Blind man 'reduced to tears' as commuters refuse to give up seats in disability priority section

Eleanor Rose29 March 2018

A blind man said he was reduced to tears after commuters on a rush-hour Southeastern train refused to give him a seat in the designated disabled section.

Amit Patel, 37, who became blind five years ago from a haemorrhage behind his eyes, was travelling to Waterloo East on Tuesday with his guide dog Kika.

But he was forced to stand against the doors while Kika looked miserable balancing on her back haunches.

Mr Patel said Kika was shy and upset afterwards, while he felt humiliated to the point of tears.

Mr Patel said he was 'saddened' nobody had the 'kindness or decency' to offer him a seat
Amit Patel

He said: "It takes so much not to have that one tear come down my face. I come home and think, 'does it have to be this hard?'"

Southeastern has apologised for Mr Patel's ordeal and said clearer priority seat signage is currently being rolled out across all its trains that do not already have it.

Mr Patel told the Standard that when he boarded the first carriage of the train, where he knew there was a disability priority section, he asked Kika as usual to find him a seat.

"Normally she is really good or occasionally somebody says, 'here have my seat', but not yesterday. Nobody moved, not one person," said Mr Patel, who last month hit headlines when Kika's collar-mounted camera captured an angry commuter barging past him on an escalator.

On the 25-minute journey from New Eltham to Waterloo East, Kika couldn't lie down on the floor as it was too wet, so she was sitting on her back paws and "sliding all over the place", he said.

Mr Patel, who was a doctor until he lost his sight, was unable even to find a pole to hang onto and he nearly fell several times while Kika got her tail trodden on.

Amit Patel and his guide dog Kika
Amit Patel/Twitter

"People don't realise how kard Kika has to work - they think, 'Oh, a dog, how cute'. And if she can't concentrate because she can't lie down, then she can't keep me safe.

"People don't see the sheer terror in my face as I try to keep Kika safe as well as hold on myself.

"They are buried in their mobile phones with their headphones on," he said.

Last month, Mr Patel filmed an irate commuter demanding that he move Kika out of the way on a Tube escalator in shocking scenes captured on the dog's collar-mounted video camera.

Mr Patel said the escalator video, in which an aggressive commuter tried to barge past him, "got people talking" - but there is more to be done.

He is calling on rail firms to signpost priority seating more clearly and called on Londoners to show consideration for any person who is less able to stand.

"The majority of Londoners are amazing - but if you see someone who is elderly or pregnant, or who otherwise needs a seat, please offer it to them," he urged.

Man and his dog: Amit Patel travels on the London Underground with guide dog Kika
Amit Patel

A Southeastern spokesman said: "We would hope that people use their judgement and give up seats to passengers who may have a greater need, and we’re sorry to hear that Mr Patel experienced an awkward journey on this occasion.

"We’re already rolling out clearer Priority Seat signage on the trains that don’t already have it to make it more visible.

“As well as Priority Seats, we offer Priority Seating Cards and Priority Seat Badges that our passengers can show to another passenger sitting in a priority seat, without causing a fuss or having to explain themselves”.

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