Assessment centre 50 miles away

First of all thanks for all the excellent advice and information providing clarity on filling out claim forms. It has certainly given me a little more confidence in hope of a successful claim.

Apologies if the following has been asked before. Im new to the forum and still finding my way around using the site.

This morning I received my letter for my face to face. The centre they have given me is 45 miles away in spite of there being a centre in the city I live in. it would take me 2.5 hours to get there via public transport using 2 trains and 3 buses.

I have stated on my claim that I cannot travel using public transport on my own. I wouldn't even be able to attend an appointment in my own city without assistance, not that I would go without support anyway.

When I called them today and told them that it would not be possible for me to attend that day and that the centre I was appointed was unreasonable on the grounds that I would not have someone to attend with me that day, and that there is an assessment centre practically on my doorstep the person on the other end went silent. When I did not say anything she sighed and very sharply asked what I wanted her to do about it. I requested that it be rearranged at a centre closer to home. In the first instance she did not refuse to change the centre/appointment but made it clear in her response that she viewed me as being difficult. She started talking about the directions being clearly marked on a map i would have got with my letter and asked me to reconsider if it was really all that inconvenient with the hassle of changing it.
I explained my right to have someone with me and it would not be possible on that date, and even if I did have someone available to support me I would not have access to public transport to get me there so early in the morning for my appointment time.
Anyway, eventually after being made to feel like I was being difficult I was offered an appointment at my nearest centre and very abruptly told I could not change this appointment again.

Is this a new tactic they are using in the hope that people will be late/not turn up/make it difficult for claimants? Or has it always been common practice in this inhumane process?
Has anyone else had this experience?

Thanks in advance.