Home » United Kingdom Macedonia » Stories about European Trips (1)

These are recent stories - the rest are in my latest book,"Walking Through Adversity."

Stories about European Trips (1)

Rob bryant
2006-01-09 11:25:36

Displayed times (last time: )

four different trains in each direction. Virtually none of the underground trains in London are wheelchair accessible. On every leg of the trip the attendants would apologize that the train stations were without elevators and that I would not be able to take the train. I would just go to the stairs, stand, lock my braces, hold onto the rail and start walking slowly down the stairs. Sometimes there were four or more staircases. This was repeated each morning, afternoon and evening as we traversed many flights of stairs. I was accompanied by a dear friend who tirelessly carried my wheelchair up and down the stairs. I could not have done it without her! By the end of the week, several attendants knew us and would smile and salute. One day, I had to go without my braces due to a sore on my foot. Two gentlemen (strangers to me and each other) noticed I was having trouble and they both stopped looked at each other and put my arms over their shoulders and literally lifted my weight from me to them and they walked me up the stairs. By the time we reached the top we knew each others names and stories. I thanked them profusely, but they actually thanked me for my attitude. Despite the difficulty of ascending and descending the endless line of stairs, people of every race, age, nationality and both genders helped me up the stairs. They also helped me in the train doors, held the train for me, gave us directions, and genuinely enjoyed talking to us (my accent had a lot to do with that). One young lady (an obvious weight lifter) noticed I was not going to make it on the train and the doors were going to close on me and my wheelchair. She stopped, knelt down and literally lifted me and my wheelchair up with little more than a grimace on her face. I weigh 225 pounds and she lifted me like I was a child. I thanked her and said, �anyone that can lift me, I call mam,� in my Texas accent She smiled and walked away while a few folks nearby cheered her. The train ...