[Ohio-talk] Para transit-Project Mobility Question

[Wanda Sloan]

Heidi, your  situation is being sent to the complaint  Department. And I am
certain that this will be dealt with.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti
Shelton
Sent: Monday, September 09, 2013 2:16 AM
To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List
Subject: [Ohio-talk] Paratransit-Project Mobility Question

Hi all, 

 

I am a brand new paratransit user and took my first trip with the Dayton
Area Project Mobility this weekend.  Unfortunately, it was not quite the
experience I had thought it would be, so I'm wondering if there is anything
I can do to make the situation better in the future.  

 

I remember having a conversation with some of the other teachers/volunteers
at Bell about how sometimes paratransit services will mess up something on
the paperwork and give the person wanting to use the service a no-show even
if it was not their fault.  I knew this would undoubtedly happen to me at
some point, but I didn't anticipate it happening on my first trip.  I
scheduled a departure trip for Saturday night.  Naturally, because standing
outside would have meant waiting alone in the dark on a college campus, I
chose to stay inside and wait for a call on my cell phone or for the driver
to buzz my apartment, both numbers are on file with RTA as I was sure to
list them on all paperwork and check that they were on file when I was
giving information at my certification appointment.  I kept my cell phone
near by and checked it often to make sure I didn't miss anything.  When the
bus had not come 20 minutes after my scheduled pick up time I called
dispatch as instructed.  I was informed that the driver tried to call my
number and got a man who said he had misdialed.  The RTA people maintained
that they had dialed my number correctly though, including my 513 area code,
and that the no-show was valid.  I don't know why they did not buzz the
apartment if they were at the residential building as that would have worked
as well, or why they wouldn't take what the man they spoke to seriously and
try to call again, (In case of a slipped finger), but they did not take the
five extra seconds to do either.  I managed to guilt the dispatcher into at
least sending the driver again as I saw me waiting inside under those
conditions to be very reasonable, and she reluctantly did so.  When she
called me back to let me know the driver was back at my apartment building
the call came through just fine.  So, obviously the driver or whoever called
the first time just misdialed per human error.    

 

Had this been the only no-show on my record I would have probably let it
slide and waited for it to go away on its own, but a similar situation
happened on the return trip.  I waited inside the place I had traveled to
for a while, but after I had not heard from the driver for the ten minutes
prior to my scheduled time I figured I would be proactive and wait outside
so I could avoid the situation happening again.  Again, I waited till the
full time window had passed and called dispatch.  The dispatcher I spoke to
first tried to claim there was no number on fial for me, but then
successfully read back my cell number over the phone.  Then he tried to tell
me the drivers would not call customers, but changed his story when I said
the driver last night apparently tried to do so and the driver I spoke to on
the way to my certification appointment informed me that they could do that
or buzz my apartment to let me know they were waiting.  Only then did he
say, "Well, you're right, they really should have called you."  Then he said
the real reason the driver didn't show was because he couldn't find the
building where I was, but then again if they were really at a loss for
directions I don't know why they wouldn't call for clarification.  I ended
up giving more detailed instructions complete with landmarks over the phone
at that point, but it was a situation that could have been easily avoided.  

 

I understand that the paratransit system is in wide use and has to keep
moving, but it seems to me like they're not doing a very good job of
following their own policies for effectively communicating with their
customers.  I tried to be as clear as I could with them and follow the
instructions I was given, but it seems there is a disconnect somewhere in
their paperwork.  I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to make this
sort of thing not happen in the future and have a more pleasant experience
using my area paratransit.  I plan to appeal both no-shows, but if I can
avoid the hassle of getting them in the first place in the future that would
be best.  Any advice would be appreciated as I was hoping to use them to
reliably get to and from practicum sites next semester.  

  

Kaiti Shelton

University of Dayton---2016

Music Therapy Major, Psychology Minor, Clarinet

Advocates for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP), Vice president

Ohio Association of Blind Students, Secretary

NFB Community Service Group, Service Project Committee Chair

Sigma Alpha Iota-Delta Sigma, Usher Coordinator

UD Music Therapy Club

 

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