[nagdu] Riding the bus was guide dogs and airport security

Jewel S. herekittykat2 at gmail.com
Mon Jul 26 20:58:54 UTC 2010


I have had some very interesting situations, and yes, I have seen
buses not stop for a person in a wheelchair. Their excuse is that the
wheelchair lift is not working, but the bus was a brand-new one and it
was indeed working. That is sad that people with wheelchairs do not
get equal access, and something needs to be done, but I don't know
what. I am very lucky that here in Raleigh, I have never heard of a
bus not stopping for someone because they had a wheelchair (or bike,
which they put on the front rack and is a bit of a pain in the rear to
do). I also have not had trouble with the bus driver going with me
standing. I am quite slow and the bus drivers are quite patient,
waiting until I am completely seated to go. I know how lucky I am in
that.

The incident I had was in Hampton, Virginia. I was dropped off at a
bus stop that I was told was the transfer point I needed. It was, but
there was a major transfer point right down the road (that I didn't
know about). The bus I needed drove right past me. I was holding the
bus stop post and sticking out my white cane so he couldn't make the
excuse that he didn't see me. I thought perhaps the bus was out of
service or a school bus. The next bus came and stopped. I asked if it
was the such-and-such bus, and the driver told me that that bus had
just gone by...I had been there for 15 minutes, and the bus that I
needed had been 5 minutes ago. I thanked him, then immediately called
the bus company and told them what happened. They called him on the
radio and told him that he needed to turn around. They did this
because at the time I was taking some powerful antibiotics that meant
I couldn't be in the sun for more than 30 minutes without bad side
effects and the next bus wasn't for an hour more. Well, he didn't turn
around. I waited and waited, not knowing what else to do, not having
money for a cab and not having anyone to drive me to my doctor's
appointment. I was in the sun there for nearly an hour and a half
before the bus came back. By this time my face, shoulders, and arms
were severely burnt. My opthamologist was very unhappy with me for
this, but when I told him what happened, he was not so upset with me,
but with the bus system. I called them back same day from the hospital
where i was getting treated for first degree and second degree burns.
The second dregree burns were primarily on my shoulders (the shirt I
wore was sleeveless because it was so hot), and I still have welts in
my shoulders from the blisters. And yes, I had sunscreen. This bus
stop had no where to sit, no shade, just a sign on the sidewalk, and
they don't even pick up at the stop? I was outraged.

The story has a good ending, though. After making the complaint, they
fired the bus driver who had driven past my stop and not turned around
for me.

Bus drivers can be insensitive, but some are also wonderful. One bus
driver I know drives my usual bus (the stop is a 10 minute walk from
my apartment, though it's 20 minutes for me). He knows my stop and
when I get on, he says hi to me by name and says my stop to confirm. I
like to sit up close so I can converse with him, because we have
become good friends. Sadly, drivers like him are a bit rare, but
refusing to stop because someone is using a wheelchair or not giving
access to the front accessible seats to people who need them is
ridiculous. I just am not sure what to do about it.

Anyway, I'm done with my long rant and story. Anyone got ideas about
changing the attitudes and practices of bus drivers toward
wheelchair-users, guide dog handlers, and the disabled in general?



On 7/25/10, Mardi Hadfield <wolfsinger.lakota at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Jewel, Sometimes the bus drivers see me at the bus stop and don't even
> stop to pick me up.They just drive on by and leave me in the dust. They
> don't want to deal with a wheelchair and a dog,or they just don't want to
> deal with me. Our drivers don't care if you you are standing or not and I
> have been on a bus many times when people have fallen because the driver
> started the bus moving before people could get to a seat.No one seems to
> complain or sue them,and it just continues to happen.When I tell the driver
> what stop I need to get off at,some times they forget or do it on purpose,
> and leave me off at the next stop and tell me they did not hear me tell
> them. They have left me off at some dangerous stops where there is no side
> walk or curb cut. It was one of those times when they let me off at the
> wrong stop and Shaman was attacked by a pit bull.I was once waiting at a bus
> stop for the bus and my chair started to slide down into a ten foot drop
> off. If Nick had not been with me and pulled my chair back,I would have slid
> down into a wash with my dog and no one would have been able to see me and
> the dog from the road.Scary situation. When Nick and I complained to the bus
> company about this unsafe stop, they said they would fix it. That was
> 7months ago and the bus stop has not changed. It is still very dangerous for
> some one in a wheelchair,baby stroller or some child playing by the edge.I
> think that the only way this will change is if some one gets killed there.I
> just don't know how to get to these people!    Mardi and Shaman and
> Nala,retired.
>
> --
> http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
> http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com
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-- 
~Jewel
Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com




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