Life in the countryside presents different challenges to life in the city. Six young people share their outlook on getting around in their local area, and their individual solutions to the problems they encounter.
Country
Gareth Ellis (21) finds the route to freedom is through his musical interests
In our village, the bus to the nearest town goes through once every two hours. Not exactly efficient, but to remain independent, it's pretty much my only option
Then I have the issue that my passion and aim in life is to be a musician. A guitar can fit in a case, on my back, nice and portable. What isn't so portable is my ever growing collection of guitar pedals, and large amplifiers, so for a very long time, I was a bedroom rocker and nothing more. I wanted to get out there, play the pubs and clubs, without having to carry half a ton of equipment on my back, on that bi-hourly bus.
The best tool I found was the internet. I found an advert for an open mic night at a nearby pub, and sent them a message explaining my situation and literally within hours got a reply. A man who lived not too far away owned a van, wanted to go, but didn't want to go alone and offered to take me and my equipment.
These days, I have a regular spot at the pub every other week, alongside my new friends and fellow musicians. As much as I like to retain my independence, asking for a lift every now and again is only human, and there are so many people that are willing to help out. All you need to do is ask.
Lucy Dawson (22) is challenging herself to try new ways of getting around
As I live on the coast in Trimmingham I'm in a quite isolated area where most if not all people are retired plus it's a single street so there's nothing going on. As I'm unemployed I have loads of free time on my hands, but unfortunately travelling to places such as Norwich can be very tiring and stressful. The good news is that, as I'm a pass holder, bus travel is free. The bad news is typically if I want to go to Norwich on the bus I have to get up quite early and would have to get two buses each way, a total of four in one day.
I get mobility lessons regularly which build up my confidence and give me a chance to explore different ways of getting to places, such as trains. As part of my independence training I'm going to try a sat nav system called Trekker Breeze to see if it helps when I go into the city.
Harriet Smith (21) finds the public transport in her area a bit frustrating
I use a long cane to travel around independently. However, as I live in a rural area, there aren't many useful routes for me. Although I have registered with "County Connect" (a bus service that you book in advance to pick you up), I haven't used it yet. Several of my relatives have found it to be very unreliable. I do not want to be stranded!
I rely on my family to take me out to places. I do use the train but need someone to take me to the station as we live 10 miles from the nearest station. Because of this I don't travel around independently as much as I should. I did receive mobility training at school which was very thorough and covered rail travel. I also had some training in my first year at university but it was minimal.
I have used a Trekker Breeze handheld GPS in the past, but it didn't work very well in the area I live in because of poor satellite coverage in our area. If I manage to get a job away from home, I will consider getting a Trekker Breeze. I will review my mobility skills at this point, and get some training in order to learn the routes I will have to take. I may consider getting a guide dog in the future too.
Town
Georgina Wyatt (25) loves London life but she's upfront about some of the problems
I am lucky to have all of London on my doorstep. It's a metropolis full of entertainment, and I can travel alone with the greatest of ease. I make a point of getting to know areas I like to shop or dine at so my trip is not filled with anxiety and I don't have to be reminded that I am any different to anyone else.
Like most 20-somethings a night out with friends is always a winner, but in recent years these have been fewer in number. My sight no longer has the strength it used to when I was 18 and my nights out now have to be carefully planned to ensure my safety and security.
I am very lucky that my friends have knowledge of my sight limitations and always think about me when we are out. However it's the special few that simply see me stop, unable to judge the steps in front of me, and take my hand immediately making me feel completely at ease. When I go to a club it has to be with this special few.
I am filled with dread when a friend says "Meet us at the back of the club" or "We'll wait for you outside the tube station" as I know I will be filled with fear navigating my way through an unfamiliar area. The fear is, not so much being scared, but fear of humiliation such as falling down a step and being mistaken for a drunkard or bumping into someone and being met with a dirty stare. Nightclubs therefore are not a common hangout for me but I never liked them that much anyway!
Louise Cunningham (25) finds a white cane is the best navigation aid in town
Personally, I would always choose the countryside over a big city as I dislike sprawling urban environments. I get a bit nervous when trying to navigate a busy high street and shopping centre let alone deal with busy roads and crossings. I guess this comes with living in the suburbs, you get used to more relaxed and peaceful surroundings.
I travel with someone else whenever possible, but I'm working on my confidence at getting around urban environments independently. I have a free bus pass, but I find it so much easier to travel by taxi or accept lifts from family and friends. As I cannot recognise vehicles very well, whoever is collecting me will park up and walk with me to the car.
I have been known, on a few occasions in the past, to open the door of a car that has just rolled up in front of me thinking it's my mum, but to my embarrassment, it's someone else entirely. This would usually be followed by the amazed silence of the driver and my profuse apologies as I close the car door. This is only made worse if then having to stand in the same place waiting for my lift to arrive while the driver of the strange car is still parked there trying to figure out if this young lady is drunk. I must say that this has become less embarrassing whilst carrying my cane: it certainly helps explain things!
Getting from A to B is so much easier using a cane, and it breeds a sense of independence. I would consider trying one of the GPS devices for tackling less familiar routes. No matter what device you choose, even if using a guide dog, I believe that good, independent navigation relies heavily upon your knowledge of the area concerned and a good sense of the general direction you wish to head in.
Anne Lewis (22) swears by her smartphone
London buses are great as they verbally announce each stop before you get there. Buses outside of London are a bit more tricky and asking the driver to let you know when you get somewhere is far from foolproof as they generally forget and leave you stranded God knows where. Even if you know the place you're going to, if it's dark, working out where you are can be tricky. When I'm meeting friends I will generally call or text them when nearby and they'll come and find me or shout. Texting is invaluable when lost on a night out in a noisy club, but can take a while for a reply.
I use Google Maps and Transport for London's online Journey Planner a lot, both before I leave the house and on my iPhone while travelling. Journey Planner gives you bus times and stops, while Maps, if you have GPS, shows you your location and walking directions to your destination once off the bus or train.
A theoretical gadget wish list for me would include something to help me hail a bus. I don't know a way of doing this and generally have to rely on someone else catching the same bus as me and putting their hand out. For this it's actually easier catching a bus outside of London where they come once an hour and you know only one route passes, so you can't go wrong. In London they are many and often.
Also check out Anne's experiences of travel and transport.
This article was first published in Insight magazine.