A woman registered as disabled was "accused of being drunk" and deemed as unfit to travel by railway station staff in Liverpool. The shocked, embarrassed and humiliated passenger is now refusing to travel with Merseyrail after her "terrible experience" at the underground Moorfields station.
The woman in her 30s, who has asked not to be identified, told the Liverpool Echo: "I was told they had been observing my movement and was deemed unfit to travel. I was completely shocked at first. I didn't really know how to respond."
Unsteady on her feet due to arthritis and having undergone a hip replacement, the woman was not initially asked whether she had a disability when approached by station staff on Saturday, February 4 as she headed home from an afternoon in Liverpool. "They were very dismissive about my disability and seeing my blue badge," she added.
"I was so embarrassed and humiliated. I told them to view the CCTV of me arriving at the station around 1pm and they would have seen there wasn't much difference in my walk. I could not believe that they immediately made an assumption that I was drunk without asking if I need assistance or if I had a disability."
A Merseyrail spokesperson apologised for "any upset that may have been caused" and pointed out: "Merseyrail station staff are trained in our clear TravelSafe policy, which ensures the safety of passengers travelling on our network as well as our staff. Our staff are also trained to identify hidden disabilities as part of this.
"Staff use this training and their judgement based on what they can see and hear in the moment to make a decision. This is often a very difficult decision to make.
"In this particular case, we are satisfied that a senior manager, when asked by a colleague, reassessed the situation and cleared the passenger to travel. The passenger was accompanied to the platform to ensure she safely boarded her train. We are committed to the best care possible for our passengers and apologise for any upset that may have been caused."
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The woman described how the episode had a "detrimental affect" on her and declared: "Better staff training is required there to prevent anyone who has a mobility issue being accused of being drunk. I have suffered for nearly 20 years, since the age of 19.
"Having a deteriorating disease that massively affects your day-to-day life has taken me years to come to terms with. Never have I ever had anything negative happen like this for being disabled. It has had a detrimental affect on me and it's unlikely that I will ever travel with Merseyrail again."
Station staff are trained to intervene if they witness any passengers who they believe are in danger of falling onto tracks or missing the step onto trains.
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