More examples of how the less robust are treated in the UK today

On 18 April I posted an entry on this blog reporting how I felt that the needs of the elderly, disabled and infirm are not considered properly by government, and, perhaps as a consequence, by society at large.

Three more examples have become apparent since I wrote that post.

Councils allowing pavement obstructions 

The Hertfordshire Mercury has a story about the problems faced by a blind woman now that councils have allowed cafes and pubs to put customer seating on some of the pavement space in our town centres. 

This has the effect of narrowing the available space for passers by, at a time when we are being told by government to keep two metres away from strangers. 

The lady concerned has a similar opinion to mine of our PM:

“I wish Boris Johnson could meet some visually impaired people so we could explain how difficult it is for us at the moment. Sadly we seem to be ignored and don’t have a voice loud enough for people to hear our daily struggles."

I have contacted local councillors about considering the needs of the disabled in council's responses to Covid. I've had no response.

Kind of makes my point?

eScooters,  and Dogs out of Control 

Our leaders, as they have shown with their response to the pandemic, have it within their powers to ban almost anything.

Why haven't they done anything about e-scooters, and the problem of out-of-control dogs? Both are significant problems for the less able. 

eScooters cannot be heard, so may not be noticed by anyone with sight issues. They are not legal for use on footpaths, bridleways or pavements in the UK, and their use on roads is limited to approved types - I believe, rented versions. I have seen them for sale in shops, the boxes having text like 'not for use on roads in the UK' displayed somewhere on them.

Yet the bloody things are everywhere, usually ridden on the pavement. If Viv and I are out and one comes along I have to yank her out of the way because she won't see or hear it.  

Dogs are a similar problem. Viv's vision does not allow her to keep track of a dog. Owners often have them off the lead: if one becomes inquisitive - or decides it wants to be 'dominant' over us - the owners will usually say 'sorry, he's just being inquisitive'. It's a good job I usually hold Viv's hand when we're out, because some dogs would easily knock her over.

Yesterday these two issues combined to give Viv quite a fright. We were walking back from our volunteering, along a bridleway at the edge of a field just to the north of the town where we live. A tall, thirtyish bearded man approached from the opposite direction, riding an e-scooter. To his right, perhaps ten yards away and not on a lead, a large, white, husky type dog was bounding through the crop - possibly barley - that was growing in the field. I wonder what I would do if the dog did a poo there, perhaps say to the man 'I hope you like dog shit flavoured beer', or something, for it seems that many dog owners don't seem to realise that the fields they let their dogs bound over may be growing the very food they will eat.

The dog didn't shit, the man went past us on his scooter, the dog followed. I congratulated myself for not saying anything, even about the ground nesting birds (skylarks) in the field, for I am often drawn into saying something when I see ignorant behaviour, and can be drawn into arguments that I find more than a little stressful. 

I kept an eye on the man and his dog though: Viv and I have had problems with dogs in the past. The man continued on, but Viv and I had sparked the dog's inquisitiveness. It turned and came up beside me; having a walking pole with me, I offered that to the dog, just as the owner turned to see what was going on. 

The dog wasn't interested in my stick. It went round to examine Viv, who, partly because of her disability, did not respond (she wasn't even aware it was there). I probably should have shouted, but was knackered after three hours' gardening, and didn't intervene as quickly as I should.

The dog got up on its hind legs and put its paws on Viv's shoulder; not quite aggressively, but certainly in an unwelcome fashion. (Viv isn't a great dog lover, she's nervous of them, and they seem to sense that.)

'Oi, oi!', I shouted. 'Can you please get your dog under control!' 

The owner, by now aware that his dog was annoying strangers, ran up and managed to grab his pet by the collar, and fixed a lead to it before turning and continuing on his scooter ride.

And, as far as I recall, he didn't even apologise. The disabled, frail and infirm, as I said on 18th, just don't seem to matter.

(Oh, and I wonder whether the owner would have thought twice about taking his dog into a field full of sheep? There have been reports of sheep worrying lately, seemingly due to the number of non-'country' folk buying dogs and taking them into the countryside in lockdown.)

Politicians have had the powers to ban the sale of illegal eScooters yet haven't. They also could do something about dog nuisance - if nothing else, start a publicity campaign reminding people that dogs must be under control in a public place, and, unless a dog is very well trained, that means on a lead; and that footpaths in the countryside are just as much a public place as a city street. 

But then, with all the Covid statistics our masters are concerning themselves with, they probably don't have time to think of the impact their decisions have on the less mobile, frail, and those nervous of dogs. Shouldn't they?