Greetings. I haven't blogged in awhile, mainly because I have not had a lot to say, but today I do. I want to recount another experience on the Paratransit ride this afternoon.
I was to be picked up after the local meeting of the National Federation of the Blind's Dallas Chapter. My pick up time was supposed to be between 3:15 and 3:35. I should mention as explanation that the Paratransit has what they call the 20-minute window, menaing that you have to be out and ready to board anytime in that 20-minute window. Of course, you only have 5 minutes to board from whenever they pull up, even if its not in that initial window, but that's the system for you.
Anyway, my pick up was supposed to be between 3:15 and 3:35. I waited inside the restaurant that the NFB group meets at till about 3:15 and then I went outside. As another explanation, I live in good old, but hot, Dallas, Texas. Its officially summer here, even if its not on the calendar. Its summer when it gets to 90 degrees or higher on successive days, and when there's only a slim to none chance of rain, as there has been over the past week or so. So, its officially summer here. And, unlike other locations, summer for Dallas people may last into September or October, before an actual cool down might happen. Summer is probably the only time in the year when you can check the weather on Monday, and pretty much know what the weather will be like for that week. I mean really, is there much difference between no rain and 95 degrees, and no rain and 106 degrees?
Anyway, getting back to the story at hand, I went outside at 3:15. At about 3:35, I called the Paratransit hotline and was informed that my driver had a mishap with another rider who had groceries, and was "... only 5 minutes away, and they'll be there in about 10 minutes at most." I suppose I need not say that they were not there in 10 minutes. In reality, I called back at around 3:55, and was pretty much told the same thing. And, I called a third time at 4:15, and was pretty much told the same thing, at least with regards to the 5 minutes away part. By the time the third call came around, I had been waiting outside in the Texas heat for nearly an hour. I wasn't angry with the person I spoke with, because I know that things happen. However, I did make it clear that I was frustrated. However, to give the operator credit, he did "... apologize for the delay." He then tells me to wait another 5 or 6 minutes, but before he hung up, I told him, "Ok, I'll wait another 5 minutes. And, then if my ride doesn't show up, I'll call you back a forth time." I'm not sure if what I said had any affect on my ride being late, but the driver did pull up a few minutes after I hung up the third time.
It takes a lot to really get me frustrated enough to complain to Paratransit. I don't think I will this time, except on this blog, :) So, if you drive for a Paratransit like service, please note the following: "Its always a good idea to arrive when you are scheduled to, and not an hour later."
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It is important to "complain" (by phone and in writing if possible) to your paratransit service each time there is a "serious" incident. Clearly, an hour wait should qualify as a "serious" incident? There are usually three elements involved in the paratransit process: the city who pays the money for your ride, the public transportation authority or district that is ultimately responsible for public transportation services including paratransit and the company to which your paratransit service has been "outsourced" in most cases. Start with the outsourced company, as those are typically the people who hire the drivers who pick you up and the people at the office with whom you speak on the phone and whom dispatch the drivers. If that doesn't yield results, escalate the complaints to the public transit authority and the city council as needed to get some attention. Does your city have a disability commission? Do they have a transportation subcommittee? I am going to be starting the process of forming such a transportation committee here in Tempe; I am already a commissioner on our Commission on Disability Concerns.
ReplyDeleteJust as a point of clarification, it has been my experience that the bulk of all paratransit problems are not the fault of the driver, but of those responsible for routing and dispatching the trips. The drivers can do only what dispatch directs, it is up to the office staff to orchestrate things in such a way so that the shared ride service works within the law and reasonably for all customers. I find that, like many other things in life, the attitude of the staff makes all the difference. Sadly, many organizations, paratransit included, that are supposed to serve our special needs as people with disabilities often hire and retain employees who harbor the worst possible attitudes toward us! Maybe, part of that is the low pay of the jobs, causing management to have to scrape the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, in the labor market?