Winning the battle one driver/passenger at a time

[scotty1024]

On the way home today the driver closed the doors in my face.

I knocked vigorously on the door and spoke loudly "You can't leave a disabled person at a stop without calling your supervisor first!"

Pause, then the door pops back open: You can't bring that thing on here its not allowed!

In a lower tone I told him to just call his supervisor and he'd tell him it was indeed allowed. My bored tone must have sold it because he just popped the ramp out for me.

This morning the driver wasn't the issue: it was the passengers. If you read the Denver document a driver can't force the issue: they're not law enforcement. If a passenger won't give up their seat for a disabled person there isn't anything the driver can do about it: then. Next time that person wants a ride the driver can tell 'em they can't board but right then and there: the seat is theirs.

This morning only two people would give up seats. Fortunately the woman whom wouldn't give up her seat was willing to consolidate across the aisle so the Segway had a place to be strapped down.

Me, the person with the very bum ticker: I got to stand and suffer. The bus was one of the older models with no waist level hand rails. It has above the seat bag racks and you can hold on to those to stand. Holding my hands above my heart for much more than a few minutes becomes agony. But my fellow passengers were quite willing to sit there watching me cycle first one then the other hand down to relieve the pain for a few moments.

A Rascal boards the bus the driver doesn't even ask: are you disabled? Everyone gets out of the Rascal's way. The driver spikes the bus and gets up to help secure the scooter. All the bending over and lifting involved takes maximum concentration with my meds doing strange things to my circulation. You also have 16 zillion sets of eye balls all boring into you: dork made two people give up seats for his dork toy!

We finally got into Seattle and one of the passengers that refused to give up their seat got off and I was able to collapse into it for the rest of the ride to my stop. Which of course is the other fun part of the ride: driver never asks where the Segway dork is getting off. Rascal operators they get the destination and apologize if they forgot to ask. For me its: Operator, this is my stop.

I'll be having another chat with the Accessibility Coordinator about "service with a snarl" tomorrow.

[DarthSegVator]

You may want to consider using a placard on your Segway.

I know....it's not required but it can help head-off issues before they start. The placard does help people recognize it as a mobility aid.

Just something to think about.

[scotty1024]

Oh sorry, forgot to mention: accessory bar is perfect size to hang the ADA parking permit from.

They probably think I bought it or something.

[GlennO]

The ADA came out with a parking permit? Huh?

Glenn

[pam]

I'm guessing he meant placard.
That lovely blue card that my dad keeps above his visor. Issued by the state.
Pam

[scotty1024]

This morning Sound Transit had a bus failure. The route I ride is totally under-served with busses so when they lose one its a big deal.

Even though I was at the front of the waiting line when the bus arrived he boarded everyone in line, filling up the bus, and then announced there was no room and took off.

Nice.

When the next bus pulled up I was again at the front of the line (funny how that works eh?) This time I pulled the Segway up to the open door and announced I'd been left by the previous driver and asked him to keep a spot available for me. Which he did although he had to get rather brisk with one person whom boarded and proceeded to sit in a vacated ADA seat.

Amazing.

Anyway, the Segway got boarded, I got a seat this time(!) and off to work we went.

The ride home was boring, a first. I got the same driver as yesterday and he dropped the ramp right away. Going home I get on the bus early enough in the route that passengers haven't been an issue.

[scotty1024]

I think it was Pam that mentioned a certain warm feeling for Givi bags. Today I had my first encounter with a Lady Geek with a very strong tactile fascination nee fetish for Givi bags.

This morning we had a different driver. He was a by the book man. He called me in on the radio, kept everyone waiting whilst SRO, then had to pop the ramp and board me and the Segway: much to his obvious displeasure. It really really seems to kill them when they're so sure they won't be boarding me and then: it seems almost as if a betrayal has occurred...

Anyway, he wouldn't move anyone. I got to play rodeo clown with the Segway and the passengers but got a seat for the Segway and myself for my efforts.

Two stops latter Lady Geek gets on. This is the Pacific Northwest Folks (in case the fact I'm commuting to Seattle WA hadn't sunk in) so what I'm about to describe isn't quite as unusual here as it might seem elsewhere.

Six foot, blonde, black frame glasses, very trim figure that must make her Chiropractor so very happy: perfect S. SO perfect there's no way she isn't seeing a Chiropractor and hanging from gravity boots every night like a bat. Cream colored silk sheen blouse, tan pencil skirt to just above the knees, grey wool socks and birkenstocks. (http://birkenstockusa.com/women)

And as I was to discover: a fetish for Givi.

For the next 20 minutes she had my undivided attention as she found one reason or another to bend down to retrieve one item after another from her back pack and fondle my Segway's Givi bag in the process.

She got off at my stop but alas I was fully occupied getting the Segway and myself off the bus at that point.

No one warned me about the Givi bags, I thought they were just something to haul groceries around in.

The Sound Transit Accessibility Coordinator wasn't available so I emailed him with my concerns about: bus is full, bye! Included the picture I posted here and complimented them on their hardware. They really have done a nice job in setting things up in the bus.

Then I tackled Metro. When rainy season comes (the other 9 months out of the year) I need to be riding Metro, so the clock is ticking.

Metro has a stated anti-Segway policy on their web site and an anti-Segway phone person to screen calls from dummies that can't read the stated policy on their web site.

This guy was just obnoxious.

As soon as he heard disabled and Segway in the same sentence you could hear "oxymoron" continuously rolling down the phone line and dripping onto my knees.

The reason Segways weren't allowed? You can't secure them sir, they're a danger to you and the other passengers. Our safety team has worked hard on this issue and it simply can't be done.

When I told him my Segway and I were riding securely together on Sound Transit he got shrill. I asked him whom this expert was and perhaps maybe I could speak with them and share with them my insights in Segway bondage.

Using the word bondage got him. He wasn't expecting it and he kinda just gave up. Did I use a bad word, could he complain that I needed to watch my language?

I took advantage of his brain lock and got the guys name and number.

He was yet another front for the folks really conducting the research. Seems they were in the process of re-evaluating Segway securement and he was expecting a positive result of a new policy and operator training documents in a month or so. I volunteered to share photos and videos of my i2 riding on Sound Transit and he volunteered to take down my name/number and pass it along.

The bus ride home was boring but featured another love scene involving my i2. Just before we reached the other floating bridge across Lake Washington (being simply the other bridge from a Segway perspective because it has no pedestrian walk ways) a guy sits down next to a woman in the seat facing forwards behind my Segway. I get motion sick so I always sit sideways facing the Segway across the aisle.

M: So, is that your Segway?
W: Oh no, but it sure is cute isn't it? (reaches over to touch Givi bag)
M: Yes, I've never seen one this close before myself. (reaches over to touch Givi bag himself)

Anyway, the store line heads down hill from there and there are teenagers reading this that don't need more ideas than their hormones are already giving them.

Summer heat. The French just take the month off and head someplace cooler right?

Cooing was ended when I pulled the Segway out of the three way and rolled it off the bus. Could their tenuous relationship succeed with out the presence of my i2?

Who knows?

I wasn't hanging around to find out.

My Givi bag still smelled faintly of her hand lotion, no the Lady Geek, not hers... anyway I had a date with Sushi Me! a new Sushi place (what else) that thought it might open today.

By the way, touching the Givi Segway bag of a Legally Blind Man is not victimless, our sense of smell is more focused as well as our hearing.

The staff of Sushi Me! Love my Segway i2 but so far can keep their hands to themselves. Alas the opening was pushed to Saturday to allow for more A/C upgrades. The previous restaurant had to move out because the A/C just couldn't keep the temperature below 100F. You had to be a very hard core loyal customer to patronize a place when it was 74F outside and 100F inside.

They were picking my brain about a Segway for deliveries? I'm thinking: do Sushi joints deliver? I'm keeping an eye on this one.

As I rolled back to the condo I encountered a lady in a black dress on her knees crying. She has this large bag, that was also black, and what appeared to be clothes spread out around her on the sidewalk. There was no safe place to ride so I had to stop and inquire as to the nature of the matter. (I truly live inside a Segway un-reality warp bubble)

Remember now, precisely two weeks ago I'm in the Best Hospital in Seattle's ER trying to get help from 911... now I'm dealing with a crying damsel in apparent distress.

You can ask Roland, I'm just a little architect whom sits in a cubicle all day and is mostly ignored. My life should be about as boring as they make 'em.

In the past I've noticed I have one of those faces that women open up for. Apparently I still have it...

Poor thing lost her receptionist job, was running out of money, (have a tissue from my Givi bag), couldn't afford gas, couldn't afford the bus, but a nice girlfriend was going to run her over to a local "gentlemen's club" for a job interview but she couldn't decide what to wear.



(note to self: check horoscope when you get home)

I volunteered my services, didn't mention being legally blind and when her friend showed up she was excited. Her tears had dried, apparently I'd made excellent suggestions, she hopped in the car and various bits of white flesh color were flashed through the windows as they drove away.

I'm nome, I've washed the Givi, I'm hoping to get to bed by nine to let my heart get some extra healing sleep tonight.

Oh yeah, my horoscope.... these always make more sense at the end of the day right?

Take it easy today, SCOTT. You could feel a surge of energy, and you might be tempted to rush things. But your energy could be out of step with other people's pace. Take deep breaths. Don't force things. If you are feeling a little manic or out of control, you might want to go for a brisk walk. You could be bouncing off the walls as the planets hit you with some powerful energy. Channel this energy positively.

Channel positive energy: Hopefully she gets the job, the sushi folks invent Segway sushi delivery, the love birds are still happily cooing, Lady Geek has a nice TV show and Haggen Dazs waiting at home along with her gravity boots, Metro really has figured out the art of Segway bondage and I get some sleep.

[scotty1024]

Ryan, the Segway Bondage Kit is in Express Mail, you should have it before noon local time tomorrow. Use it in good health.

I mailed it after the cat fight but before catching lunch.

[scotty1024]

I had been thinking that since Metro supplied most, if not all, of the busses/operators for Sound Transit that part of my problem was the anti-Segway policy on Metro spilling over to Sound Transit.

Well today I got confirmation in a big way.

Metro let me know that August will mark the beginning of Metro's new policy regarding Segway's for the disabled. That things will have changed fleet wide by roughly Aug 15. I may make my first Metro ride Aug 1.

I asked if I could do anything else and discovered I'd already done my part. They'd been getting briefings from the Sound Transit runs I'd been making.

Feels good to help bring about change.

Feels good that my county government has actually been spending money to fix things in advance of needing to be beaten over the head.

[scotty1024]

My Segway and I did 29 miles today! Which was about 900 more feet than we should have.

Fortunately I had my trail chair with me and I'd just gotten to level ground on the final stretch. I'd drag 150 feet or so, sit down, rest, repeat.

Got to the new sushi place, had dinner, sucked up the air conditioning and comfortable chair. Of course staff all wanted to ride it right? "Sorry, gotta get home and do my laundry, maybe next time."

If I thought riding a Segway drew attention: dragging a Segway draws far more.

For the whole trip the kickstand was rattling, apparently the 3rd party kick stand the dealer sold me is not so wonderful. It rattled loose and hurt itself during the trip so I've got to get a new kick stand.

The trip over the floating bridge was beyond my dreams. It was fantastic, the only sad part was despite all the sun pouring down (it was 81F which is like 100F in Phoenix, everyone is going "Darn its hot!") there were enough haze that Mount Rainier was hidden from view. There was a nice breeze and lots of boats out running around crazily on the lake. There was even a Ski Doo out buzzing the bridge with the operator yelling Seeeggggwwwwwaaaayyyy rrrruuuullleeeezzzz" or something like that.

As I climbed the 15% slope on the far end, after having passed all the bicyclists that had passed me mid-span, a very fit young lady caught up to me and asked if she could hold onto my Arc'teryx jacket for 30 seconds or so. We bantered a bit and she'd speed up and I'd catch up and pass her. I was quite impressed with her physical condition.

She stopped at the "puke point" to catch her breath and I kept going. My plan was to hit work and feed the Segway then head home.

Whoops, forgot the badge. So I wound up turning around and heading back to catch a Sound Transit bus at the Mercer Island Park n' Ride. I stopped off at the "puke point" to check the view and my goodness the bicyclists really had made quite the puke point out of it. There were two of them actively hurling so I snapped a couple pictures of the view and zipped out of there.

The ride back over the bridge was completely different from the ride east to west. I was looking for Mount Rainier most of the way and being further away from the rail made me a little less up tight. The railing looked alot like that I'd seen in a couple Youtube Segway Crash videos... stay away from the rail! And once you were on the floating part of the bridge you were amazingly close to the water, even legally blind man was gulping at how close it seemed.

If I'd thought riding a car or bus over seemed like driving on water: the Segway was far closer. Truly a magical experience, highly recommended as one of those things to do before you die of congestive heart failure.

My heartfelt thanks again to the team at Segway for making today's adventure possible.

A couple of the bicyclists razzed me on the way over, I just passed them on the 15% slope up from the water. I didn't figure any razzing back was needed.

That slope is brutal on bicyclists. I heard the puke point on the east side, didn't stop there. None of the bicyclists I passed on the slope caught up again.

I waited for the bus with two nice ladies. We swapped congestive heart failure treatment stories. One lady's father died of congestive heart failure and the other's husband had died from it. Then we got to swap operator stories and one of them had recently had the back of her head bashed into one of the hand poles on a bus when the operator took off before she was seated.

I told 'em to just wait, when I tried to board the Segway the operator would put on a show.

Sure enough "Does that thing run on gas?" Why is it everyone thinks the Segway runs on gas? I asked her to just call her supervisor and ask them for authorization to board a disabled rider and his Segway.

She called it in then clicked on the PA "Everyone, we'll be here a few minutes while I wait for permission to NOT board this weird vehicle."

At least she didn't slam the doors closed. I propped up the Segway and sat down on one of the stop's bench seats to wait.

Sure enough "Are you kidding me??? Board it?!!? Can you please repeat that?"

I need a ginormous sucking chest wound or something. I just find it fascinating how some of these operators don't connect the blue disabled placard swinging on the accessory bar with "Uh, maybe he's disabled?"

Anyway, the bus got me the extra 9 miles.

I'm attaching two iPhone 3G photos from the trip. One is looking west out over the floating bridge the other is of a public water fountain I used at a park on Mercer Island. If I hadn't stopped to use it I never would have realized it had a doggie fountain as well. Now that's some tax base that can support doggie water fountains as well.