Things you don’t realise were inaccessible until they become accessible

66Mustang

Although it’s only 40 miles from me, London has always felt out of bounds to me, like a big chunk of the country “written off” in my mind, because I can’t use public transport

I had to go there last year, and I didn’t have a choice or alternative, so I drove in with my parents for support

I’d heard a lot about driving in London, mostly things like “it’s horrible, never go there in a car”, “it’s very aggressive, everyone will beep at you”

I sat in the car and yes it was slow - only half an hour to get there but after Apex Corner it took over an hour to do the last 8 miles

But easy!! I could leave my front door, sit in my car, and within an hour and three quarters Big Ben was visible from out of my windscreen

Maybe it’s not easy, people are impatient and there's lots of traffic, but compared to impossible I suppose anything that’s doable is easy in comparison

It cost £70 to park for 4 hours because the car park in Westminster cost quite a lot when Parliament was sitting (guess why?) but 3 train tickets would’ve cost more so I’m no worse off

It felt so exciting and liberating to discover a whole city was available to me, it's like a huge part of the country has been unlocked, and I was excited to go back, which I did within a month!!

I suppose this is the feeling people get when somewhere inaccessible is made accessible to them?

The point of this thread, and what I found it strange, is how I didn’t realise it was inaccessible before it became accessible … before it was “I don’t go there, and that’s how it is” … I didn't think to question it, and whether I had the right to go there or not didn’t come into it.

I wonder how many things that are inaccessible to certain people, whatever disability might be the reason, and they don't even realise?

MCMikey

You are right in many ways.

For me and probably many others within our own individual circumstances it may be a case of risk (limitations of where and what we can do, extra pain, extra difficulties, extra time..) versus reward of being out of our home prisons. Do what you can when you can and make the most it.

66Mustang

@MCMikey

Thanks for the response

I didn't think about it like that before, but it makes sense to me

I imagine it's harder for those who don't have someone with them for encouragement – when we're left to make our own decisions we often overemphasise the risk and underemphasise the reward, as I did with London

rubin16

London to me seems like the worst place ever to visit as its the most busiest and most crowded out of all of the UK. It would be literal torture for me to go there, not just becuase of the public transport but also there is mass crowds, noise and everything else.

I think it would be more pleasant to have nails on a chalkboard, or even bamboo under my fingernails thats how torturous it is.