London: Accessibility and disgruntlement
Aug. 11th, 2014 04:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marinessI still maintain that my decision to do London by bus was not an inherently bad one. The hotel`s myriad other issues aside (questionable WiFi, the ramp, the fact that yesterday someone outside with me tried calling in to get the ramp, which didn't work - although the hotel did at least fix the shower drain, which helped immensely) - the hotel is at least, as Google maps promised, next to a bus station with a lot of buses, and close to another bus station with more buses. Also the tourist buses stop right in front of the hotel, although since the regular buses are free for me I`m using those instead.
Unfortunately, my cheerful "Yay bus!" ran into a few unexpected difficulties: 1, a major cycling event that put several London buses on what is called "diversion" although it is not exactly diverting, 2) various anti-war marches, 3) my belated realization that the words "Aldwych" and "Russell Square" mean different things to different buses, which in the case of Aldwych is particularly exciting since Aldwych is spread out over a hill.
The result of this was an exciting adventure All Over the West End as various people tried, unsuccessfully for the most part, to get me at least close to Trafalgar Square to meet up with Fran Wilde and others. I saw lots and lots and lots of things that are not on the tourist route at all - Liverpool Station, in particular (yes, I know that is not near Trafalgar; that is sort of the point). Also later Westminster Station where I can now say wih pride that i have not just seen, but used, the staff bathroom.
Which leads to the next point. I had actually anticipated that most of my issues with the wheelchair would be at all of the old buildings and museums. As it turns out, not so - with the exception of the British Museum's "oh, yes, that lift HAS been broken for some time" and its cheerful disdain of letting anyone know about this - and my little tour through the kitchens of the National Gallery (which resulted in my choking at the crowds and deciding that under the circumstances, really, just being in the same room with a Van Gogh was enough - although I did get to see my Renoir dancer, which was the main point. Then small children fell on me so I explored the kitchen again.) those buildings have been somewhat manageable.
The restaurants and stores, however, have not been, with stairs. And stairs. And then stairs. I took pictures, including pictures of stores and restaurants that have successfully made disability accommmodations, and those will be forthcoming so you can see what I mean.
Fortunately, I have gotten to hang out with some awesome people, study Catherine Parr's portrait, and today I am meeting with others. And after all, I am in London, and I am not going to let these buses totally defeat me.
Unfortunately, my cheerful "Yay bus!" ran into a few unexpected difficulties: 1, a major cycling event that put several London buses on what is called "diversion" although it is not exactly diverting, 2) various anti-war marches, 3) my belated realization that the words "Aldwych" and "Russell Square" mean different things to different buses, which in the case of Aldwych is particularly exciting since Aldwych is spread out over a hill.
The result of this was an exciting adventure All Over the West End as various people tried, unsuccessfully for the most part, to get me at least close to Trafalgar Square to meet up with Fran Wilde and others. I saw lots and lots and lots of things that are not on the tourist route at all - Liverpool Station, in particular (yes, I know that is not near Trafalgar; that is sort of the point). Also later Westminster Station where I can now say wih pride that i have not just seen, but used, the staff bathroom.
Which leads to the next point. I had actually anticipated that most of my issues with the wheelchair would be at all of the old buildings and museums. As it turns out, not so - with the exception of the British Museum's "oh, yes, that lift HAS been broken for some time" and its cheerful disdain of letting anyone know about this - and my little tour through the kitchens of the National Gallery (which resulted in my choking at the crowds and deciding that under the circumstances, really, just being in the same room with a Van Gogh was enough - although I did get to see my Renoir dancer, which was the main point. Then small children fell on me so I explored the kitchen again.) those buildings have been somewhat manageable.
The restaurants and stores, however, have not been, with stairs. And stairs. And then stairs. I took pictures, including pictures of stores and restaurants that have successfully made disability accommmodations, and those will be forthcoming so you can see what I mean.
Fortunately, I have gotten to hang out with some awesome people, study Catherine Parr's portrait, and today I am meeting with others. And after all, I am in London, and I am not going to let these buses totally defeat me.