Photo: Jim Craigmyle (Getty)
Instead of punching a blind man like Natasha Claus once did, it’s best to be patient with blind people and try to make life easier on them. It’s probably not best to urge them to get the hell out of the way so you can go down an escalator. But you know what? That’s exactly what happened to a blind man and his guide dog recently.
A former doctor named Amit Patel, who went blind in 2013, was at London Bridge Tube station recently with his guide dog Kika when out of nowhere another man accuses them of blocking the way. The unidentified man even tries to tell Patel to move out of the way so he can go down. Fortunately for Patel and Kika, a staff member was there to help him out.
The incident was of course caught on film thanks to a camera on Kika’s back. Check it out below as Patel shared it on his Twitter.
If you see a #GuideDog on a escalator please wait patiently behind. Under no circumstance should you try to push through! I’m trained to hold my ground to keep dad & myself safe. Great job by @TfL staff who was with us @guidedogs @GuidedogsLondon @transportforall #LondonBridge pic.twitter.com/zny8J6zisI
— Kika (@Kika_GuideDog) February 7, 2018
Some folks are just plain awful these days, but thankfully people stood up for Patel. Here’s what Patel had to say to the London Evening Standard.
“Moments like this are destroying, it really knocks my confidence. I will dwell on it all day, it just makes me think, ‘Is society really like that?’ It makes me feel like a little boy again.”
How could you refuse a face like this! #AccessRefusal @guidedogs pic.twitter.com/ellMkMwRu4
— Kika (@Kika_GuideDog) January 20, 2018
I can’t imagine being blind and having to deal with things like this everyday, but it’s nice to see commuters standing up for Patel. Here’s hoping Patel won’t have to deal with situations like this again in the near future.
h/t TheLADbible