[il-talk] Fw: [Nfbc-info] Blind couple barred from bus

Tue Dec 30 22:24:30 UTC 2014

You're absolutely right on that point, Rob.  And while I wasn't there in the
moment and thus wouldn't presume to judge how Cindy and Mike ought to have
handled the situation, to me the absurdity and vulgarity of this bus
driver's behavior was so patently obvious that I believe the confident blind
traveler might do just as well to brush it off and take one's seat just as
he/she pleased.  The subsequent invitation to the driver to "do something
about it" would be entirely optional, but I think could safely be issued
with the knowledge that the only thing the driver might do about it would be
to make an even bigger fool of himself, and to bestow upon me as the
plaintiff an even larger settlement in the subsequent lawsuit.  :o)

Happy New Year to all!

-----Original Message-----
From: rcubfank at sbcglobal.net [mailto:rcubfank at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2014 4:08 PM
To: Andrew Webb; NFB of Illinois Mailing List
Subject: Re: [il-talk] Fw: [Nfbc-info] Blind couple barred from bus

I think we always have to do something on an even keal. We need to show 
people that we (unlike the buss driver) have inteligence not stupidity. We 
have come a long way. Let's not stop now.

Rob Kaiser, President National Federation of the Blind of California Orange 
County Chapter cell#(760)792-0525 email;
rcubfank at sbcglobal.net
-----Original Message----- 
From: Andrew Webb via il-talk
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2014 2:03 PM
To: 'eileen Truschke' ; 'NFB of Illinois Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [il-talk] Fw: [Nfbc-info] Blind couple barred from bus

I have no doubt that the regulations were explained to this driver along 
with all his colleagues within the training process, but unfortunately this 
particular driver appears to have an IQ approximating that of a grapefruit, 
and a bit of an anger management issue to boot.  I know Cindy personally, 
she is a very bright and assertive woman and I am impressed that she and 
Mike brought this incident to the attention of the local news bureau.

As a side note, however, am I the only one on this list who would have 
handled this situation by pushing my way past this Neanderthal driver, 
taking my seat wherever I happened to find one, then smirking at the driver 
and asking him what exactly he planned to do about it?  Or is there just 
something faulty in my wiring?  ;o)

-----Original Message-----
From: il-talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of eileen 
Truschke via il-talk
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2014 3:49 PM
To: rcubfank at sbcglobal.net; NFB of Illinois Mailing List
Subject: Re: [il-talk] Fw: [Nfbc-info] Blind couple barred from bus

Someone should educate bus operators about the laws regarding priority 
seating.  When bus operators are in training, whoever trains them should 
explain that blind folks do NOT need priority seating .    We've had the ADA

laws for a good 25 years.   Eileen Truschke

     On Tuesday, December 30, 2014 3:26 PM, Rob Kaiser via il-talk 
<il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Hello again. I know this is the 2nd day in a row I have sent out an article
forwarded from the California listserve. I feel these articles are important
for all Federationists to read. I hope noone isn't upset I'm forwarding
these articles.

This one really appalls me. When I had my leaderdogs back in the 1980s, I
rairly sat in the fron of the then called the RTA busses because I felt
there was more room a little bit towards the back of the busses. No one ever
questioned this.

Enjoy this article.

Rob Kaiser, President National Federation of the Blind of California Orange
County Chapter cell#(760)792-0525 email;
rcubfank at sbcglobal.net
-----Original Message----- 
From: Tina Thomas via Nfbc-info
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2014 12:43 PM
To: 'NFB of California List'
Subject: [Nfbc-info] Blind couple barred from bus

Here is the article from komonews.com.

SEATTLE -- A blind Seattle couple says they were barred from a bus by a
driver who insisted the seats for people with disabilities were full.

Cindy Bennett and Michael Mello were trying to catch the bus on Capitol Hill
Sunday when they say the driver insisted they get off the bus and wait for
the next one because no priority seats were available.

"He was making an assumption that the only seats we could sit in were those
designated as ADA seats," Bennett said. "We felt that it was a pretty clear
indication that we were not welcome on that bus."

"He started kind of getting louder and more irate with me and saying, 'the
ADA section is full.' I said, 'that's fine. We can sit anywhere else on this
bus. It's no problem,'" added Mello.

King County Metro Transit, which operates buses in Seattle, apologized to
the couple Monday and said it would investigate what happened.

The Americans with Disabilities Act <http://www.ada.gov/>  says that people
who are blind and visually impaired have the right to use public transit but
that they do not have to ride in special seating, said Marci Carpenter,
president of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington.

"For us, it's the same as African-Americans being told they have to sit in
the back of the bus. Mike and Cindy were told, 'you have to sit in the front
of the bus or you cannot ride,'" Carpenter said. "It's a civil rights
issue."

"What happened is unacceptable and we apologize," said Jeff Switzer, a
spokesman for Metro Transit, in a statement. "Blind passengers are not
required to use the ADA priority seating area. We've identified the operator
and his chief will be working with him on this issue and will take
appropriate action."

Switzer declined an on-camera interview.

Bennett and Mello, who live in Seattle, were catching the number 11 bus
Sunday near the intersection of Pike and Broadway on Capitol Hill. They had
just left brunch with friends, they said.

"We were so shocked when we got off the bus because we hadn't experienced
that before and we didn't know what to do," said Mello. "I mean, the point
of public transit is to provide us with more independence. That's what it
does on a regular basis."

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