I fell down the tube gap and suffered terrible injuries – it is time to make death trap platforms safe for the blind

THREE weeks agone I was aiming to committee a London Underground bid erstwhile I slipped successful the spread betwixt the level and the carriage.

It was a terrifying moment, and 1 I volition ne'er forget.

Even present I americium not 100 per cent definite precisely what happened. I inactive person flashbacks - it each happened successful what seemed similar a second.

The time had been ordinary, I had met my person and was disconnected to ticker Sheffield Wednesday play astatine Brentford.

We were successful Westminster conduit presumption and it was unreserved hour. My person led the way, arsenic was agreed, truthful that my dog, Barley, could travel (as helium has been trained to do). I instructed Barley to “hop up”, which is the bid whenever helium needs to spell ahead.

But arsenic I took a measurement to get onto the conduit bid I abruptly felt some my feet disappearing down the gap.

In an instant my assemblage had been propelled guardant into the carriage and I was look down connected the floor. My legs had someway been scraped retired of the spread and into the carriage.

I didn’t afloat cognize what had happened. I felt tremendous symptom successful some my legs; they were bruised and grazed.

Looking back, I indispensable person mislaid my footing due to the fact that “the gap” betwixt the conduit and level was truthful large, and fallen - but past was forced onto the conduit anyhow by the assemblage down me.

As I sat successful excruciating symptom I was truly worried. I precocious had a bosom onslaught portion successful Italy and ended up successful intensive care.

I americium present connected humor thinners, and arsenic pointed retired successful my fantabulous follow-up procedures with the NHS, immoderate bleeding oregon bruising is dangerous.

I managed to spot a doc astatine the shot crushed who advised maine to spell to A&E archetypal happening successful the morning.

I archetypal attended St Thomas’, wherever I was lucky, arsenic I arrived astatine a constituent wherever unit were not wholly beleaguered. X-rays confirmed bonzer bruising but not a breached leg.

Both legs wounded similar hell, and 1 needed draining, but I would beryllium OK.

Thank goodness I was capable to travel up astatine a specializer portion successful my location metropolis of Sheffield, with adept attraction of semipermanent injuries of this benignant and avoiding the unsafe consequences of infection.

But I americium aggravated astir what happened to me.

Whenever you measurement into a conduit presumption successful London you perceive the tannoy pass radical to “mind the gap”. But excessively often determination are nary unit members to really assistance you if - similar maine - cannot see.

The time of my mishap the unit subordinate who was meant to beryllium attending the level had been called distant due to the fact that idiosyncratic had been attacked.

Clearly, it is captious that determination should ever beryllium idiosyncratic connected hand, particularly during unreserved hour.

Some of our platforms are decease traps. The spread betwixt the walkway and bid is immense and they are unsafe for everyone, but peculiarly for unsighted people.

Evidently, Transport for London bash not person the wealth to widen each platforms.

But wherever the gaps are greatest, precedence should beryllium fixed to originative enactment to “fill the gap”. It is important to halt others having to person the achy and lasting acquisition which I suffered.

I bash not easy get scared. I person been navigating Britain’s streets and stations with my usher canine for decades.

But that time I was spooked.

How galore others person fallen and been earnestly injured due to the fact that of the gap?

How galore injuries person not been reported, and however galore adjacent much superior than excavation person been decently followed up to forestall existent tragedies successful the future?

I volition soon conscionable Transport for London to request answers and urgent reappraisal into the information of our busiest conduit stations, for the involvement of america all.

It is not bully capable to simply accidental “mind the gap” and not springiness immoderate help. We request enactment present to debar preventable wounded oregon worse.