Can We Avoid Being the Teacher?
Traveling On Public Transportation
Steve Hoad
Each time I travel on public transportation I try to ready myself. Will there be some incident when an employee tries to perform some illegal and unthinkable act with me?
Let me use an example — One late night, in the South Station bus terminal in Boston, I boarded a Greyhound bus for New York. It had been a long day and I was tired. I handed my ticket to the driver and moved up the steps with my luggage and white cane.
The next thing I knew I was being grabbed from behind by the driver. Clutching my clothes he attempted to pull me back toward the front of the bus saying, "You need to sit in the ADA seat! It's right here!"
Well, the "ADA" seat is the very first seat on the right side of the bus. There's no legroom, no privacy or noise reduction. Other seats have more foot room and are less noisy because of the seat backs. I do not like to sit in the "ADA seat" (It was developed so the driver could assist and keep an eye on disabled passengers).
So, I needed to tell this driver that I was allowed, like all passengers on "unreserved coaches" to sit where I wished. He was not buying that, and he held up the bus for an hour bitching to his supervisor about "just trying to help the ungrateful blind man,". I did not file a complaint, it would have taken more time. I did tell him he had no right to grab my clothes, (imagine if he had done this to a woman) and that I could sit where I wished but the hour was wasted and I was upset.
Many transportation workers need training. Most of the complaints about air, rail and bus transportation are caused by untrained personnel. It pleases me to see the Service Employees International Union looking for help, and its our help they want. Here's something you can do easily. Write to the Email address below with your stories and suggestions.
****
(from the JFA list hosted by AAPD)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Union seeks support for providing assistance to passengers with
disabilities
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) represents
thousands of passenger service workers at airports around
California. As you may know, these workers provide many important
services, including wheelchair and aisle-chair services and other
forms of assistance for passengers with disabilities.
Many workers have long complained that they have not received
sufficient training to provide the levels of service expected. An
SEIU survey indicates that many of these workers are not receiving
training that includes: how to safely operate a wheelchair; how to
provide services to persons with disabilities; how to distinguish
the different abilities of individuals with disabilities; and how
long a person can be kept waiting in a wheelchair unattended. That
is, at many airlines and airports, these training standards are
not being met. As such, workers are currently gathering
information for a possible complaint with the Department of
Transportation.
Action Step: You are encouraged to send your needs and
perspectives as a passenger with disabilities to SEIU. Please
contact Kevin Rudiger at (213)673-2246 or via email
rudigerk@seiulocal1877.org
060907
|