[nagdu] . introducing myself. Am Trak and Greyhound.

Sun Nov 14 06:18:10 UTC 2010

I can easily top the Greyhound one by the one time I had a driver insist
that I go to the back of the bus.  Greyhound is asking for trouble from me
at some point, just like a few years ago.  I haven't had any problems with
Amtra, and was shocked at this one time.  I will give you a hint, don't
bother calling the ADA assistance lines.  I refuse to, and there is not a
thing they can do about it.  I rarely run into problems, but when I do they
are pretty big.  I did file a formal complaint against Amtrak with the FTA,,
and am thinking of contacting the National Association of railroad
Passengers, which I am a member of about this.
Jordan

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Art Nolden.
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 11:03 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Re: [nagdu] . introducing myself. Am Trak and Greyhound.

    Princess Linda and I rode AmTrak five years ago  from Tampa to
Jacksonville, Florida.  AmTrak and Greyhound both have "Travel Assistance"
department at a different toll free number from the main toll free phone #.

        We called the AmTrak ADA department, and it was silly.  The
conductors at the station have no clue about people with service / guide
dogs.  As we aproached to board the train, I said, "the dog goes first".
The woman conductor pushed Princess to the steps, leaving Charcoal on the
ground, leash attached to  Princess's hand.    The first step was very high,
and the dog didn't want to step up.

    Our reservation was for the dining car.

    Then we get into a passenger car, an assigned seat #, according to the
conductor.  .    The seats were low, no space to put the dog "down & under".
Every other seat was facing the rear of the train, so we'd be facing other
passengers.

    We asked to be taken to the dining car.   There was no dining car, but
they called it a snack bar car.  So we up and went to it.  It's hard plastic
seats, for nearly five hours.

    First, the  train was behind schedule by 2.5 hours.   The conductors sat
in the snack bar car between the few stations between Tampa & Jax.  The
train was headed eventually to NYC, NY.  They joked about how they're always
late so that they can rack up lots of overtime, and increase their pension,
which is paid by the taxpayers because AmTrak is federally subsidized.

    Princess brought her Braille LiteMillennium 20,  which she could use at
the table at which we sat.  The conductors told her to shut it off an put it
away, as it might interfere with the operation of the locomotive.  I said,
"it can't possibly do that., to which the guy said, "if you don't put it
away, we'll have to arrest you."

    Then he said to me, " are you legally blind?"  I seriously wanted to
say, I  refuse to answer on the grounds of the fifth amendment."   But i
said, "Yeh.  What about it?"  He said, "you'll have to move to the passenger
car."  "No I don't.  We have reservations for a dining car, and you call
this a snack bar car."  Of course i spoke with my Noo Yawk attitude.  You
arrest us or touch either of us or the dogs, we'll sue you so fast your eyes
wont' have time to blink.",   He turned and went back to his cohorts, and
they were muttering.

        Now next Wednesday we are going Greyhound  from Spring Hill ,
Florida to Pensacola.  Greyhound has its own "Travel assistance" department,
and that has its own toll free #.   Talking to that guy with the American
name in -- over there were Obama went last week, a trip in itself.    He
asked all kinds of questions, and very slowly and methodically had to read
it all back after it was all said.      In between all that, he had to put
me on  hold while he typed whatever.  Then we had to go through the same
damn thing concerning Princess Linda, one detail at a time.  He wanted to do
this with her on the phone.  I said, she is hearing impaired as well as
blind, and will not be able to understand you."  I went inside, as I told
the guy I  was doing, to have her give  permission for him to talk with me
about her.  He started to ask her questions, starting with her name.  I took
the phone, went back outside, and finished up; this took nearly an hour.

        We road Greyhound once before about 5 or 6 years ago, in-state, from
New Port Richey to Orlando.  It was the same thing: "the dog goes first."
Helllll-oooo, do I speak English?  Where we got on, they wanted us to watch
them put our suitcase in the cargo hold  which is beneath the passenger
area.    We had to walk about  200 feet from the storefront office to the
bus in the parking lot in a shopping center, the blacktop was boiling.
Charcoal was dancing to try to keep her paws from burning.   They wanted
blind people with guide dogs to stand there and watch the suitcases be put
onto the bus.  "You can't get on until we load your luggage."  I wonder if
they'll do that again in the cold on Wednesday morning.

            Both AmTrak and Greyhound have a chapter in my book.
"Incompetence Runs Rampant", sub-title, "I dont' Know.  I Just woik Heer."

            Artie and GDF Golden guide dog JJ by the Gulf, west central
Florida.
                                    Dusty's Light Will  Shine Forever!
    and sweet Charcoal, who has received her Beautiful Angel Wings, her
Loving Memory lives on in our hearts.
=================.

Hello,

I am just now getting around to joinging this list.  I live in Louisiana and
have been a guide dog user for over 4 years.  One question, what do you did
if a Greyhound driver refuses to let you on the bus or insists that you go
to the back of the bus?  The latter I promptly took care of by sitting down
and not moving and then getting a hold of Greyhound once I got to where I
was going.  I had an issue the last time I road Amtrak where I was denied
access to the dining car.  What do I do in that situation, and I sent a
lengthy e-mail to them, but no response as of yet.

Thanks,

Jordan Gallacher

==============.

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