[Oagdu] Chinese Bus Service: Shouldn't they be confronted as Uber is?

[Andy Leach]

Good morning all:

It seems to me that I did run across this service last Summer when I was
trying to get to Parkersburg, WV on HIMS business.  It did strike me as
strange that all of their buses picked up in Dayton, Cincinnati and maybe
Columbus and dropped off in New York.  They also ran largely at night.

Going after this service wouldn't be a bad idea provided that some blind
people would then regularly use the service.  However, there are bigger fish
to fry and projects that we can tackle which will provide better outcomes to
more people.  Chaim, this certainly sounds shady and it would be nice to put
some heat on them blind travelers aside...

-----Original Message-----
From: Oagdu [mailto:oagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Deanna Lewis via
Oagdu
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2015 8:54 AM
To: Chaim B. Segal; Ohio Association of Guide Dog Users List
Subject: Re: [Oagdu] Chinese Bus Service: Shouldn't they be confronted as
Uber is?

Hi Chaim,
I have never heard of this bus service. Do you by any chance remember the
name of it? Do they advertise to the public, or mostly to the Asian
population? Please don't misinterpret what I am asking, I am just trying to
understand this company better, I am not trying to be prejudice.
The whole thing sounds shifty, and I don't think I would enjoy riding on
this service with or without a dog. 
Deanna and Pascal

-----Original Message-----
From: Oagdu [mailto:oagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chaim B. Segal
via Oagdu
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2015 11:41 PM
To: oagdu at nfbnet.org; nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Oagdu] Chinese Bus Service: Shouldn't they be confronted as Uber
is?

Hi All:

As I have been reading the posts on these lists concerning Uber's hearing, a
thought is dawning on me which I thought I would put out there. 

Over the past few years, it seems as though we have had a major increase of
Chinese immigrants to Ohio. I'm not sure how many of these people will
actually stay around, or how many of them are temporary residents. My
apartment complex is swarming with students from the University of Dayton,
whose millionaire parents are paying for them to attend school here. I don't
think that this group has anything to do with the folks I am mentioning
below.

Before moving to Brooklyn last year, my oldest brother brought it to our
attention that there is now a Chinese bus service which travels between
Dayton, Cincinnati, and New York City.  Why only these three cities I don't
know. Perhaps they stop in other places. Anyway, I was going to use this
service to take a trip, and researched the operation online. I called their
phone number, and asked the Chinese bloke who answered the phone a few
things about their service. As I expected, they had a no pets policy. I then
asked them if they were aware of the rights of guide dog users to be
accompanied by their guide dogs in travel. The fellow had never heard of
guide dog use before. He was adamant that I cannot travel on his service
with a dog. Before this, I asked him if I could be given assistance off the
bus at rest stops, and he said "no."  

I reported my finding to Seeing Eye, and I believe it was Walt Sutton who
tried to give them a call. The number I passed on to him (which I forget)
turned out to be that of a Chinese Restaurant. He recommended that I just
not bother with this service, as for all anybody knows, they may be
operating somewhat illegally anyway.

My oldest brother paid us a visit over the summer and used this Chinese bus
service to get himself back to New York. Before using it, he thought it
might be a viable means for my (blind) brother and I to travel to and from
New York. After using it himself, he has changed his mind. The bus does not
stop at any designated station terminal. They pick people up in
neighborhoods which are out in the middle of nowhere. In New York, they drop
people off in Chinatown, and leave it to them to travel with their luggage
to where they need to go. It's more-or-less a bare-bones service. I'm not
sure how crowded the buses are, but the bus, according to my brother, is not
nearly as comfortable as a Greyhound. Baring this in mind, it's probably not
a good idea for any of us to travel on this service using a guide. Moreover,
I would probably not go to bat, unless I really thought I would use this
service.

What does concern me, aside from the fact that to them a guide dog is as
good as a pet, is the fact that they seem the least concern with regard to
assisting any blind person, even if they are not using a dog.
Parenthetically, I believe I asked the guy if their buses had wheelchair
lifts, and apparently they don't. It seems to me that this service may be in
violation of the ADA under many accounts. I'm wondering if these people
should be informed that if they are operating a service in the United
States, they must play by the rules. While I strongly feel the answer is
obviously "Yes", I'm wondering if taking them to task will really accomplish
anything. Somebody told me that the way they can even have a service like
this is to do things under the table. Even if they are confronted, will they
really listen?

What do you all think?

Chaim 

Chaim B. Segal
Customer Service Representative: Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio

Every man, woman every boy and girl,
Let your love light shine and make a better world

Daryl Hall And John Oates 

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