Comedian with dwarfism moved back to US from UK after "humiliating" treatment
- 11 months ago
A comedian with dwarfism has hit out at the UK's attitude towards her condition - saying she was left "humiliated" and "never felt more disabled".
Tanyalee Davis, 52, moved from the US to work in schools as part of an anti-bullying campaign.
But the 3ft 3ins performer has since gone back to the States - growing tired of the mistreatment.
She says she had particular problems on trains - even being singled out by a guard during one incident in which he told the rest of the train she was holding everyone up.
GWR, who was in charge of the service, said at the time they were “collectively horrified”
“We got it wrong, it made no sense, a wheelchair space is a wheelchair space, it’s not for luggage or pushchairs,” a spokesperson said.
Tanyalee, who is now living in Florida, said: “I’ve never felt more disabled than living in the UK.
“It was the general attitude, from train staff to taxi drivers. They would often tell me they didn’t have a disabled ramp.
“I found the attitudes way more debilitating over there [the UK]."
Tanyalee, who uses a mobility scooter, claims a train guard once announced to passengers that she was causing delays.
She says we was told to move from an unreserved spot on the train after a young mum asked to use it for her pram.
When Tanyalee refused to move, the guard threatened to call the police and gave a public announcement on the train - telling passengers that “the woman with the mobility scooter”.
She said: “It was humiliating, and I cried all the way home."
Tanyalee added that the way authority figures would speak to her made her value how much free speech she has in the US.
She said: “In the UK I felt like the attitude was very much, ‘No, sorry you can’t do that’.
“It played with my head and didn’t realise how beat down it made me. I felt like a second-class citizen
Tanyalee says it’s regrettable that she came over to the UK on a mission to help prevent bullying in schools - and ended up getting bullied.
She said: “I tried my best to raise awareness and fight the good fight but there’s only so much you can do battling an entire system that doesn't give a s***.”
“I came over to make people laugh, but the whole time I was there I was being bullied, that’s the irony of it all."
However, despite her negative experiences on public transport, Tanyalee says she still has a great love for the UK's cultural scene.
Tanyalee Davis, 52, moved from the US to work in schools as part of an anti-bullying campaign.
But the 3ft 3ins performer has since gone back to the States - growing tired of the mistreatment.
She says she had particular problems on trains - even being singled out by a guard during one incident in which he told the rest of the train she was holding everyone up.
GWR, who was in charge of the service, said at the time they were “collectively horrified”
“We got it wrong, it made no sense, a wheelchair space is a wheelchair space, it’s not for luggage or pushchairs,” a spokesperson said.
Tanyalee, who is now living in Florida, said: “I’ve never felt more disabled than living in the UK.
“It was the general attitude, from train staff to taxi drivers. They would often tell me they didn’t have a disabled ramp.
“I found the attitudes way more debilitating over there [the UK]."
Tanyalee, who uses a mobility scooter, claims a train guard once announced to passengers that she was causing delays.
She says we was told to move from an unreserved spot on the train after a young mum asked to use it for her pram.
When Tanyalee refused to move, the guard threatened to call the police and gave a public announcement on the train - telling passengers that “the woman with the mobility scooter”.
She said: “It was humiliating, and I cried all the way home."
Tanyalee added that the way authority figures would speak to her made her value how much free speech she has in the US.
She said: “In the UK I felt like the attitude was very much, ‘No, sorry you can’t do that’.
“It played with my head and didn’t realise how beat down it made me. I felt like a second-class citizen
Tanyalee says it’s regrettable that she came over to the UK on a mission to help prevent bullying in schools - and ended up getting bullied.
She said: “I tried my best to raise awareness and fight the good fight but there’s only so much you can do battling an entire system that doesn't give a s***.”
“I came over to make people laugh, but the whole time I was there I was being bullied, that’s the irony of it all."
However, despite her negative experiences on public transport, Tanyalee says she still has a great love for the UK's cultural scene.