Mum relies on fellow passenger to help her get to the platform instead
Train staff refused to help a new mum carry her baby in a buggy up the station steps because they said they weren’t insured. Vicky Pachner was travelling to a hospital appointment with her newborn son Oliver, and had only decided to take the train because her car wouldn’t start.She needed to use the steps and pedestrian bridge to cross over to the other platform at Wadhurst railway station in East Sussex, but rail staff said they couldn’t help her. “The lady behind the counter said no one was available to help,” said Vicky. “It’s only a small village station, so it’s not as if they were rushed off their feet. Then the lady said they couldn’t help because they weren’t insured to lift things like prams.”Instead, a fellow passenger came to her aid. “I was really upset. I’d heard of stories of health and safety madness but I just couldn’t believe they weren’t willing to help a mum with her newborn baby. The silly thing is, my husband went to the station a few days earlier and a different member of staff was perfectly happy to help him carry the buggy across to the other platform.”Vicky sent a letter of complaint to Southeastern Trains after the incident last month. The reply said station staff might have been able to help if she had removed Oliver from the buggy and collapsed it.A spokesman for Southeastern Trains said there were no formal guidelines on whether staff should help lift a baby in a buggy.Have you ever had a similar experience? Let us know below….
I think that is terrible the poor mum all she wants is a bit of help with her baby and she will now rely on other people not staff. I also think that if this keeps happening at the train so more mums will be sickend.
the last bit i mean I also think that if this keeps happening at the train more mums will be sickend.
When I was a nanny in London I used to travel on the underground regularly with a side by side double buggy and sometimes with a single.Sometimes people were helpful,but I was once told by a station person that they couldn't help because you shouldn't take anything onto the underground you couldn't carry by yourself.I had two toddlers and a pushchair so getting them out wasn't an option.I used to find the best bet was start bumping it up or down the steps and someone would help.
I staff are unable to help then there ought to be a lift.How do they deal with wheelchairs?As for helping the husband though,they really need to sort their staff out.Sounds like the Mum needed the train on lazy day
This has also happened to me but slightly different. I asked for assistance and was told I couldn't be helped as the person was unable to move from where he was. I got assistance from a passenger who heard the conversation instead.
On the return of the same journey I asked the lady who was collecting rubbish to help me get down the stairs at Clapham Junction and she told me off for not taking my daughter out of the pram! It would have been twice as hard to hold my daughter and help the staff member get the pram down the stairs as she suggested.
I have to say I'm shocked that train stations in this country (supposedly not third world) do not have lifts installed. Clapham Junction is only just getting their lifts installed but they won't be working for months! Crazy.
I certainly won't be taking my daugher on trains in this country again.
