[nagdu] paratransit woes

[Rebecca Ilniski]

hi everyone.  I'll post this here and see what you all would do about 
this.  This is a long story so be prepared to read awhile.
Back in 99 I moved to Philadelphia and in 2000 I got my first apartment 
at 7250 walnut street.  I got travel trained to go to work  from my 
apartment.  Yes instead of mobility they call it being "travel trained." 
I made the mistake of saying so then starts a nice long battle with the 
paratransit company.  Every 3 years you have to get recertified.  In 
2004 I moved to my new apartment.  I never had mobility or "travel 
training" as they call it from here.  In order to have paratransit, you 
have to make yourself sound so disabled.  They claim every bus and train 
is ADA accessible.  It may be for the wheelchairs but they aren't for 
the blind.  If they were done correctly, every stop[ would  be announced 
which they aren't.  The county where I live has two pikes baltimore pike 
and westchester pike which are both very dangerous to cross.  It's like 
a highway with a median in the middle.  Three years ago I had to attend 
a hearing to have my paratransit certified.  Septa had an attorney and I 
had an attorney.  They had no evaluations or anything to stand on and I 
had paperwork from my neurologist talking about some of the medicines 
that I'm on as well as the fact that my physical condition has changed 
since the 90's as we get older certain things change.  For me sometimes 
I get such bad headaches and the medicine that I take at times either 
forces me to stay home or sometimes if it's bad enough I get a ride home 
from work sometimes.  At the hearing, they determined that I was 
"conditional" meaning that I would only use paratransit in unfamiliar 
destinations.  Here comes this year.  I got a letter stating that the 
that my paratransit service would end in September.  If I wanted the 
service I needed to call so I did.  I spoke to my friend Fran before I 
called and she said that her and her husband had a phone interview since 
they are unconditional.  So I call today and spoke to the person that 
handles these interviews.  He said that he'd take a look at my file.  He 
called me back and said that I couldn't have the phone interview because 
I was conditional and that I'd have to come to the office and have 
someone help me fillit out.  Well, when I get back from Williamsport 
I'll take paratransit to the septa office and if I don't show up either 
because they are late or whatever they will see.  The issue for me too 
is yes I can get on a bus or train but where on earth do I go after I 
get off?  The transportation company is not thinking about safety or 
anything like that.  So if you read this far how would you proceed?
-- 
Rebecca and Zeb
email: rilniski at gmail.com
facebook: facebook.com/rebeccai5
Zeb's facebook: facebook.com/zeb.ilniski

-- 
Rebecca and Zeb
email: rilniski at gmail.com
facebook: facebook.com/rebeccai5
Zeb's facebook: facebook.com/zeb.ilniski