A disabled OAP says he felt like his ‘heart had been ripped out’ after being told his mobility scooter was ‘too big’ for the train.
James Purdie, from Kirkmichael, says he has been told by ScotRail staff that he isn’t allowed on the Maybole to Ayr train with his scooter, which he says has given him a new lease of life.
The 74-year-old, who suffered a heart attack and a stroke, pre-booked his ticket and boarded the train on July 8 and 9 before a staff member raised the issue on July 14 and again on July 21.
James told Ayrshire Live : “I got on the train twice with it and nobody said anything.
“Another week I went on, this train driver came out and said ‘that shouldn’t be on here’.
“I said ‘it was on last week’ and he said ‘it’s too big to be on here’.
“I just felt as if my heart was ripped out of me.
“Here I’ve got a wee sense of freedom and now they’re stopping it because I can’t go on the train with my scooter.
James, who lives alone with his pet parrot and American Maine Coon cat, said when he arrived at Ayr station on July 14 four ScotRail staff members were standing waiting for him with one telling him the scooter was too big for the train.
James said: “They said ‘do you mind if we take a photograph of it?’
“I said no but I’m looking round and people were looking wondering what was going on.
“I’m thinking ‘do they think I’ve stolen this scooter or something?’
“Or are they going to check to see if I’ve been registered disabled?
“Since that I’ve started getting panic attacks again; tightening of the chest and what not.
“The following week at Ayr when I got back on the train to go to Maybole, they told me to get off.
“The conductor said to me ‘just sit where you are the now; I told you last week this was too big for the train’.
“I said ‘I’ve got a return ticket from Maybole to here, how am I supposed to get my scooter from Ayr back to Maybole?’
“He said ‘right we’ll let it go this time, but don’t go back to Maybole station because the driver will be told it’s too big to go on’.
James says his scooter, which can last for 40 miles per charge, gave him “a new sense of freedom” as he was able to get out for his shopping and visit his brother-in-law in nearby Dalrymple following his heart attack and stroke.
He said: “I used to drive and when I had my stroke my peripheral vision was affected so I had to send my license back.
“So that was me stuck in Kirkmichael without any transport out of it.
“I don’t want to be dependent on anybody. I want to do things for myself.
James added: “These mobility companies are making these scooters bigger and safer, but ScotRail is not moving with the times.
“It’s not just for me but for a lot of disabled people not knowing if they can go on the train.”
A ScotRail spokesperson said: “We aim for everyone to be able to access our services, but the safety and welfare of our customers always comes first.
“In order to comply with safety regulations, wheelchairs and mobility scooters must not exceed specific dimensions. This is to ensure the user can safely get on and off the train as well as manoeuvre while on board, particularly in the event of an emergency.”
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