The road was cordoned off by Horse Guards parade on Friday afternoon, because of some ‘function’ on the pavement beside the Treasury building: squat little marquee, squat little men drinking warm champagne and 30 odd police officers standing around in the street with truncheons.
As I herded with the crowd along the pedestrian detour I saw a blind man in a smart suit with a guide dog, fumbling in a panicky way at the police barrier. He worked in the Treasury opposite, he said, and though there’d been a gap in the fence 5 mins ago, which he’d popped through to walk his dog, it now seemed to have vanished.
I couldn’t see the gap either, so I called out to a nearby policewoman, and this is how the conversation went:
Policewoman: “Oh, I just closed that gap.” Blind man: “Well, could you open it again please, just for a second. I don’t know my way around the barriers and I’ll get lost.” PW: “I’m sorry sir, it’s closed now.” BM: “But if it was open 2 minutes ago, can’t you make an exception? I work just across the road.”PW: “Sorry sir. BM: “Oh dear! what am I going to do? Could you perhaps give me your arm and guide me round?”PW: “Sorry sir, it’s against regulations.”
Of course I helped him, but three days later, I still feel indignant. Against regulations for one of 30 idle police officers to help a blind man cross the road?
Can that be right?
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