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?
