Blind Man Left In ‘Tears’ After Nobody Gave Up Their Seat For Him And His Guide Dog On The Train
It’s crazy how people can do such marvelous and stupid things at the same time. We are preparing for a trip to Mars yet we can’t show any decency for those who have been mistreated by fate. A 37-year-old blind man felt crushed when London commuters didn’t give up their seats in a cramped train for him and his guide dog.
“People can be so selfish, they pretend they can’t see or hear when I ask if there’s a seat available,” Amit Patel tweeted. “It’s so humiliating when I struggle to find something to hold onto & keep [my guide dog] safe at the same time, this is when you’ll see a tear running down my face. Life is difficult enough.”
Patel was an A&E doctor before he lost his sight 5 years ago after developing keratoconus. Since then, he got himself Kika who is one of only 5% of guide dogs who are trained to take their owners on escalators.
“Losing my sight was very lonely,” the man added. “If I’m traveling by public transport, I’m sometimes like a scared little boy.” This time, Patel claims he was forced to stand with his back against the doors while Kika kept slipping on the wet floor of the train.
Writing from Kika’s Twitter account, he said, “We walked to the end of the platform in the pouring rain so that we can board the designated disabled section on the @Se_Railway train and even with dad giving me the command ‘find a seat’ not one passenger gave up their seat.”
After people rushed to support Amit at least with words, he continued, “Thank you all for your kind messages, unfortunately, being ignored when asking for a seat is a daily occurrence for us.”
“One small act of kindness could have turned the situation around completely.”
More info: Amit Patel | Kika
Recently, a 37-year-old blind and his guide dog felt heartbroken on a train in London and said it could have easily been avoided
Image credits: kika_guidedog
Writing from his guide dog Kika’s Twitter account, he added more information about the whole thing
Image credits: kika_guidedog
Patel was an A&E doctor before he lost his sight 5 years ago after developing keratoconus
Image credits: kika_guidedog
“Losing my sight was very lonely. If I’m traveling by public transport, I’m sometimes like a scared little boy”
Image credits: kika_guidedog
Image credits: kika_guidedog
Kika is one of only 5% of guide dogs who are trained to take their owners on escalators
Image credits: kika_guidedog
But the duo encounter ‘inconsiderate’ people there as well
Sometimes Amit puts a camera on his dog to capture what they go through when getting around London
Image credits: Pete Summers
“They have loads of space to get past, but they seem to think it is fun to barge into a blind person”
Image credits: kika_guidedog
“One lady even said I should apologise to the people behind her for holding them up”
People were quick to offer their words of support
But there were some who didn’t
I ride the bus and when I fractured my ankle and had to wear a boot people refused to let me sit. Even after being asked by the driver. Also, to all you guys saying he's capable of standing so shouldn't be given a seat, next time you ride public transportation, you try standing with your eyes completely shut and see how easy it is. Just looking at your phone is different because if something happens you have the ability to look up from it and adjust accordingly. Stop being jerks.
...I think the point here is to give the seat to someone else who really needs it. An act of kindness can go a very long way.
Thanks. The post felt more like "the world is a dark cruel place", but you are right. This is a plea, a PSA. Be aware.
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instead of being dismissive of the "he`s blind, not legless" , it needs to be explained how a blind man may need a seat. Here`s why: a blind man might not know when to give way to incoming passengers, he wont know where to and how to correctly reposition his body to make way in a train or bus while standing, he wont have to grope around for a metal pole and accidentally touch someone by accident, seats for the disabled are nearer to doors so he can take less time to exit, instead of having to grope for the way out again. The mistake in the "not legless" response is assuming that the issue is about who needs the seat more. The issue should be about which decision will be better of for everyone. Sure a blindman may not have tired legs, but all his potential fumbling, blocking other people and taking time to exit may well inconvenience more people rather than if one man had just given him a seat.
A seat is a rare and valuable commodity? What? XD I don't understand some people... And okay, maybe being blind doesn't make him someone who should be treated like royalty, but these people are being heartless, you can at least show a little decency... I mean s**t, if they were the blind person, would they still feel the same way?
In regard to the Video and the woman trying to push pass on the escalator... Sorry but that is what stairs are for. Stand and Wait and let the guide dog do his job!
When I really cannot avoid public transport, or be in areas that are full of people... I try to create a "mental circle" around me. I have to walk on crutches. I cannot count the times that people kick them. You need a whole new technique to keep standing. And the worst thing is? They tell you to keep your crutches to yourself. However, I must say, I get offered seats in public transport often enough. But, being disabled, nowadays, is often fighting for your life (and that of your helping buddy). Keep on going, Amit (beautiful name, same as my foster son's) and keep going. Somehow, eventually and hopefully stupid people will wake up and give people like you and me a place in this world.
No one is obligated to give up their set on a bus, but doing it shows an act of kindness that unfortunately some done have the capability of doing. My mother who is over 70 years old rides the bus all the time and tells me that people most often dont give up their seat to those with disabilities, elderly or even women with children. And that people will even take up seats with their belongings and are unwilling to move them so someone else can sit there. Someone who looks to be young and able could of possibly just finished a 12 hour shift and their feet are hurting really bad. So some may not be willing to give up their seat simply because they are jerks and some may have good reason. Me I would give up my seat because if it was my blind sister, elderly mother or even myself trying to ride the bus with small children I would want someone to do it for me.
Society as a whole seems to have stopped teaching people to think compassionately in the last 30 years. It's not a trait you are born with, it's a skill that needs to be learned by practice, but that requires that you also believe that there is value in not thinking only about your situation.
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Sometimes on the bus people will put their bags on the seats next to them so no one can sit there. They will proceed to glare at and then ignore people who ask for the seat.
The best revenge is to sit anyway and be overly bubbly and try to make best friends with them and act like the original snub was a funny joke.
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I live in another country, but if you use the subway when it's rush hour you will meet a wall of human beings. There's only space to stand near the doors. A dog would get crushed.
Walk in them shoes, man. I'll tell ya, the times I've been limited in what I can do (from wheelchairs after surgery, to debilitating pain that people don't know about, to being heartbroken, to just being broke with no idea what to do) certainly humbled me when I was younger and I'm thankful for it. I try super hard (though I fail all the goddam time) not to judge anybody about anything until I know their story. Having people with charmed lives telling you to just suck it up is the worst. Everyone should go through some serious s**t in their lives twice: one to learn what it's like, then again to learn how little you learned the last time.
London? What a SHOCKER! Such a surprise....NOT Sadly but honestly,London is one of the most ignorant places anywhere! What a shame that it still is the same as 20 years ago... Those type of "ignorant" and "blind" (blind to other's needs,not the really blind people!!!) are unfortunately everywhere. Ever heard of common courtesy? Manners? (good ones) being decent human beings?
I live in London and trust me very few people are actually like that, please do not judge a whole city based on the dickery of a few buttholes.
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So I feel a little for him but seriously, you told the dog to find a seat. There wasn't one for the dog to find. My guess is not too many are listening to you speak to the dog. If you were to ask aloud, "is there a seat I can use?" I bet you would have got one. Don't act like the victim. Step up and make s**t happen yourself.
The dog looks so sad in the second picture...He knows what the other humans are doing to his owner, and it makes him sad.
Something very similar happened in Finland as well. I had just got in a train full of people. I could hardly even get to a seat myself (though I prefer the space closer to the doors anyway since it's faster to get out) I was in the middle of the room, people all around me, one smelling of tobacco. and there was this blind young man in the train, with two of his friends with him, who basically helped him stay balanced. When I accidentally heard their conversation it seemed they had been standing there for at least an hour or so, and no one would give up their seat for him. I even saw two perfectly capable teenagers who were on their phones texting or playing or whatever, who could've offered their seat for him, but no. They didn't even seem to notice he was there (and he was not that far away). Luckily a nice woman gave up her seat after noticing them standing in the hallway, and he FINALLY got to sit down.
It seems more and more people are becoming selfish petty ars**oles. I shudder to see what the human race will be like in 100 years. Thats if humans will even exist then.. Being kind to others is always the right thing to do, why do so many find it so difficult to do ?
People keep commenting stuff about how he's only blind and he can still stand but did you ever think about the fact that since he can't see, he can't tell where handles are to hold on? He'd have to wave his hands around to find a handle while on a (probably) crowded train. That's why he had to tell his dog to find him a seat. It simply safer for him because he can't see the handles to hold onto or anything.
I feel for Mr. Patel and his guide family pet due to he is trying to navigate his way around with assistance. He's only asking if there is a seat available. He's not asking for sympathy but at the same time, I can only hope that he and his guide dog are blessed to encounter more people who will be more Selfless. Mr. Patel, stay encouraged, thank you for being a doctor who has compassion to do no harm.
Astounded by how many smart asses with full vision assume it's easy travelling on a crowded train when you're blind by saying "there's nothing wrong with his legs"...this level ignorance is so sad it makes me angry..I truly hope you people who say things like that go blind.
It's been some years since this occurrence, but I recall being on a city bus, seated, no empty seats, when a pregnant woman boarded. Not just pregnant but VERY pregnant; big as a house. No one stood to give her a seat, so I did. And I was aware at how cold this world has become. It was much different back in the 50s & 60s, when I was growing up.
Another point, England is one of the countries that look down their noses at Americans and act like WE are barbaric!! Are you kidding?! An ENTIRE train car loaded with people, and NOT EVEN ONE was willing to help?! You would NOT see this happen in America, well it is a rare, RARE occurrence for people not to help others! For 54 years in America, I have repeatedly, my entire life watched people GO OUT OF THEIR WAY to help others, no matter what kind of help is needed!! We are raised that way!! To always help others if they need it! Because it is the right thing to do!!!
Maybe people in America go out of their way to help others because they're sacred that if they don't they'll get shot! Sorry, I'm only teasing; I couldn't resist! :>)
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When did we become a world full of self centered heartless individuals without even a shred of common courtesy for our fellow person?
Am I the only one curious as to how he gets all these pictures and videos and uses social media so well without being able to see? I've heard of a few simple Braille devices for computers but he seems to have something way better based on his tweets.
Well, just random guess here; A) He brought a friend B) He has some eyesight (There is a certain percentage one can have and still be "legally blind." A braille - style camera sounds cool though
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This hurts my heart, I just don't understand, where common decency and manners went, not to mention empathy, oh I've probably said something not PC.. all I can do / say is I would've given him my seat in a heart beat and I've ruptured disk, I could and would've stood a little pain to help this man feel more secure and his beautiful dog. Just so sad..
I think that you showed your courage and kindness to be brave and to never give up on someone no matter what that can go a very long way showing kindness and courage.
I'm a big guy and it has come in handy when I've leaned over to some d**k sitting in a senior/disabled seat with earbuds in and said loudly and sternly, "GET UP AND GIVE THAT PERSON YOUR SEAT. NOW!" While my size and years of working as a doorman/bouncer gives me confidence I think that loudly calling someone out for their boorish behavior would work in most cases. Once one person speaks up often others will chime in.
This is just disgraceful! I would have stood up and offered you and your dog my seat IMMEDIATELY even when I was going through chemotherapy and dizzy all the time. I am so sorry this happened to you and your faithful companion!
Before I had my bad right hip replaced, I used a cane and needed a seat on every train or bus. Now that I have a bright shiny new hip, I look around at every stop, to see if there's somebody who might need my seat more than I do. And I'm, like, you know, OLD. I hope young healthy people will start doing this too. Oh, and also -- parents of small children, your child does NOT need that seat on the train or bus more than a gray-haired adult! Your little kid's legs are the strongest, least painful and most flexible they will ever be. STOP letting your little children glom into the available seats on transit, and START teaching them to watch, and make sure there is nobody older, more fragile or disabled who needs the seat more, before they climb so cutely and obliviously into the first seat they see.
a disabled person, it is like giving up one's own acquired right, something that we have conquered with arrogance and cunning and that we are not willing to give in for a simple need of someone else. it would be so nice to say that perhaps it is a historical moment. instead I see only one slip towards rudeness and ignorance. when we stop thinking "we" in a society the end is near, because without collaboration, the very meaning of society collapses.
it would be nice to think that we are sorry, that we read, it is possible to make up for the damage, even psychological, that has been done to a person like our friend with his dog. unfortunately too often we should apologize now, because the world is falling into an abyss increasingly dark. once when we thought of society and the people of a city, we thought "we". now it's not like that anymore. the "we" has lost its meaning, it is no longer used except in a negative exception. now only the "I" exists for everything else. today we think only of ourselves in any situation, whether driving a car or traveling the bus, shopping or walking down the street. we no longer ask ourselves if our sphere of needs is to harm someone else's. even if it does, it becomes an offense to us, as if we do not tolerate that someone else may have our same needs and that what we are exploiting is in some way necessary to another. Leave the chair on which we cling to a woman pregnant, an elderly person,
Cry me a river. There's a reason they have rails on trains - for holding on to.
I live near several respected colleges within a few miles of each other. I can't count the number of able-bodied 18-25 year olds I've heard making comments (while sitting in the section reserved for the elderly and disabled) bemoaning the fact that the elderly and disabled are even ALLOWED to ride public transportation. Now that my mobility impairments have forced me to use a wheelchair, at least the buses are not allowed to pull away from the curb until I'm situated and I agree that I'm safe for the bus to move. Can still take over 5 minutes to convince self-entitled "children" to get out of THEIR seats so the wheelchair tie downs can be made available!
A lot of narcissistic a*s$#le ride busses!! Before you say it’s easy do it yourself.
This story annoys me so bad the dog may be smart but f*****g hell how is that dog supposed to find a hand rail or be able to help the blind guy out given how crowded it must have been the way I see it is its waaaaaay more convenient for the blind guy to sit down (excuse my choice of words) out of the way otherwise he is more of a liability to himself and others not to mention he was right by the doors all this is such a dangerous situation for that man and his dog (who may I hard struggled to do his job properly due to people crowding him heavily - would not have happened had the dogs owner got a seat) people are horrible sometimes and the ignorant a******s who comment against him clearly need to realise this is a London train maybe even underground they get packed like really packed. On another note props to that guy for braving Paddington station as a blind person I can see and that place scares me because its huuuuge.
I'm disabled and need to sit on the train and often I can't and still - seriously? grown a*s man cried bc he can't get a seat on the train? you need to ask and tell people why you need a seat. We all need a seat, we all have pain and nausea and it's slippy for everyone. You look healthy and no one knows your needs if you don't clearly communicate them. stop taking it personally when other people don't notice you any more than anyone else. don't you want to be treated like everyone else?
C'mon people, don't you want the bragging rights to kindness? Doesn't it feel so much better to help someone than to complain about them?
You know what's sad though? Most of those people who replied to his tweets probably wouldn't give up their seats either. They just say that while they're sitting down at home stuffing their faces with food but when they're actually put in the same situation this man was in, they wouldn't move their thick asses whatsoever.
I'm so sorry for him!I give my seat at evry people more aged than me on public transportation, that's normal! He have to got a american staffordshire terrier helping dog... I once took the parisian metro with mine, and he was "froglike" laying on the floor,very tired, and i see an entire stadium of tourist coming from asia, ready to crawd the wagon, then they left.i didn't know that a dead frog could scare people. (i don't know either if "froglike laying" is a thing in english lol but it means flat with posteriors paws extended to maximum)
This made me incredibly sad. Of course I'm the kind of person that will hold the door open for young, old, man or woman. Haven't they heard of common courtesy? It's sad that we have a whole generation of people that were never taught to give, only to receive. The best defense is to stand up for people who need it and to teach others how to be decent human beings.
Those people saying that he can stand, if he is blind clearly don't get the point of seats for disabled people. Yes, he may be able to walk, but being blind makes him disabled. He can't see if people wan't to get out, he can't easily walk over to a space where he may stand secure with his dog and not in the way of other people. Not being able to see anything, can already be terrifying enough, at least if some1 would offer them a seat, they would feel a little more secure. Please try to be a bit more considerate.
I choked up reading this. There is little empathy in this world. For those who don't feel the seat was deserved to this man, one day you will find yourself in a position where kindness was needed and will be disappointed to experience the lack of humanity you've expressed in your posts.
It's a no-brainer that most people would jump at the opportunity to give this guy a seat. Sad they didn't. It's also sad he feels like he has to publicize his dilemma, which wasn't life threatening. Maybe he needs more friends to tell about his bad days, then we wouldn't have to read about this story and offer seats from our couch. Any Londoners willing to not just give him a seat but maybe something meaningful like friendship?
This disgusts me!! Unfortunately a lot of people in my local community look down on me due to my malicious family spreading lies. The few people who don’t are blind people. I always help them and tell them when their bus is due.
when our children were about 1 and 3 yrs old I took them on the train to the city to meet up with their dad. I was carrying the 1 yr old plus their large nappy bag whilst holding the 3 yr old and trying to lift the folded pram. A man raced to the last seat and sat there staring at me!
It's like that time on "I Luv Lucy" where she had the trophy stuck on her head and her & Ethyl went on the subway and got separated. She couldn't see & people rushed her right out & even a bum stole her change. And that was a 1950s TV show mentality. People suck.
What doesn't make sense to me is that he went into the car "specified for those who are disabled" and expected a bunch of other disabled people to give up their seat. Like I get asking a person with no disability "could I please have your seat it is hard to stand on a moving train without being able to see and it is also easier to keep my dog safe" but how can you ask people who also have trouble standing on the train to give up their seat.
I will add that I am American and I drive everywhere, so I don't know how the tube works. If what I am saying is totally ignorant feel free to correct it.
Load More Replies... You can encounter some vile creatures on the London Underground, that poor man. I have chronic kidney disease and have to use a cane. I was on my time from work once and the tube was very busy, nobody offered me their seat. Eventually a man stood up and said "that's a good trick, maybe I should get walking stick and then I'd have a seat every time too!" Another time there were no free seats so I had to stand and a man opposite me stared at me from the moment I got on to the moment he got off. Yup, he got off before me and still didn't give me his seat. Brilliant.
I need a mobility scooter to get around. If I ride the Washington, D.C. Metro, I have to transfer to a seat, because otherwise I am thrown backwards and frontwards, side to side, by the motion of the trains, and frankly, it's dangerous! But I gave up riding the Metro during rush hours because of the s**t I got when I asked --- politely -- for one of the designated seats for people with disabilities. I literally scootered a mile one way, in all weather, to get to my office, rather than deal with people who not only wouldn't give up a "disabled" seat, but would b***h at me for "taking up two spots" on my scooter!
If I were on the car for disabled commuters and had a treasured seat, I would strike up a conversation with those left standing. How far are you going, how long have you been traveling today, etc. If his/her commute outlasts mine, I would promise my seat to them when I leave. I might also be honest, say I need to sit for at least the next 20 min, then offer to trade places after that (not during the chaos of a stop!)
In the US, the stereotype of the English is that they are very, VERY polite. Frequent references to rude commuters in London leads me to think that a) London transit is packed and b) Londoners are at times quite rude.
Commuters in London are some of the worst people I've ever encountered. Accidentally making eye contact with a stranger means its game over and I'm sure there are some people who wash after it happens. I hadn't been living there for very long when I made eye contact with someone sat opposite me, so I smiled and said hello. They looked at me like I'd just murdered their entire family.
Load More Replies... I would much rather offer my seat to someone, only to have them decline, than assume that they don't need the seat.
Please don't take Danielle Melissa Spero (listed in the article) as a representive of Australia...
How awful an experience. I'm so sorry you had to deal with so many jerks. If I had been there I would have given you my seat. I've been having a rough day at work (an ER) and I have been treated like garbage today by so many people that I actually considered walking away from my job forever. Sometimes life can really suck.
I am putting a curse on ALL of the people that have been so cruel to this disabled man and his dog! May ALL of you lose your eyesight for ONE YEAR!!! I'll bet ANYTHING you will all be WHINEY BITCHES every second of that year! So it has been said, so it shall be done!!!
Some of the comments here show the total disregard and disrespect shown to the disabled. Yet you can bet if any of these people totally lacking in empathy suddenly became disabled, they'd be the ones demanding loudest for everything they feel they are owed....
Wow when i read negative comments i was furious believe me God watches maybe tmw u'll be blind karma is b***h so watch what u think, speak or write mfuckers
It's terrible when people don't give up their seats to the disabled, the elderly or pregnant women but I don't believe this story. Who took these pictures? Did they have a photographer following them? Each image is perfectly framed.
he said in the article that a camera is attached to his guide dog
Load More Replies... I get why people are saying that his legs are fine but after walking a while you would get the need to sit down.
It's very common people don't get to sit down. Anyone that regularly rides London trains knows it's a struggle. If you get to sit down or someone offers you a seat that's great. But it's the end of the world if you have to stand. You don't need eyesight to be able to stand up and hold on tight.
I am not convinced by his story. I mean giving up your seat is an act of kindness, but not a moral obligation. If he was able and willing to get on the bus, he should have no expectation of special treatment. Beside, there is no logical connection between blindness and the inability to stand. I would gladly give up my seat to an elderly person, someone on crutches, or a woman who was pregnant. I am not sure I would even think to give up my seat to a blind person who was perfectly capable of standing.
Lol right? Like how dare he ask for some compassion! He could have it SO much worse. Really, Jonathan? You're the f*****g worst.
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I ride the bus and when I fractured my ankle and had to wear a boot people refused to let me sit. Even after being asked by the driver. Also, to all you guys saying he's capable of standing so shouldn't be given a seat, next time you ride public transportation, you try standing with your eyes completely shut and see how easy it is. Just looking at your phone is different because if something happens you have the ability to look up from it and adjust accordingly. Stop being jerks.
...I think the point here is to give the seat to someone else who really needs it. An act of kindness can go a very long way.
Thanks. The post felt more like "the world is a dark cruel place", but you are right. This is a plea, a PSA. Be aware.
Load More Replies... instead of being dismissive of the "he`s blind, not legless" , it needs to be explained how a blind man may need a seat. Here`s why: a blind man might not know when to give way to incoming passengers, he wont know where to and how to correctly reposition his body to make way in a train or bus while standing, he wont have to grope around for a metal pole and accidentally touch someone by accident, seats for the disabled are nearer to doors so he can take less time to exit, instead of having to grope for the way out again. The mistake in the "not legless" response is assuming that the issue is about who needs the seat more. The issue should be about which decision will be better of for everyone. Sure a blindman may not have tired legs, but all his potential fumbling, blocking other people and taking time to exit may well inconvenience more people rather than if one man had just given him a seat.
A seat is a rare and valuable commodity? What? XD I don't understand some people... And okay, maybe being blind doesn't make him someone who should be treated like royalty, but these people are being heartless, you can at least show a little decency... I mean s**t, if they were the blind person, would they still feel the same way?
In regard to the Video and the woman trying to push pass on the escalator... Sorry but that is what stairs are for. Stand and Wait and let the guide dog do his job!
When I really cannot avoid public transport, or be in areas that are full of people... I try to create a "mental circle" around me. I have to walk on crutches. I cannot count the times that people kick them. You need a whole new technique to keep standing. And the worst thing is? They tell you to keep your crutches to yourself. However, I must say, I get offered seats in public transport often enough. But, being disabled, nowadays, is often fighting for your life (and that of your helping buddy). Keep on going, Amit (beautiful name, same as my foster son's) and keep going. Somehow, eventually and hopefully stupid people will wake up and give people like you and me a place in this world.
No one is obligated to give up their set on a bus, but doing it shows an act of kindness that unfortunately some done have the capability of doing. My mother who is over 70 years old rides the bus all the time and tells me that people most often dont give up their seat to those with disabilities, elderly or even women with children. And that people will even take up seats with their belongings and are unwilling to move them so someone else can sit there. Someone who looks to be young and able could of possibly just finished a 12 hour shift and their feet are hurting really bad. So some may not be willing to give up their seat simply because they are jerks and some may have good reason. Me I would give up my seat because if it was my blind sister, elderly mother or even myself trying to ride the bus with small children I would want someone to do it for me.
Society as a whole seems to have stopped teaching people to think compassionately in the last 30 years. It's not a trait you are born with, it's a skill that needs to be learned by practice, but that requires that you also believe that there is value in not thinking only about your situation.
Load More Replies... Sometimes on the bus people will put their bags on the seats next to them so no one can sit there. They will proceed to glare at and then ignore people who ask for the seat.
The best revenge is to sit anyway and be overly bubbly and try to make best friends with them and act like the original snub was a funny joke.
Load More Replies... I live in another country, but if you use the subway when it's rush hour you will meet a wall of human beings. There's only space to stand near the doors. A dog would get crushed.
Walk in them shoes, man. I'll tell ya, the times I've been limited in what I can do (from wheelchairs after surgery, to debilitating pain that people don't know about, to being heartbroken, to just being broke with no idea what to do) certainly humbled me when I was younger and I'm thankful for it. I try super hard (though I fail all the goddam time) not to judge anybody about anything until I know their story. Having people with charmed lives telling you to just suck it up is the worst. Everyone should go through some serious s**t in their lives twice: one to learn what it's like, then again to learn how little you learned the last time.
London? What a SHOCKER! Such a surprise....NOT Sadly but honestly,London is one of the most ignorant places anywhere! What a shame that it still is the same as 20 years ago... Those type of "ignorant" and "blind" (blind to other's needs,not the really blind people!!!) are unfortunately everywhere. Ever heard of common courtesy? Manners? (good ones) being decent human beings?
I live in London and trust me very few people are actually like that, please do not judge a whole city based on the dickery of a few buttholes.
Load More Replies... So I feel a little for him but seriously, you told the dog to find a seat. There wasn't one for the dog to find. My guess is not too many are listening to you speak to the dog. If you were to ask aloud, "is there a seat I can use?" I bet you would have got one. Don't act like the victim. Step up and make s**t happen yourself.
The dog looks so sad in the second picture...He knows what the other humans are doing to his owner, and it makes him sad.
Something very similar happened in Finland as well. I had just got in a train full of people. I could hardly even get to a seat myself (though I prefer the space closer to the doors anyway since it's faster to get out) I was in the middle of the room, people all around me, one smelling of tobacco. and there was this blind young man in the train, with two of his friends with him, who basically helped him stay balanced. When I accidentally heard their conversation it seemed they had been standing there for at least an hour or so, and no one would give up their seat for him. I even saw two perfectly capable teenagers who were on their phones texting or playing or whatever, who could've offered their seat for him, but no. They didn't even seem to notice he was there (and he was not that far away). Luckily a nice woman gave up her seat after noticing them standing in the hallway, and he FINALLY got to sit down.
It seems more and more people are becoming selfish petty ars**oles. I shudder to see what the human race will be like in 100 years. Thats if humans will even exist then.. Being kind to others is always the right thing to do, why do so many find it so difficult to do ?
People keep commenting stuff about how he's only blind and he can still stand but did you ever think about the fact that since he can't see, he can't tell where handles are to hold on? He'd have to wave his hands around to find a handle while on a (probably) crowded train. That's why he had to tell his dog to find him a seat. It simply safer for him because he can't see the handles to hold onto or anything.
I feel for Mr. Patel and his guide family pet due to he is trying to navigate his way around with assistance. He's only asking if there is a seat available. He's not asking for sympathy but at the same time, I can only hope that he and his guide dog are blessed to encounter more people who will be more Selfless. Mr. Patel, stay encouraged, thank you for being a doctor who has compassion to do no harm.
Astounded by how many smart asses with full vision assume it's easy travelling on a crowded train when you're blind by saying "there's nothing wrong with his legs"...this level ignorance is so sad it makes me angry..I truly hope you people who say things like that go blind.
It's been some years since this occurrence, but I recall being on a city bus, seated, no empty seats, when a pregnant woman boarded. Not just pregnant but VERY pregnant; big as a house. No one stood to give her a seat, so I did. And I was aware at how cold this world has become. It was much different back in the 50s & 60s, when I was growing up.
Another point, England is one of the countries that look down their noses at Americans and act like WE are barbaric!! Are you kidding?! An ENTIRE train car loaded with people, and NOT EVEN ONE was willing to help?! You would NOT see this happen in America, well it is a rare, RARE occurrence for people not to help others! For 54 years in America, I have repeatedly, my entire life watched people GO OUT OF THEIR WAY to help others, no matter what kind of help is needed!! We are raised that way!! To always help others if they need it! Because it is the right thing to do!!!
Maybe people in America go out of their way to help others because they're sacred that if they don't they'll get shot! Sorry, I'm only teasing; I couldn't resist! :>)
Load More Replies... When did we become a world full of self centered heartless individuals without even a shred of common courtesy for our fellow person?
Am I the only one curious as to how he gets all these pictures and videos and uses social media so well without being able to see? I've heard of a few simple Braille devices for computers but he seems to have something way better based on his tweets.
Well, just random guess here; A) He brought a friend B) He has some eyesight (There is a certain percentage one can have and still be "legally blind." A braille - style camera sounds cool though
Load More Replies... This hurts my heart, I just don't understand, where common decency and manners went, not to mention empathy, oh I've probably said something not PC.. all I can do / say is I would've given him my seat in a heart beat and I've ruptured disk, I could and would've stood a little pain to help this man feel more secure and his beautiful dog. Just so sad..
I think that you showed your courage and kindness to be brave and to never give up on someone no matter what that can go a very long way showing kindness and courage.
I'm a big guy and it has come in handy when I've leaned over to some d**k sitting in a senior/disabled seat with earbuds in and said loudly and sternly, "GET UP AND GIVE THAT PERSON YOUR SEAT. NOW!" While my size and years of working as a doorman/bouncer gives me confidence I think that loudly calling someone out for their boorish behavior would work in most cases. Once one person speaks up often others will chime in.
This is just disgraceful! I would have stood up and offered you and your dog my seat IMMEDIATELY even when I was going through chemotherapy and dizzy all the time. I am so sorry this happened to you and your faithful companion!
Before I had my bad right hip replaced, I used a cane and needed a seat on every train or bus. Now that I have a bright shiny new hip, I look around at every stop, to see if there's somebody who might need my seat more than I do. And I'm, like, you know, OLD. I hope young healthy people will start doing this too. Oh, and also -- parents of small children, your child does NOT need that seat on the train or bus more than a gray-haired adult! Your little kid's legs are the strongest, least painful and most flexible they will ever be. STOP letting your little children glom into the available seats on transit, and START teaching them to watch, and make sure there is nobody older, more fragile or disabled who needs the seat more, before they climb so cutely and obliviously into the first seat they see.
a disabled person, it is like giving up one's own acquired right, something that we have conquered with arrogance and cunning and that we are not willing to give in for a simple need of someone else. it would be so nice to say that perhaps it is a historical moment. instead I see only one slip towards rudeness and ignorance. when we stop thinking "we" in a society the end is near, because without collaboration, the very meaning of society collapses.
it would be nice to think that we are sorry, that we read, it is possible to make up for the damage, even psychological, that has been done to a person like our friend with his dog. unfortunately too often we should apologize now, because the world is falling into an abyss increasingly dark. once when we thought of society and the people of a city, we thought "we". now it's not like that anymore. the "we" has lost its meaning, it is no longer used except in a negative exception. now only the "I" exists for everything else. today we think only of ourselves in any situation, whether driving a car or traveling the bus, shopping or walking down the street. we no longer ask ourselves if our sphere of needs is to harm someone else's. even if it does, it becomes an offense to us, as if we do not tolerate that someone else may have our same needs and that what we are exploiting is in some way necessary to another. Leave the chair on which we cling to a woman pregnant, an elderly person,
Cry me a river. There's a reason they have rails on trains - for holding on to.
I live near several respected colleges within a few miles of each other. I can't count the number of able-bodied 18-25 year olds I've heard making comments (while sitting in the section reserved for the elderly and disabled) bemoaning the fact that the elderly and disabled are even ALLOWED to ride public transportation. Now that my mobility impairments have forced me to use a wheelchair, at least the buses are not allowed to pull away from the curb until I'm situated and I agree that I'm safe for the bus to move. Can still take over 5 minutes to convince self-entitled "children" to get out of THEIR seats so the wheelchair tie downs can be made available!
A lot of narcissistic a*s$#le ride busses!! Before you say it’s easy do it yourself.
This story annoys me so bad the dog may be smart but f*****g hell how is that dog supposed to find a hand rail or be able to help the blind guy out given how crowded it must have been the way I see it is its waaaaaay more convenient for the blind guy to sit down (excuse my choice of words) out of the way otherwise he is more of a liability to himself and others not to mention he was right by the doors all this is such a dangerous situation for that man and his dog (who may I hard struggled to do his job properly due to people crowding him heavily - would not have happened had the dogs owner got a seat) people are horrible sometimes and the ignorant a******s who comment against him clearly need to realise this is a London train maybe even underground they get packed like really packed. On another note props to that guy for braving Paddington station as a blind person I can see and that place scares me because its huuuuge.
I'm disabled and need to sit on the train and often I can't and still - seriously? grown a*s man cried bc he can't get a seat on the train? you need to ask and tell people why you need a seat. We all need a seat, we all have pain and nausea and it's slippy for everyone. You look healthy and no one knows your needs if you don't clearly communicate them. stop taking it personally when other people don't notice you any more than anyone else. don't you want to be treated like everyone else?
C'mon people, don't you want the bragging rights to kindness? Doesn't it feel so much better to help someone than to complain about them?
You know what's sad though? Most of those people who replied to his tweets probably wouldn't give up their seats either. They just say that while they're sitting down at home stuffing their faces with food but when they're actually put in the same situation this man was in, they wouldn't move their thick asses whatsoever.
I'm so sorry for him!I give my seat at evry people more aged than me on public transportation, that's normal! He have to got a american staffordshire terrier helping dog... I once took the parisian metro with mine, and he was "froglike" laying on the floor,very tired, and i see an entire stadium of tourist coming from asia, ready to crawd the wagon, then they left.i didn't know that a dead frog could scare people. (i don't know either if "froglike laying" is a thing in english lol but it means flat with posteriors paws extended to maximum)
This made me incredibly sad. Of course I'm the kind of person that will hold the door open for young, old, man or woman. Haven't they heard of common courtesy? It's sad that we have a whole generation of people that were never taught to give, only to receive. The best defense is to stand up for people who need it and to teach others how to be decent human beings.
Those people saying that he can stand, if he is blind clearly don't get the point of seats for disabled people. Yes, he may be able to walk, but being blind makes him disabled. He can't see if people wan't to get out, he can't easily walk over to a space where he may stand secure with his dog and not in the way of other people. Not being able to see anything, can already be terrifying enough, at least if some1 would offer them a seat, they would feel a little more secure. Please try to be a bit more considerate.
I choked up reading this. There is little empathy in this world. For those who don't feel the seat was deserved to this man, one day you will find yourself in a position where kindness was needed and will be disappointed to experience the lack of humanity you've expressed in your posts.
It's a no-brainer that most people would jump at the opportunity to give this guy a seat. Sad they didn't. It's also sad he feels like he has to publicize his dilemma, which wasn't life threatening. Maybe he needs more friends to tell about his bad days, then we wouldn't have to read about this story and offer seats from our couch. Any Londoners willing to not just give him a seat but maybe something meaningful like friendship?
This disgusts me!! Unfortunately a lot of people in my local community look down on me due to my malicious family spreading lies. The few people who don’t are blind people. I always help them and tell them when their bus is due.
when our children were about 1 and 3 yrs old I took them on the train to the city to meet up with their dad. I was carrying the 1 yr old plus their large nappy bag whilst holding the 3 yr old and trying to lift the folded pram. A man raced to the last seat and sat there staring at me!
It's like that time on "I Luv Lucy" where she had the trophy stuck on her head and her & Ethyl went on the subway and got separated. She couldn't see & people rushed her right out & even a bum stole her change. And that was a 1950s TV show mentality. People suck.
What doesn't make sense to me is that he went into the car "specified for those who are disabled" and expected a bunch of other disabled people to give up their seat. Like I get asking a person with no disability "could I please have your seat it is hard to stand on a moving train without being able to see and it is also easier to keep my dog safe" but how can you ask people who also have trouble standing on the train to give up their seat.
I will add that I am American and I drive everywhere, so I don't know how the tube works. If what I am saying is totally ignorant feel free to correct it.
Load More Replies... You can encounter some vile creatures on the London Underground, that poor man. I have chronic kidney disease and have to use a cane. I was on my time from work once and the tube was very busy, nobody offered me their seat. Eventually a man stood up and said "that's a good trick, maybe I should get walking stick and then I'd have a seat every time too!" Another time there were no free seats so I had to stand and a man opposite me stared at me from the moment I got on to the moment he got off. Yup, he got off before me and still didn't give me his seat. Brilliant.
I need a mobility scooter to get around. If I ride the Washington, D.C. Metro, I have to transfer to a seat, because otherwise I am thrown backwards and frontwards, side to side, by the motion of the trains, and frankly, it's dangerous! But I gave up riding the Metro during rush hours because of the s**t I got when I asked --- politely -- for one of the designated seats for people with disabilities. I literally scootered a mile one way, in all weather, to get to my office, rather than deal with people who not only wouldn't give up a "disabled" seat, but would b***h at me for "taking up two spots" on my scooter!
If I were on the car for disabled commuters and had a treasured seat, I would strike up a conversation with those left standing. How far are you going, how long have you been traveling today, etc. If his/her commute outlasts mine, I would promise my seat to them when I leave. I might also be honest, say I need to sit for at least the next 20 min, then offer to trade places after that (not during the chaos of a stop!)
In the US, the stereotype of the English is that they are very, VERY polite. Frequent references to rude commuters in London leads me to think that a) London transit is packed and b) Londoners are at times quite rude.
Commuters in London are some of the worst people I've ever encountered. Accidentally making eye contact with a stranger means its game over and I'm sure there are some people who wash after it happens. I hadn't been living there for very long when I made eye contact with someone sat opposite me, so I smiled and said hello. They looked at me like I'd just murdered their entire family.
Load More Replies... I would much rather offer my seat to someone, only to have them decline, than assume that they don't need the seat.
Please don't take Danielle Melissa Spero (listed in the article) as a representive of Australia...
How awful an experience. I'm so sorry you had to deal with so many jerks. If I had been there I would have given you my seat. I've been having a rough day at work (an ER) and I have been treated like garbage today by so many people that I actually considered walking away from my job forever. Sometimes life can really suck.
I am putting a curse on ALL of the people that have been so cruel to this disabled man and his dog! May ALL of you lose your eyesight for ONE YEAR!!! I'll bet ANYTHING you will all be WHINEY BITCHES every second of that year! So it has been said, so it shall be done!!!
Some of the comments here show the total disregard and disrespect shown to the disabled. Yet you can bet if any of these people totally lacking in empathy suddenly became disabled, they'd be the ones demanding loudest for everything they feel they are owed....
Wow when i read negative comments i was furious believe me God watches maybe tmw u'll be blind karma is b***h so watch what u think, speak or write mfuckers
It's terrible when people don't give up their seats to the disabled, the elderly or pregnant women but I don't believe this story. Who took these pictures? Did they have a photographer following them? Each image is perfectly framed.
he said in the article that a camera is attached to his guide dog
Load More Replies... I get why people are saying that his legs are fine but after walking a while you would get the need to sit down.
It's very common people don't get to sit down. Anyone that regularly rides London trains knows it's a struggle. If you get to sit down or someone offers you a seat that's great. But it's the end of the world if you have to stand. You don't need eyesight to be able to stand up and hold on tight.
I am not convinced by his story. I mean giving up your seat is an act of kindness, but not a moral obligation. If he was able and willing to get on the bus, he should have no expectation of special treatment. Beside, there is no logical connection between blindness and the inability to stand. I would gladly give up my seat to an elderly person, someone on crutches, or a woman who was pregnant. I am not sure I would even think to give up my seat to a blind person who was perfectly capable of standing.
Lol right? Like how dare he ask for some compassion! He could have it SO much worse. Really, Jonathan? You're the f*****g worst.
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