Hello
Ok... much has happened and I have been trying to think of a way to put it down properly. I haven't managed just yet, but I am going to try right now. Last friday, I was tired after work, the stress of my projects and the thoughts of beginning school is taking over me a bit, but nontheless I had to get home so I got on the bike and rode. Let me back up a bit, last week friday morning I had my first mechanical failure on the "pony". I woke that morning as usual and hopped on the bike and rode down E71st street to the Rapid Station on E55th. While I was riding I noticed a little loose"ness" in the streering, not dangerous loose, just some slop that wasn't previously noticed. I woke slightly late that morning so by the time I hit the street in front of the house it was already going on 6 35, so that means "I gotta pedal fast"!! So I did. Made it to the Rapid in time for the 6 46 train and I was off on my commute feeling satisfied that I made the train on time. You see, making that particular train is the nugget. If I don't make that one, the whole thing is a bust, (I don't make it to work on time). So, I get on the 7X and head to the "burbs" and Philips. I pull the line to exit the bus and when I hit the pavement and went to construct my bike I noticed something was amiss. I had a broken clamp on the folding steering!!!! I said, oops!! Glad the safety clip was in place and walked the bike into work.
So to wrap this story up and get on the next, I will say that it pays to have good friends first, and it pays more to have great friends who are bike mechanics! I have both in BTB! So, I told BTB the skinny and in a flash (about an hour) he had the bike back in operation. Take a look at the pic below. You must understand, the original pin completely sheared off and was rendered useless and the bike was "dead". BTB brought the Pony back to life!
Second story.
So moving forward from the top of this post, that afternoon, combining being tired with the trauma of the mechanical failure in the morning I chose to ride only 3 miles to Richmond Rd instead of the 11 down to University Circle. I did this on adhoc because I saw a bunch of people waiting for the bus at the stop, so I joined in the waiting. The day was a bit warm and the bus was late but when the bus arrived everyone proceeded to their places, except one.
The last person waited at the stop waiting for the bus handicap "function" to lift him into the bus and on his way home.
Now, this is the part I thought about over and over and I don't want to sound like a flaming out of control bleeding liberal, (because I am) but what happens next really sucks. As this guy waited at the stop for the lift to begin it's operation from my vantage I could notice that driver was beginning to show signs of frustration. As he pushed and fiddle with the controls the lady next to me said, "shhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiit this thing never works!!!" I looked on in curious fashion for I had never seen the lift in operation myself, but not from the perspective of my seat neighbor but just because I never saw a person in wheel chair try to get on a public bus. As moments passed tension passed over the bus but apparently stopped and decidedd to tap me on the shoulder. So I got up and walked to the driver and said, "he man, why don't we pick him up, I can help get him on." However, the driver just waved me off and said in low tone with his head down, " no " ... ... In that split second.. I could have acted more assertive and been more vocal, but I said ok. "ArmChair quarterbacking" makes the situation look really different but it is a learning experience for me. But the worst and final of this short story come next, so the driver continued to bang away at the controls to no avail and after about a minute more looked down at the dude in wheelchair at the stop and said, "sorry man, the lift doesn't work." closed the door and drove off!! Damn... cold huh?
So.. without drawing any conclusions as to the responsibility of this matter, I will simply say RTA needs to fix and maintain and train their operators on this function of the bus and if they don't do these three things they should not tell the public that they provide wheelchair accesss on their buses, end of story.( I know politics and money come in next for a reason) and some might even blame the "wheel chair society" for "mainstreaming" disabled instead of using the old dial a ride service from the past, but all those are just excuses. I say to RTA, Just get it done and fix the damn buses or cut the service completely!!! I could digress here and make comments on the state of the US society and talk about freedom (or lack of freedom of this guy in the wheel chair, when the public service, the last stop between independence and dependence for him and many more doesn't work- What is freedom then, and "who's freedom is the US fighting for??) since that is such a favorite topic these days, but I won't go there in this venue. I am sure this is an isolated incident, and not indicative of the service embedded within the society. A problem easily solved.
Bllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
So to wrap this story up and get on the next, I will say that it pays to have good friends first, and it pays more to have great friends who are bike mechanics! I have both in BTB! So, I told BTB the skinny and in a flash (about an hour) he had the bike back in operation. Take a look at the pic below. You must understand, the original pin completely sheared off and was rendered useless and the bike was "dead". BTB brought the Pony back to life!
Second story.
So moving forward from the top of this post, that afternoon, combining being tired with the trauma of the mechanical failure in the morning I chose to ride only 3 miles to Richmond Rd instead of the 11 down to University Circle. I did this on adhoc because I saw a bunch of people waiting for the bus at the stop, so I joined in the waiting. The day was a bit warm and the bus was late but when the bus arrived everyone proceeded to their places, except one.
The last person waited at the stop waiting for the bus handicap "function" to lift him into the bus and on his way home.
Now, this is the part I thought about over and over and I don't want to sound like a flaming out of control bleeding liberal, (because I am) but what happens next really sucks. As this guy waited at the stop for the lift to begin it's operation from my vantage I could notice that driver was beginning to show signs of frustration. As he pushed and fiddle with the controls the lady next to me said, "shhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiit this thing never works!!!" I looked on in curious fashion for I had never seen the lift in operation myself, but not from the perspective of my seat neighbor but just because I never saw a person in wheel chair try to get on a public bus. As moments passed tension passed over the bus but apparently stopped and decidedd to tap me on the shoulder. So I got up and walked to the driver and said, "he man, why don't we pick him up, I can help get him on." However, the driver just waved me off and said in low tone with his head down, " no " ... ... In that split second.. I could have acted more assertive and been more vocal, but I said ok. "ArmChair quarterbacking" makes the situation look really different but it is a learning experience for me. But the worst and final of this short story come next, so the driver continued to bang away at the controls to no avail and after about a minute more looked down at the dude in wheelchair at the stop and said, "sorry man, the lift doesn't work." closed the door and drove off!! Damn... cold huh?
So.. without drawing any conclusions as to the responsibility of this matter, I will simply say RTA needs to fix and maintain and train their operators on this function of the bus and if they don't do these three things they should not tell the public that they provide wheelchair accesss on their buses, end of story.( I know politics and money come in next for a reason) and some might even blame the "wheel chair society" for "mainstreaming" disabled instead of using the old dial a ride service from the past, but all those are just excuses. I say to RTA, Just get it done and fix the damn buses or cut the service completely!!! I could digress here and make comments on the state of the US society and talk about freedom (or lack of freedom of this guy in the wheel chair, when the public service, the last stop between independence and dependence for him and many more doesn't work- What is freedom then, and "who's freedom is the US fighting for??) since that is such a favorite topic these days, but I won't go there in this venue. I am sure this is an isolated incident, and not indicative of the service embedded within the society. A problem easily solved.
Bllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
posted by flockjcu at 9:03 PM
1 Comments:
the whole irony of this story is that flock shouldn't have been on the bus anyway, because i had invited him to go see a show at the beachland ballroom. the ditty bops played.
http://www.thedittybops.com/
where the irony of the situation falls is that the ditty bops are touring the country by bicycle. yes, you read that correct. by bicycle. of course the cleveland gig was like the only two days they had opted to ride in a van, but i digress. here is flock all down in the mouth on how he doesn't want to go to the show because he woould have to drive there and these two chicks have been biking across the country. oh well...you decide where the irony lies.
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