[nagdu] bringing shopping carts on the bus

[d m gina]

The first time I got on a low buss or the one step buss, I was told 
this was a one step so I lifted my foot high,
I sure felt silly when I didn't need to do that.
The instructor and I both laughed.
this would be nice for the van door to door if it had a one step 
instead of like a buss with four steps.
then when the driver doesn't get near the door, I have them put their 
hand under my elbo where my cane is so I have the balance to step out further.
The thing I hate is when you step between the curb and the van step or buss.
Just doesn't feel good at all.
Now on this topic, I have been trained several ways how to get off with a dog,
One is to let the dog let you know how many or how far the step is to 
the sidewalk is.
the problem I have with this, is the dog tends to get out of control 
when the driver starts talking to the dog.
So I have the dog sit at the first step and I get off.
I also won't have the dog running up steps.
We must go up together.
I think it is the eye contact with the driver.
I will be entertained to see how seeing eye does it.
Original message:
> Oh, those low floor busses sound nice. I guess our transit company just
> bought some new busses, which is a big controversy, but I'm wondering
> what they are like.

> We have various models of light rail cars, so that's confusing all the
> time. /lol/ People will put their bikes on hooks near the doors, which
> is a nightmare sometimes. I'm always brushing them with my head and
> stuff, just feeling them in time to miss them as I'm getting on or off.
> Once I was getting off in an underground station I hadn't navigated
> before, and as my dog got off, I got spun around as a handlebar hooked
> my backpack. Scared me to death, because I was one of the last ones off,
> so the doors were surely about to close! With my dog's leash right in
> the way. So I threw away the leash and got myself untangled and barely
> made it off to find my dog with the doors almost closing on me. Then
> things were echoing in there, and I was all in a kerpfuffle to begin
> with, so that was fun. Yikes! My overactive imagination can go to town
> at times like that, making everything much, much more exciting. My
> friends, unaware that anything was going on behind them, had gone ahead
> to the elevator, so I was standing there all alone and utterly lost...
> But Mitzi came back when I called her, then led me to the elevator where
> she had seen my friends go up, and it was all good. Naturally, there was
> a training session from GDB going on in the same area, so as I collected
> my loose guide dog and walked by one of them waiting to board with her
> trainee, I got to hear the snort of disgust. Well, I suppose my way of
> handling that counts as bad form, but... Letting the leash get hung up
> would be worse form and result in much damage to the dog, so I don't
> regret my decision. The dog was safe, unharmed, and came when I called,
> knowing where we needed to go to catch up with our group. So it worked
> out. /grin/

> Still, I have learned to be more cautious at those doors when I am
> wearing a backpack or a coat with a hood or anything, and it seems Mitzi
> takes me more to the center when we're getting off now. It was really
> crowded that day, and a bunch of people were getting off at that stop,
> so there was jostling.

> Ah, well. As long as it turns out safe. Still, I'm interested to find
> out if those new wonder busses are easier to get off and on than the
> ones we have now.

> Tami

> On 06/09/2012 09:42 AM, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
>> Sounds like you have the low-floor buses that run on natural gas. We
>> have those here. Our trolley system is converting to the new low-floor
>> trains and both are easy to get on with a cart and the dog. On the
>> trolleys, there is a step up to get to more seats but I found that my
>> dog's harness gets caught on something and I needed the driver to get it
>> loose so I could get off! There is the same thing on the buses so I
>> don't go back there.

>> 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: Friday, June 08, 2012 6:10 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] bringing shopping carts on the bus


>>> The places where the wheelchairs go are behind the wheel of the bus
>>> behind the driver and also on the other side of the isle. they're the
>>> seats that sit sideways.

>>> If I fold those seats up, I won't have anywhere to sit will I?

>>> Maybe I'm a little lost or confused. that happens a lot, smile.

>>> thanks for your help.

>>> Jenny
>>> On Jun 8, 2012, at 7:29 PM, Criminal Justice Major wrote:

>>>> Hi, Jenny,
>>>> That's why I try to do my grocery or regular shopping early in the
>>>> morning or during off peak hours with the fold up cart so I'll be
>>>> able to use the areas of where wheelchairs would normally go.
>>>> We have buses here that have two steps in the back as well.
>>>> When I've utilized those areas, I fold up one of the seats so the
>>>> cart's not in the aisle directly.
>>>> You can ask the driver or passenger if they could help you fold up
>>>> one of the seats.
>>>> There's a lever on the bottom that you pull forward and the chair
>>>> should go up automatically.
>>>> To put it back down, simply pull the lever again and it would come
>>>> back down.
>>>> Hope this helps.
>>>> Bibi
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