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

Tue Jul 27 00:23:19 UTC 2010

Jewel,

Chances are that the bus was equipped with video survey equipment.  The best
thing anyone can do when you encounter a situation is to report it
immediately to the transit utility as they will pull the tape and get the
facts.  I have made a number of reports regarding incidents and know others
who have too, and this is such a great feature that most transit buses have
on them especially  where issue surrounding legal and liability are
concerned.  The other thing is to just get involved.  Even if there are not
current openings on your transit board or ADA committee or any related body,
go as a member of the taxpaying public and actively listen.  If ther e is
anything that goes against the ADA, these cameras will capture things both
inside and out...believe me.

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jewel S.
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 3:59 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Riding the bus was guide dogs and airport security

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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