London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Feb 07, 2025

Blind teenager left 'stumbling around' Tube station after staff refused to help

Blind teenager left 'stumbling around' Tube station after staff refused to help

Coronavirus restrictions were blamed for why Kelsey Trevett couldn't be shown to his connecting train

A blind teenager was forced to feel his way around a West London Tube station at rush hour after TfL refused to help him.

Kelsey Trevett, 18, ended up having to video call his dad who then guided him around Harrow-on-the-Hill station and onto his connecting train to his home in Watford.

He is completely blind so usually needs station staff to help him get around.

But when he boarded a train at Northwood station and called ahead to the Harrow station to ask for help, as he usually does, staff there said they wouldn't be able to help him due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Kelsey told My London: "I asked them to meet me at a comfortable social distance and verbally guide me to my connecting train.

"If they won't they have a blind person feeling their way around the station.

"I’d never put myself forward for that. I would need help. I wouldn’t be able to find my platform or even see which one I needed."

Staff at Harrow-on-the-Hill suggested getting a taxi from Northwood to Harrow instead but Kelsey would have still needed help getting to the platform.


Harrow-on-the-Hill where Kelsey had to get his dad to guide him to his train by video call


He had to think outside the box and video-called his dad.

Kelsey continued: "Thankfully Harrow is above ground. If it was underground I wouldn’t have been able to speak to my dad.

"He didn’t know the station either but I was just trying to point the camera in a direction that was helpful - at a passenger, or a board."

Kelsey eventually got home but it's changed the way he feels about travelling on the Tube.

He said: "Now I have to plan for these things to happen. I need to plan routes that avoid TfL services because all other train companies are providing assistance as normal. It’s just TfL that are doing it differently.

"Next time I’m making a similar journey I’m going to be thinking, 'am I going to have to figure this out again? Are they going to bother helping?'

"Stumbling around a station in rush hour not being able to see is not an experience I’d wish on anyone."

Brian Woodhead, London Underground’s director of customer service, apologised for what happened.

He said: "We are very sorry Mr Trevett was not offered the assistance he required and are looking into what happened in this case.

"Clearly something went wrong here as Mr Trevett should have been verbally guided around the station as requested.

"We will be contacting Mr Trevett to apologise to him directly and will make sure assistance is offered to any of our customers that need it."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Signs Executive Order Prohibiting Transgender Athletes from Competing in Women's Sports
Intense Pressure Builds for a Free Trade Agreement Between the UK and GCC in Light of Economic Difficulties
UAE Aids in the Transfer of 300 Prisoners Between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump Suggests U.S. 'Takeover' of Gaza, Sparking Global Worries
At least ten fatalities reported in Swedish school shooting, authorities confirm.
EU Reveals Significant Advances on Special Tribunal for Prosecuting Vladimir Putin
Trump Administration Preparing Executive Order to Abolish the Department of Education
Trump's Gaza Plan Provokes Global Debate
Spain Endorses Initiative to Cut Working Week to 37.5 Hours
Australia Prohibits DeepSeek AI on Government Devices Due to Security Issues
Trump Warns of Tariffs on EU Products, Labels Bloc an 'Atrocity' in Trade Matters
Zelenskyy Proposes Nuclear Arsenal if NATO Membership Lingers.
Zelenskyy Urges for 'Robust Security Assurances' from Russia to Conclude the Conflict in Ukraine
European Union Proposes Reforms to 1951 Refugee Convention
China's humanoid robots poised to transform everyday living and spiritual functions.
Changes in US tariffs on Chinese products could affect consumers more significantly than they do China.
How Innovations in China's Humanoid Robots Ignite Fierce Competition with the US
Germany Experiences 34% Decrease in Asylum Applications During Migration Discussion
Experts Challenge Conviction of UK Nurse Lucy Letby for Baby Killings
AfD Chief Alice Weidel Enhances Global Standing Through Meeting with Viktor Orban
Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party Leads Poll Amid Growing Public Demand for Change
Conor Murphy Steps Down as Northern Ireland Economy Minister to Join Irish Parliament
Over 1 Million Face Penalties After Missing HMRC Self-Assessment Tax Deadline
Scottish Government Denies Plans to Ban Cat Ownership Amid Controversy
Bridget Phillipson Urges Parents to Prioritize School Attendance Amid Rising Absence Rates
Keir Starmer Advocates for Stronger UK-EU Security Partnership in Brussels
Six English Councils Granted Permission to Raise Council Tax Bills Above Cap Amid Financial Struggles
Keir Starmer Faces Growing Backlash Over Potential Approval of Rosebank Oilfield
AI Consciousness Raises Ethical Concerns, Say Experts
Families Urge NHS England to Release Full Report on Nottingham Triple Homicide
NHS Initiates Largest AI Trial for Breast Cancer Detection
UK Tightens Regulations on Online Sales of Weight-Loss Injections
Gambling Ads Shown to Parents on Baby Monitor App, Raising Concerns
Ancient Irish Rainforests at Risk Due to the Growth of Monoculture Plantations
EU Leaders Deliberate on Defense Strategy Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
EU Leaders Convene Important Summit on Defense in Response to Rising Tensions
Trump Directs Establishment of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, Considers TikTok Purchase
Britain Considers U.S. Gas Imports in Response to Possible Trump Tariffs
French Prime Minister Bayrou Confronts Several No-Confidence Votes Regarding the 2025 Budget
Shutdown of USAID Headquarters in Light of U.S. Government Reduction Initiatives
President Trump Launches Establishment of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund with Possible TikTok Purchase
Investigation Launched Following Viral Video of Bodybuilder's Airport Prank
Cooling Blankets: A Remedy for Those Who Sleep Hot or Just a Marketing Ploy?
Trump Wins Again as Canada Agrees to Strengthen Border Security
Trump Seeks Rare Minerals from Ukraine in Exchange for U.S. Support
EU Leaders Reach Consensus to Increase Defence Expenditure in Response to Growing Security Threats
UK Business Confidence Declines Amid Economic Uncertainty, Lloyds Survey Shows
Abhishek Sharma's Century Secures India a 4-1 T20 Series Win Over England
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for talks at Chequers.
Australian soccer sensation Sam Kerr confronts a racial abuse trial in London.
×