Disability transportation 2

After I had posted the story about disability transportation, I had a “nightmare” about a very horrific experience I had. Since having a brain injury, I don’t really dream. It’s more like nocturnal memories of things that actually happened. I thought- it was such a terrible experience, how could I forget?
I think it’s more that your brain tries to protect you by burying some of the things that really hurt you.

I had plans to meet people to go see a movie. I like planning plenty of extra time to go anywhere because things definitely happen. I don’t like being late or keeping people waiting so through this whole ordeal, my anxiety was on fire!
We went near where I was going but picked someone else up first. I totally don’t mind but my local bus company has a ridiculous policy not to talk to passengers about anything including where they are going. They gave stupid excuses and my response was, you made that policy just to avoid further questions from passengers?! I said- you need to see it from the passenger’s perspective too. I’m in a wheelchair and strapped down. I can’t release myself. I have some guy who I never met driving me to some sketchy, unfamiliar place without saying a word. People normally call the police for something like that!
Straps should definitely have an emergency release! Otherwise it’s kind of illegal really.

I must stress that this is the local disability bus, ambulette drivers never do anything like that!
We waited for this other passenger for awhile and then found out we were waiting at the wrong place! Remember their stupid policy? I’m sitting there wondering what’s going on. I only found out by listening to his phone calls with the dispatcher. We drove all over looking for the correct place & finally found it! I was constantly texting updates to the people I was meeting.
When we finally got to the movie theater, I was late for the movie but I was still going. Then came the huge problem. The lift wouldn’t work so I was stuck on this bus! He couldn’t get it to work. The other passenger clearly understood and kept saying things to make me feel better. The bus driver didn’t say anything. After about 10 minutes, this passenger could see I was so upset and kept offering to help the driver but kept being turned down. Finally he just got up and helped anyway. He got it to work!
I was finally out but too late for the movie. I still had to go in and wait for my scheduled pickup two hours away. I had to explain to security why I was basically being a creeper.

Did you know that most people who don’t have to use a lift, choose to stay far away from getting on one. So comforting 😂
Then I had the same driver and bus to return home! Any logical person would know that you definitely shouldn’t do that! We finally got to my house. The guy opened the doors but the lift wouldn’t work again! He fiddled with it for twenty minutes before he called for help! You know those fall days that are warm so you don’t take a jacket but inside, without the sun is really cold? I was freezing and couldn’t move around to warm myself. I also had to go to the bathroom and cold doesn’t improve that situation.
I get that things happen. I probably understand that more than most. I don’t easily complain to companies but this was so bad and I didn’t want it to happen to someone else who can’t do anything about it or could become very ill from similar circumstances.
The company said that the bus driver was new. To me, in certain professions, that is NEVER a valid excuse! The proper excuse is that the company that is responsible for their training obviously failed miserably and must improve! They can’t rush training just to keep up with demand. This isn’t a job that anyone should ever take that lightly! They didn’t even have the decency to refund the trip!
I spent $8 on a bus to take a crazy tour of Long Island, miss a movie with friends, be so upset, freeze, be uncomfortable, wait hours, etc….. It’s no wonder disabled people stay in. I still go out most days anyway!

After posting about disability transportation and going home from the library, this ambulette driver did about 5 things I mentioned 🤦‍♀️
You see, the things I mentioned- they aren’t occasional problems, a handful or two happen EVERY time! Some issues aren’t driver specific and relate to a more overall issue. I don’t really blame the companies entirely. They are trying to run a business. It’s the laws and regulations that are made which dictate how anyone behaves. Whether it’s done with a smile or a groan doesn’t change the outcome though. But It’s ultimately up to the individual company to do the decent thing.

Parents know that any safety belt won’t work properly if it’s folded, crumpled, not properly cleaned and cared for, etc….. Because every car seat company and many professionals made sure to tell you.
In ambulettes, sometimes I’d be stumped on the original color 😂
Almost every safety feature would fail if you were in a crash. I have, as most chairs do, special and certified tie down spots on my chair. I shudder every time that I find out a driver hooked it on somewhere else. Most chairs have purposely removable parts so when they strap it anywhere else, they are securing a part of your chair, not you. I love the one’s who assume that strapping it underneath is more secure. Most manual chairs fold in some way and that’s what the straps are on. What do think happens when you apply force to a folding mechanism?
I really think that there should be automatic tie downs or at least assisted. If technology can create self driving cars, they can do thousands of things that would really help the disabled. That’s another great reason to go out. An inventor has to see a need to be inspired. The tie downs should also have an emergency release that you can reach. What if the driver crashed and was ejected from the car. You just have to hope for help before anything worse happens?
Another issue I get quite often in winter- people seem to think that because you’re disabled, you must be freezing! 😂😂
Personally I don’t like artificial heat and it makes me so nauseous. If you’re cold, put heat on you. Drivers don’t seem to understand that it’s a whole different world back there. A little bump to you, usually feels like a giant sinkhole back there. The heat in the back of most vans is pointed to blow directly at you and when heat is directed at an immobile object, it gets very hot. So many times I went home with a blinding headache and nauseous for days.

Our entire lives are restricted. What we can do, where we can go, what we endure, etc….. Shouldn’t our safety at least be better instead of another thing that isn’t up to speed with today?