[nagdu] An altercation on the bus yesterday

Thu Jun 7 20:08:31 UTC 2012

I agree about the stroller thing.  I, however am going to need to bring a cart that holds about four shopping bags on the bus as my arms are too short to rap around a paper bag, and I don't like the plastic ones because they always seem to twist and cut off circulation in my hands.  also, if I'm going to take the time to take the bus to go grocery shopping, which would probably take half the day, I want to get a fair amount of stuff so I don't have to do it every day, as I have various other obligations during the week that can't be changed.  

I've never had to bring one of those carts on a bus and feel kind of uncomfortable doing so, but I don't know any other way, and I hate paratransit because sometimes, it takes longer than others at the store, especially if you're trying to compare prices or have to wait longer for a person to help me shop, or even just learn about new products that are out there that I didn't know about before.  Paratransit buses also have three or four steps going up into them, and since I have knee issues to go along with dragging that cart up those steps, I'd just rather go up one step on a regular bus and control how long I am at the store, even if I have to wait a little longer for the route to come back around if I run a little late.  I'm still in control.  

At least that's how I feel.

I don't have people to help me shop, well I won't in about a month and a half, so I'm not sure what to do.  

There is a grocery store about four to six blocks from us, but it's small and has very little selection and it costs more to shop there than the store we normally shop at, or even Wal Mart.  

I'm not sure what to do about this issue, but I hope that I can find a viable option soon as we will have no other choices soon.

Jenny
On Jun 7, 2012, at 12:41 PM, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:

> Yeah, I have no issue with wheelchairs on the bus - their users have just as much right as I do on the bus and there is only the two places where the room and tie-downs are located.
> 
> What I don't like is when these people bring on a mega-sized baby carriage or stroller on and plop down in the front area and take up space that a senior or disabled person needs to use.  Our rules say that the child must be removed from the stroller for the ride.  I don't like sitting in the back because I can't hear the driver call the stops and there's no real room for my big, long dog!  I don't know why these people don't use the smaller umbrella-style strollers for riding the bus.  They're small and fold up very easily unlike the huge ones that aren't really meant for riding buses with. They're loaded down with other stuff besides the kid and it all is very awkward.
> 
> I'm not anti-kid, but I don't like to see the disabled seating taken up with these huge things.  I need my dog to be protected under the seat and they don't need to bring giant strollers on.
> 
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 7:39 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] An altercation on the bus yesterday
> 
> 
>> Please don't take offense to what I said about wheelchairs.  I wasn't trying to be disrespectful of people who use them.  I have friends who use them, and that really wasn't the issue.
>> 
>> My point only was that the chair, and the dog serve the same purpose.
>> 
>> If I offended anyone, please except my sincerest apology.
>> 
>> Jenny
>> On Jun 6, 2012, at 9:20 PM, Larry D. Keeler wrote:
>> 
>>> That one is certainly rare!  My wife uses a wheelchair so I know what kind of room they take up.  I also let her get on the bus first so as not to accidentally run over Holly's feet.  I certainly would have opened my mouth and then loged a complaint with the bus company.  And, it is certainly public transportation!
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
>>> To: "the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 10:02 PM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] An altercation on the bus yesterday
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> I just had to tell you all about what happened on the bus here in Rockford yesterday.
>>>> A guy I knew with a guide dog got on the bus.  There were two wheelchairs on the bus as well, so he had to walk in between them.  One of the people in a wheelchair told the guy that he needed to get that dog off the bus because she had allergies.  the guy told her that his dog was a guide dog and continued to walk by her.  I was sitting behind her and could feel my temper rising as she continued to argue with him.
>>>> 
>>>> He continued to argue with her too and the bus driver had to tell them both to quiet down and drop it.
>>>> 
>>>> It took all I could to do not blurt out that the dog had as much right on the bus as her wheelchair did, but I kept my mouth shut because it wouldn't have come out in a nice and respectful tone of voice.  I kind of felt like pot, meet kettle, if you know what I mean, as her wheelchair took up so much space on the bus.  It angered me so much that someone with a disability that caused her to use an aid that also causes inconvenience, by taking up three regular seats on a bus, would make such a huge and loud scene about someone else with a disability with a dog that he needed to get around with.  You would think that both people would respect the others needs and ways of travel and just get along.
>>>> 
>>>> that's why I kept my mouth shut, I knew I wouldn't have handled it properly.  I was beginning to feel a little militant and quite insulted myself as having been a dog user.
>>>> 
>>>> I told the gentleman to go ahead of me as we exited the bus however, because I was going to make my statement known if she had said one more word to him.  I had enough of that kind of attitude.
>>>> 
>>>> Maybe I should've said something after all, but I felt my temper flaring and knew that it would be in a militant and combative tone, so again, I kept my mouth shut.  Making sure however, that she said nothing to him as he passed her to exit the bus.  It would have been a mistake on her part to utter one more word on the subject at that time, cause I was about to let if fly.
>>>> 
>>>> Anyway, just thought I'd relay the experience.  In my opinion, that dog was no different than that chair.  Plain and simple.
>>>> 
>>>> Jenny
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>>> 
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>> 
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