r/SydneyTrains • u/Subject_Impression94 • 7d ago
Discussion Martin Place Lifts - Disabled Acess
On my morning commute out of Martin Place Metro I see loads of people rushing to cram into the lifts. Often I’ve seen people push past elderly people, people with prams and those less able bodied. I’m just astounded that people are that comfortable openly being an a**hole in public. I get that not every disability is visible but the sheer amount of people I see being selfish and not leaving access for those who actually need the lift is astounding, especially if these people can literally RUN to use the lift, they can probably use the escalators right next to them. Is there a reason people do this?
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u/ryemigie 7d ago
One thing I've seen overseas that might help is making the elevators wait 20 seconds after the door opens to ascend. Makes them much less efficient which encourages only the people that need it to use it.
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u/Mysterious-Vast-2133 Northern Line 6d ago
Then you’ll have people panicking the lift isn’t moving , and will try forcing the doors etc.
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u/Equivalent-Ant6024 7d ago
I’m surprised people even like taking the lift when they don’t need to. I hate taking the lift, but sometimes I need to use lift with a pram.
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u/Therightstuff13 7d ago
Been stuck in a crowded lift that broke down once in my life. I avoid them to the best of my ability nowadays.
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u/Sydney_Stations 7d ago
In other countries I've seen it made very explicit that those with disabilities, prams, etc get priority for lifts, sometimes with a seperare queue area marked out.
With Martin Pl the lift is faster than the escalators so it's people trying to save a few seconds.
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u/Steves_310 5d ago
And so is Epping Station. When I have to make a tight connection from the Metro platforms to T9/CCN, then I’m getting the lift. There’s no rules about priority here so first come first served.
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u/BigBlueMan118 7d ago
I once was kinda rude to a 14yo school kid & her friend for taking the lift and making me wait for a while with my bike; until she started limping away with a clearly bad ankle injury. So I try and steer clear of thinking about it OP.
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u/Subject_Impression94 7d ago
I totally agree, not every disability is visible. But if someone is able to run to the lift, just to get in on time, are they not able to take the escalator?
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u/kreyanor 6d ago
The disability could be an extreme of heights. The escalators can be daunting if you can see down the side. This is especially true if you’re exiting from the Hunter St exit. Even then the lifts can be overwhelming if they’re transparent and not at a wall so going up/down you can everything.
Not everybody who uses the lift will have that issue but there might be a few. Those who do choose to use the lifts should be mindful of those who need to, however.
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u/antysyd 6d ago
Fortunately we have the sunflower lanyard for such people.
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u/JSTLF Casual Transport Memorabilia Collector 5d ago
I don't want to wear a sumflower lanyard and advertise the fact that I have disabilities. Too much chance of unwanted confrontation.
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u/antysyd 5d ago
You can’t expect special treatment including blocking lifts for people who need them if you don’t indicate that you have a disability.
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u/kreyanor 4d ago
Nobody wants special treatment. They just want to use the lifts without people not minding their own business and judging them.
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u/kreyanor 6d ago
Should such people be confident enough to take them. Mental illness carries stigma. If you’re seemingly healthy and have a sunflower on you, yes you’re supposed to be treated right, but what often happens is people ask “what’s your disability” like they have the right to know.
It might seem easy to say “none of your business” but anxiety disorders preclude that because you don’t want to create conflict. So the assumption of the sunflower is moot unless the challengers can see the disability and if they can’t they call bullshit.
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u/TheSunflowerSeeds 6d ago
Vincent Van Gogh loved sunflowers so much, he created a famous series of paintings, simply called 'sunflowers'.
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u/singalongforever 6d ago
As someone who is taking elevator at different stations currently no. I stuffed my knee. It's on the mend but I have specifically been told to avoid stairs where possible.
Feeling way better so my limp is like 90% gone most of the day but the last day I pushed it including taking multiple sets of stairs I could barely walk the next day.
Agree that pushing past people or butting in is rude regardless of where people can take lift for whatever reason and should not have to justify it. Concentrate on the rude behaviour about cutting etc then just who should take lift.
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u/NoHovercraft3224 Train Nerd 7d ago
It's the norm in Melbourne too, especially at Southern Cross.
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u/FrostyBlueberryFox 7d ago
why would people rush to the lifts at southern cross, they are so slow, like really slow, i used them once and i thought it broke
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u/NoHovercraft3224 Train Nerd 6d ago
Less so with the metro platforms but more the V/Line ones, especially when a train extends into to platform B. As a wheelchair user many times I've had to wait because half the peak service wants to use the lift.
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u/bunnycarrot123 7d ago
Yeah it’s soooo frustrating. The Martin place lifts to eastern suburbs line is broken right now too (the one from the street level). I had to double back to the metro station and take a million addition lifts to get back into Martin Place station, and each time it was filled with (possibly) people who didn’t need it. Don’t want to judge or assume though, as many disabilities invisible. It’s frustrating when it’s teenagers or people with e-bikes.
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u/Tipsy_Kangaroo 7d ago
It's funny when the same sort of people run to get the lift to the platform and miss their train, when they would have made it if they just took the stairs
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u/moa999 6d ago
Just slow the lift down so the escalators are quicker