Mum 'belittled' after luggage blocks wheelchair space
Family handoutA mother said she was "belittled" after asking a enger to move his luggage, which was blocking a train's wheelchair space.
Chantal from Churchdown, Gloucestershire, was travelling to London with her son Jenson, 11, on Sunday with CrossCountry.
They were forced to stand in an aisle blocking the way, until a enger "reluctantly" moved his luggage after asking if they had first class tickets.
A spokesperson for CrossCountry said: "Wheelchair spaces are available in first and standard class and customers should never store luggage in these areas."
Jenson has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic condition that weakens and degenerates muscles. He was travelling to London for his weekly treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
His family usually travel with Great Western Railway, but had to use a CrossCountry service due to cancellations.
They boarded the "packed" train at Cheltenham and went to first class, where the wheelchair space was, to find two large suitcases blocking it.
"Nobody approached us to say 'sorry, that's my luggage, I'll move it'," Chantal said.
'Things need to change'
After standing in the aisle for a while, she was forced to ask other engers who owned the suitcases.
"Unfortunately one of the engers acknowledged that they were his, but rather than being apologetic and wanting to help, he kept saying, 'have you got first class tickets":[]}