A Mearns man has spoken of his anxiety as he prepares to submit his honours year university coursework without internet access just weeks before he is due to undergo major surgery.
Dale Jamieson (43), who lives in St Cyrus, moved home on March 18 and expected his BT phoneline and broadband to be installed almost immediately to alleviate some of the stress of the final weeks of his biomedical science degree at Dundee University.
But a series of complications has meant that Dale, who has serious back and neck problems and is registered disabled for academic purposes, has to travel 60 miles almost daily to use the university library.
The upheaval comes as he waits to go into Ninewells Hospital for surgery which he hopes will help correct a neurological problem which often leads to paralysis down his left side.
Although BT has now installed a phoneline following intervention from The Courier, Dale and his wife Lynda (42) still face an indefinite wait for internet access.
He said, “The whole thing has just been quite stressful. We moved in the middle of March and it’s now the end of April. We gave BT at least a week’s notice and I appreciate the fact that it might take a few days to get the internet up and running but it’s just been a nightmare ever since.
“I haven’t been keeping well and whenever I travel to Dundee I am absolutely knackered. It would be so much easier if I could do some online reading at home to prepare for my exams.”
Dale, who has a daughter Paige (17) and a son Ryan (15), now has just three weeks to complete a 70-page report as well as his final exams to study for.
“I would have thought they might have offered us more assistance due to the position I’m in but I can’t say much for their customer service,” he said.
“I’m spending a lot of money travelling to Dundee every day a weekly train ticket can cost around £50. I’m very reluctant to pay this as it’s money we basically don’t have in the current financial climate.”
Dale also has to rely on family members to transport him to and from Montrose train station as his condition means he often cannot walk long distances.
A BT spokesman said, “BT would like to apologise to the Jamiesons for the delay in providing the service. This is due to a shortage of phonelines.
“We are keeping in touch with the Jamiesons and we will let them know what the situation is. We are hoping to get this rectified as soon as possible.”