external scheme - where certain seats on trains, Tube carriages and buses are marked as being for people with visible or non-apparent disabilities and conditions, parents with infants, and older people.

TfL advises people with disabilities and conditions making it hard for them to stand to apply for a Please Offer Me A Seat or "Baby On Board" badge to make it easier for them to secure a seat.

Seats 'not given up'

Eliza, a content creator from London, is one of the more than 140,000 people who use the badge.

When working in their old job, Eliza said it was stressful and "pretty much impossible" for them to get a seat on the Northern line to London Bridge using the badge, despite being at risk of passing out.

They said: "I had someone basically just shout at me and flat out say 'no'.

"Someone else threatened to push me off the train because I'd asked for their seat because I needed to sit down, and they were in the priority area and didn't have a badge. Obviously they could have said no if they needed the seat."

On some days not being able to sit down on the Tube caused a symptom flare-up which left them unable to do daily activities like cook a meal.

They said they used it for more than four years on their Tube commute and on buses and trains, but eventually opted to use their wheelchair while on public transport due to how many other passengers refused to give up their seat.

"People wouldn't give me a seat, and I couldn't stand... without potentially having a dangerous medical episode," they explained..

They said they had also been questioned in the past about "what was wrong" with them when using the badge. The TfL website states that badge and cardholders don't need to explain their reasons for using it.

Eliza has since created and shared videos on social media of their experience using the badge to raise awareness.

"I've seen people in my comment section be like, 'Why don't you just show a doctor's note or something?'

"Why would I do that? Nobody else is doing that to be able to get on the Tube," they said.

TfL has tried to increase awareness of and improve attitudes towards the scheme among passengers through its Priority Seating week and with adverts on public transport.

But a small survey conducted for TfL between March and May 2024 showed that in 20 of 77 instances (26%) when all seats were full and someone with a disability needed to sit down, the passenger in a priority seat did not give up their seat and did not state when asked that they needed it themselves.

The TfL report said of those people in priority seats who were interviewed, "many claimed to be unaware that they were in a priority seat and didn't know its meaning", and that passengers often "weren't paying attention to their surroundings or other passengers who might have needed a seat".

'People don't look up'

Luke Raggett, 31, from Hampstead in north-west London, uses the badge because he has polycystic kidney disease and is awaiting a kidney transplant.

He needs to sit down when he experiences episodes of lower back discomfort and dizziness when standing or walking, which can cause what he describes as "unbearable" pain.

Luke said his experience using the badge was mostly positive, with many people giving up their seats, but he still struggled to be noticed even with his badge.

"A lot of people that are younger than me don't look around or necessarily have that thought in their mind of giving up a seat."

Commuting was also difficult, he explained, because "by the time that you get on to the Tube sometimes there's no chance of even getting to a seat", and at other times people would stare at him and his badge.

"It's just constantly, you'll look around and then they keep looking at you... I can't tell if they've got a problem with me," he said.

Despite this, he said he wanted to encourage those who needed the badge to apply for one.

Behaviour 'unacceptable'

Mark Evers, TfL's chief customer officer, said: "This behaviour is unacceptable, and these incidents must have been distressing and demoralising for those involved.

"We are truly sorry for this and have asked BBC to put us in touch with the customers affected to understand more about what happened.

He added: "There are lots of reasons that someone might need a seat when they travel, including non-visible disabilities, conditions and illnesses.

"While our 'Please Offer Me A Seat' badges make it easier to let other passengers know someone needs a seat, we encourage all those who can, to give up their seat to someone who asks, even if the person asking isn't wearing a badge.

"We also encourage people to look up and keep an eye out for anyone who might need a seat."

anisty

I'm not from London, and nor am i disabled but i did visit London last year and i was surprised how many seats were taken by small children.

One woman had 4 children, 5 altogether in priority seats.

And on one tube, an elderly man gave up his seat and beckoned a small child over to take it!

Very back to front. All the adults standing and the kids seated.

Mind you, at one station a man in a motorised wheelchair reversed in at speed just shouting "clear the way!" And all the people in the priority seats jumped up like jack in the boxes🤣

He was not stopping his chair for anyone; i'm sure he went over someone's foot. That's the way!

Rosie_Scope

Eliza's stories are awful, it's hard enough managing your conditions when out and about without meeting those kinds of people!

I'm in London and use one of these badges, but I've never had to commute daily. I'd say I've had similar experiences to Luke from this article - mostly positive with a few negatives. Apart from maybe looking a bit pained (😅) I don't have any external clues to why I use one and nobody has ever asked me for proof. There have definitely been times where people have quite clearly seen it and decided to ignore it though. And other times where people are staring at me to work out what's wrong with me.

And it can be a problem if you're not so comfortable outright asking someone to offer you a seat. As Luke mentioned, some people just don't look up or notice that you have it on.

The 'Baby on Board' badges for pregnant people are usually quite respected so it's a shame that not everyone has the same respect for the 'Please offer me a seat' badges. Hopefully articles like this can raise a bit of awareness.

Slonvinton

This is the atitude Ive experienced when asking for reasonable adjustments in UK - pure hostility. I think its related to how disability is presented in the media- with the thoughts going something like if we are scroungers then any adaptation we ask for must be some sort of extension of that…

Ranald

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1017420#Comment_1017420

As a one time London bus driver, none of this surprises me! I was on the 118, between Morden Station and Brixton Station, as well as some pretty rough housing estates, south of the river. A real eye opener.

Steve_in_The_City

For what it's worth:

If you are disabled and you want a priority seat, just ask. These seats are taken up by perfectly healthy people and children (and yes, I have heard all the BS about invisible disabilities, it is a joke); when you make it clear you want to sit the healthy person occupying the space that is designated for you will in the future think twice about occupying a priority seat.

I can't get on the tube, but I can get on a bus on my walker. I haven't got much of an axe to grind because people do give up their seats for me. But healthy people do sit in priority seating.

Last Sunday night I went to a concert. I get a pounds sterling subsidised seat in the disabled persons bay that happens to have a very good view of the stage. The bay was largely occupied by perfectly healthy people getting a cheap ticket and a good view. Yes, I do understand about invisible disabilities but I would prefer that you don't stretch my credibility beyond breaking point.

It is high time that people with disabilities, invisible or not, got some sort of pass to give us proper priority.