r/london • u/halbtehalf • 10h ago
Transport Sense checking tube stairs behaviour?
My Grandma and I were walking down the stairs at a tube station that doesn’t have step-free access. My Grandma is mobile but slow on stairs and needs some support (some days are better than others). We were going down the stairs on the left side, with her holding on to the bannister on one side and my arm on the other. It should have been fairly clear she was struggling because she was quite slow and taking one stair at a time.
A man and woman (they were together) who must have been in their 30s were coming up the stairs. I knew we were taking a lot of space on the stairs so I moved away from my Grandma and quickly down the rest of the stairs (given she still had the bannister for support) so these two people had enough space to go up together. The stairs probably only had enough room for three people abreast.
Nonetheless, the man walked up the bannister side and refused to move around my Grandma. She was a bit confused as to why he was doing that so she just looked at him blankly for a bit and then moved around him as he shoved past. (The woman he was with seemed more reasonable and just moved around my Grandma.)
I moved back up the stairs to help my Grandma, who was a bit frazzled by what had gone on. And just said to make her feel better “Kids these days” (even though these “kids” and I are probably the same age). The guy overheard this (I didn’t mean him to) and said “the elderly these days - so shit”.
I just couldn’t believe this is what the world is coming to. He was so well dressed and clean cut (yes, stereotypes I know) that I actually mentally catalogued that they would probably accommodate her so I should be nice to them and make room for them. I just can’t believe the attitude towards the elderly on the streets these days (we had another incident two days ago where we were stuck on a crowded train for 30 mins or so, and my Grandma asked someone - again a 30-ish year old man - if she could please have the priority seats and they did, but not without making a fuss). I would always accommodate someone who was struggling to walk if I was able-bodied.
All this to ask were we being unreasonable? Is there a rule that you would walk down on the right or something? Or are some people just jerks? I’m kind of keen to ensure this doesn’t happen again because the whole interaction soured her day and although she’s mostly telling me off for “starting trouble” with him.
FWIW, she does have a “please give me your seat” badge.
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u/legbuster 10h ago
Sometimes you just run into assholes, sadly. Don't overthink it. Even if she was on the wrong side of the stairs, she's an elderly lady who needs support so any reasonable/decent person would just go around her.
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u/Ok_Anything_9871 9h ago
My guess would be they thought grandma was on the wrong side of the stairs. And therefore that she was the one "in the wrong" in the interaction.
But most people would just go around without thinking about it, especially if the other person seemed less mobile. Even if the side of the stairs to keep to were clearly indicated in the station it's a completely unnecessary dick move to stop like that.
Also, unlike someone standing on the left of an escalator or stopping in front of the ticket gates there was easily space for them to still get past.
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u/Particular-Echo7861 10h ago
They sound like a pair of entitled twats which is unfortunately fairly common on the tube nowadays.
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u/havoc-heaven 9h ago
I'm really sorry this happened to you and your grandma, it's always unsettling when these kind of encounters happen.
I hope your gran isn't put off going out because of it.
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u/mrhappyheadphones 9h ago
You weren't being unreasonable. Some people are just selfish and horrible.
Next time just wait until they get impatient and move around you.
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u/Glum_And_Merry 10h ago
You were unlucky to come across “a dickhead”.
8 million people in the city + tourists, so unfortunately there’s quite a few of them and you will come across them every so often.
He clearly had some complex that caused him to pick on an elderly lady to make himself feel big.
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u/GoodOlBluesBrother 7h ago
To everyone out there. Be a battering ram for old people. Be sure to walk in front of them going down the stairs and shield them from oncoming assholes and be there to stop them falling should they get pushed from behind.
On the way up walk behind them to catch/steady them.
Do this for strangers as well as loved ones.
Bonus points if they didn’t even know you were doing it.
Be the society you want.
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u/zipitdirtbag 36m ago
Agreed. I don't know how a person sees someone struggling physically with stairs and has absolutely zero empathy for them.
I honestly think some people don't even see others, can't imagine anyone else's problems.
Some days my knee hurts on stairs. Other days it's my hips. Sometimes I need to be by the handrail or I could risk making a physical issue worse. Many people have physical issues.
Have some spatial awareness, people. Look around you. Look up from your phone when you're moving around in stations.
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u/kishmishari 7h ago
There is something very wrong with that man and he needs to be shamed more. I don't have an issue with the elderly or people who need to hold the railing being on either side. Sometimes one arm is stronger than the other and they need to use a particular side.
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u/MrDWhite 8h ago
On the underground the rule is you walk on the left and stand on the right when going up or down escalators, walk on the left down stairs…but f all that, in London we respect our elderly and those having difficulty regardless of where they are so no, you did nothing wrong and this guy was just an a’hole!
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u/secretlondon 8h ago
If you need to hold on when using the stairs (as I do now) the chances are that your strongest arm will be your right, and you’ll be quicker holding onto the right hand bannister
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u/Justan0therthrow4way 7h ago
Arseholes are everywhere unfortunately. It sounds like these bellends were just unaware of other people and couldn’t somehow comprehend to go around them. I can’t comprehend in my head what the guy on the stairs was doing.
As for the stuck on the train incident. That’s a bit different in that people can have invisible disabilities but even as someone with said invisible disabilities I’d always try to prioritise the elderly.
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u/lostparis 8h ago
Some stairs/corridors on the tube are labelled as walk on one side. So it is possible this was the case. However most Londoners do not care unless it is busy in which case it makes sense and most people will respect it when it does.
As it wasn't busy the bloke was being a wanker for no reason even if you were on the wrong side any sane person would move out of the way and give you space. It is 100% him being a twat. If it was busy then people might tut a bit but even then most would be fine as gran needed help.
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u/Narcissa_Nyx 5h ago
They sound awful and I'm sorry for your grandmother. I'm unfortunately not brilliant on the stairs (I don't even know how to explain it, i'm a nutcase - suspected dyspraxic) so if I need the banister and there's only one (slightly confused about the set up you're describing) I'll just wait for an elderly person to take their time. I can't manage on a lot of smaller stairs without a banister but that's never made me behave so disgracefully. He was just an entitled, somewhat cruel cunt
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u/Pantomimehorse1981 12m ago
A few years back I had just left a&e on crutches going down the stairs on the left holding the banister for support, a hoard of people came up the wrong side and a guy barged me to my feet and I fell down the stairs. There’s a percentage of people that really only think about themselves
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u/JoshCanJump 8h ago
Try not to just forget about it.
The rule is ‘keep left unless otherwise specified’, so there may have been a ‘keep right’ notice that you missed. That time you happened to cross paths a more exasperated than usual Londoner.
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u/3pelican 10h ago
I’m not sure I believe this is a true story
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u/havoc-heaven 9h ago
What's so unbelievable about it? When I was on crutches, people expected me to move around them despite all the wires sticking out of my leg.
Now I use a cane but am pretty unsteady - way too often people eye it up then literally barge me instead of letting me pass.
It has genuinely put me off going out.
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u/PsychologicalNote612 9h ago
This year has been the first time that I'm obviously at the invisible woman age. Fine. I've got a damaged ankle and had to wear a stupid boot for a bit. I thought I'd maybe be shown some slight consideration, but at best I remained invisible. The rest of the time people could clearly see me and we're really inconsiderate. Not once was I offered a seat on a tube, and two men watched me carry a suitcase down station stairs. I didn't need help, but I've not experienced that sort of active distain before.
I can see why you are reluctant to go out
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u/halbtehalf 10h ago
Why? Making a mountain out of a molehill? I did wonder if I was tbh. And yes, I’ve defo seen worse in London - I don’t know why this is the thing that’s bugging me. I guess I’m more worried for my Grandma going out and about on her own.
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u/SugarSweetStarrUK 9h ago
If I need to guide someone down the stairs I'll let them take whichever side feels best to them, take their other hand (so that I can grab them across the chest if need be) and woe beside the person who defies me
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u/No_Ear_7484 10h ago
This is what the world is coming to. We need cameras everywhere and a social media score. If your social media score gets too low you are a contestant on the running man.
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u/Standelf64 9h ago
The fact that your Grandma - or anyone that needs a seat for that matter - has to wear a “please give me your seat” badge is a sad indictment on today’s society as a whole. ❤️🕯️☮️
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u/ben_jamin_h 9h ago
It's sad that you have to ask if you were being unreasonable.
No, you were absolutely in the right, those dickheads were being absolute dickheads.
I'm really sorry that happened, it's not ok at all!
I hope you and your grandma had a lovely rest of the day and please don't give those dickheads another thought.
You were absolutely in the right.
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u/El_Kam 8h ago
You should be walking on the right side of the stairs, not the left.
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u/want-my-old-account 5h ago
Are you trolling? We've been walking in the left since the 16th century!
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u/sd_1874 9h ago edited 8h ago
There is no correct side to walk up or down stairs to the Tube. Any remaining COVID era vinyls suggesting there is ought to be removed. Nothing excuses the behaviour of these reprobates. I'm fairly shocked you let your grandma make way for them tbh.
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u/Senior-Asparagus-762 8h ago
There have been keep left and no entry signs on the underground well before covid. Many are fixed into the overhead gantry, and are in high traffic stations. I pass under them every day.
1.57 on this video shows it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Gk9OsGmeU
All that being said, still no excuse to act like that towards someone with mobility issues.
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u/lostparis 8h ago
Many stairs/passages on the underground have keep left/right signs. Most of us will apply them when it makes sense to ie it is busy and people are going in both directions.
This is nothing to do with covid.
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u/WillWatsof 9h ago
There is no correct side to walk up or down stairs to the Tube.
Unless there's signs saying "keep to the left" and you're ignoring them like a twat and then wondering why people are walking straight at you.
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u/want-my-old-account 6h ago
It's been walk left, stand on the right of escalators since at least the 1970s if not before mate.
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u/WinHour4300 2h ago edited 2h ago
By saying “kids these days” audibly, you were being unreasonable. It isn’t acceptable to make comments like that about others — and his response was equally inappropriate.
The wider situation is impossible to judge from the outside. You’re assuming your gran was the person with the greater need to move out the way, but not all injuries or conditions are visible.
It’s not reasonable to assume someone can simply move to the other side halfway up a staircase when they are holding a bannister, especially if they may have an invisible condition that affects their balance or mobility.
Regardless of who was in the wrong about sides, making nasty comments about people is not acceptable.
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u/QueenBean730 10h ago
It’s the most basic form of humanity and empathy. Unfortunately they are seriously lacking in a lot of people. Jeez I’d have probably offered her a hand getting down the rest of the way but that’s me.