TfL ‘Please Offer Me a Seat’ badge users share their experiences

Londoners who live with chronic disabilities and health conditions say they have fought to use a transport scheme for London (TFL) while traveling, with one even threatened by another passenger.

The badge and card scheme “please sacrifice a seat”, which marks its anniversary ecight this month, It is designed to help people with disabilities and health conditions through signaling. For other passengers they must give up their seat if necessary.

But Eliza Rain, 28, who has a condition of chronic pain, said that when using the badge they were challenge and a passenger “threatened to expel me from the train because I had asked for his seat.”

A TFL spokesman encouraged passengers to give up their seat to some who ask where it is possible, even if the person who asks is not using a badge.

It occurs after TFL commissioned an investigation last year on his sister’s effectiveness Priority seat Scheme: Where certain trains seats, tube carriages and buses are marked as for people with visible or non -apparent disabilities and conditions, parents with babies and older people.

TFL advances people with disabilities and conditions that make it difficult for the topic requesting a seat badge or “baby on board” to facilitate the subject to ensure a seat.

Eliza, a content creator From London, it is one of the more than 140,000 people who use the badge.

They said they used it for more than the year on the trip of their subway and on buses and trains, but possible to use their wheelchair during public transport due to how many other passengers they refused to give up their seat.

“People sew me, and I couldn’t stand … without having a dangerous medical episode,” they explained.

When he worked in his former job, Eliza said he was stressful and “practically impossible” for them to get a seat on the north line to the London bridge using the badge, despite Bean at risk of fainting.

They said: “Basically, I shouted and shouted and told me ‘no’.

“Someone more threatened to expel me from the train because I had asked for their seat because I needed to sit down, and they were in the priority area and did not have a badge. Obviously they could say it.

In some days, not bees capable of sitting in the tube caused an outbreak of symptoms that reads daily activities such as cooking a meal.

They said they had also been interrogated in the past about “what was wrong” with them when using the badge. The TFL website establishes that the badge and cards do not need to explain their reasons to use it.

Since then, Eliza has created and shared videos on the social networks of her experience using the badge to raise awareness.

“I have seen people in my comments section such as,” why don’t you show a note from a doctor or something? ”

“Why would that do? No one is doing that to get the tube,” they said.

TFL has tried to increase consciousness and improve attitudes towards the scheme between passengers through its week of priority seats and with public transport advertisements.

But a small survey conducted for TFL between March and May 2024 showed that in 20 or 77 cases (26%) when all seats were full and some with a necessary disability to sit, the passenger in a priority seat in a seat and seat seat and seat and seat and seat. Seat e Did’s noed Tea and made a seat and made sitting and notes.

The TFL report said about those people in priority seats that were interviewed, “many claimed not to know that in a priority seat and did not know their meaning”, and that passengers often

Luke Raggett, 31, of Hampstead in northwest London, uses the badge because he has polycystic kidney disease and is waiting for a kidney transplant.

You need to sit when you experience episodes of discomfort of the lower back and dizziness when standing or walk, which can cause what he describes as “unbearable” pain.

Like some of the TFL respondents, Luke fought to be seen as boyfriends of a seat without the badge.

He said he was sitting in a regular seat on a bus and “this guy decided to push me with his cane and tolerance to get out of this seat … because I am young.”

Luke added: “When you have an invisible disability, unless you are in that scenario, I think it is very difficult for others to respect, understand, see it.”

Luke said his experience using the badge was mainly positive, with many people renouncing their seats, but still fought for not being a note with his badge.

“Many people who are younger than I do not look around or necessarily have that thought in their minds to give up a seat.”

The displacement was also spread, he explained, because by the time you arrive at the tube there are sometimes no possibility of reaching a seat “, and other times people would look at him and his badge.

“It’s just constantly, you’ll look around and then look … I can’t say if they have a problem with me,” he said.

Despite this, he said he wanted to encourage those who needed the badge to request one.

Mark Evers, TFL customer director, said: “This behavior is unacceptable, and these incidents must have anguish and bone demorization for those involved.

“We really regret this and we have asked BBC to contact the affected client to understand more about what happened.

He added: “There are many reasons why some may need a seat when they travel, including disabilities, conditions and diseases.

“While our badges of ‘Please sacrifice me a seat’, they facilitate other passengers to know that someone needs a seat, we encourage all who can, to give up someone who asks, even the person who asks does not use a badge.

“We also encourage people to look up and be attentive to anyone who may need a seat.”