Step back!

There is one thing that I always see at bus stops that drives me absolutely insane; I'm not sure, however, if there is anyone to blame for it. Sometimes there is, sometimes there is not. What annoys me so much? People who do not realize that the wheelchair ramp on a bus swings out.

Why is this such a big deal? I will give you a scenario. Imagine you are at a bus stop. A wheelchair user is waiting there and the bus arrives. The front door opens. The wheelchair moves back a few feet. You assume that means that the wheelchair user is not getting on, so you step forward to board...

...only to be staring at a half-deployed ramp. You are now caught in an awkward position between a ramp that is threatening to smush you and a wheelchair user who is wondering what exactly you are doing (and perhaps several other bystanders staring at you).

Remember to step back: the ramp swings OUT.
(Photo credit: US Department of Transportation)

I see this too often when taking the bus. The weird part is that there are plenty of warnings: the loud beeping noise coming from the bus, the fact that other passengers nearby are standing back as well, me calling "WATCH OUT" repeatedly, and so on. (Strangely enough, nobody ever heeds my warnings, either on or off the bus. It is quite frustrating sometimes.)

So for able-bodied passengers who see a wheelchair user waiting in front of a bus with its front doors open, that person might be getting on. Just remember that the ramp swings outwards. Listen for the beeping noises.

Standing room only

Since the last two blog entries were on the negative side, I'm going to take on a lighter tone today.

Quite often, there are some things that happen on public transit to me as a wheelchair user that are both ridiculous and funny – and sometimes it is hard to believe some people can be so clueless. One such thing happened to me a few days ago.

When a wheelchair user gets on the bus, it is common knowledge that people who are sitting in the priority seats in the wheelchair bay would have to relocate. Simple, right?

Apparently some people think even simpler than that.

In this particular incident, which happened a few days ago, I got on the bus, which was quite crowded but not full. The people in the priority seats simply stared at me, not realizing that they had to move. I have encountered this reaction before so I was not completely surprised. The other standees shifted over to make room for me. The driver, who was having trouble seeing through the bodies, asked if I was "in" yet. Obviously this meant whether I was in the wheelchair bay yet.

To my surprise, a few standees around answered that I was indeed "in." I was in the aisle. Of course, I quickly responded that no, I was not "in" yet.

After I did get "in," someone apologized to me because he did not realize that was what "in" meant. I asked him what he thought it meant. He was visibly embarrassed to admit that he thought it meant that I was in the aisle. I was confused. He explained further, "I thought that wheelchairs can be in the aisle as long as there is room, like how I'm standing in the aisle because there are no seats." He quickly added, "I guess I wasn't thinking."

To my surprise, several other people around him also admitted that was what they thought and that they, too, were not really thinking.

This was not the first time experiencing something like this. Though extremely rare, there were several incidents similar to it but in those other cases, there were no words exchanged (simply actions). Before that person explained it to me, I did not realize that was the rationale behind the standees simply shifting over and the people in the priority seats remaining firmly seated.

At first I was in disbelief at how THAT was the explanation for the two or three times I encountered that type of situation. But as the embarrassed passenger stared at me, I realized how ridiculously funny the whole situation was and started to chuckle. The mood lightened as a valuable lesson was learned.

I hate public transit

When I was able-bodied, I was a big fan of public transit. I enjoyed how unique every bus route was, how you can "hop on, hop off" any time you want, how it saves you money and the hassle of driving, and especially the atmosphere on board if it's the same group of people who take the same route every day.

But since I started using a wheelchair, things changed.

There is a reason why I started this blog.

Many able-bodied people may find this shocking (or not, depending on who you are) but I believe that public transit has the most discriminatory atmosphere towards people with disabilities.

People with disabilities face a LOT of crap on public transit, moreso than anywhere else I have seen. Most of that crap is not something that can be controlled by the bus driver or transit agency because it often comes from other passengers.

Here's a small sample of what happens on a regular basis for me (approximately once or twice every ten days) on public transit:

• When boarding a bus, a passenger will say audibly, "Great, a wheelchair on my bus." Some will shake their heads at me instead. I'm not blind or deaf...
  
• While waiting for an elevator at a SkyTrain station, one person will express their displeasure at having to share it with a wheelchair user. Some of those people will physically cut in front to prevent it.
  
• For some odd reason, when I board a SkyTrain, some people are not happy about it. I have seen people swear under their breaths at the sight of me. Strangely, getting off never causes an issue.
  
• People hate giving up their priority seats on the bus, even for those who do not need it. Just ask this athletic guy. I could understand if they were elderly or have disabilities as well, but young and muscular athletic-looking people?
  
• Wheelchair users are often the scapegoat if the bus is late. This is true even if you boarded at the very first stop, during a layover WELL BEFORE it was about to leave. I have heard people who get upset at the bus being late saying, "It's because of the wheelchair" to their fellow passengers before – MANY times.
  
• Threats. For a variety of reasons: "making" someone late, or having to "make" someone move from a priority seat, or completely random reasons.
  

Bear in mind not all of these are guaranteed to happen, but at least one of them will likely happen during the next ten days.

Some may see this as "whining" but I do not particularly care because in society, every time someone with a disability points out a problem like this, they are immediately labeled as "whiners" – so it is nothing new.

But reading the above incidents (which occur regularly), don't you think I have a right to whine? There is no other group on public transit that receives the brunt of this abuse more than people with disabilities – not people with baby strollers, not people with bikes, not elderly people, not kids.

Unfortunately able-bodied people do not understand that and sometimes I fear they never will.

When I write something that upsets people, it is very predictable. There will be two groups: one that is very upset, and one that is in agreement. The former is often the able-bodied transit fans online and the latter is often people with disabilities or disability allies. And this pattern comes up EVERY TIME.

Quite often, someone from the disability community will tell me that it's hopeless to try to "educate" the able-bodied people (who I upset) about disability issues because they simply "will never get it."

I don't believe that. That is why this blog even exists. There needs to be a better understanding and awareness of people with disabilities on public transit, who seem to have a target on their backs simply because they chose the bus, SkyTrain, or SeaBus as their mode of transportation.

This may sound paranoid but think about what kind of situations I listed above. Right now there is very little understanding and quite a lot of hostility – and many the able-bodied people who are part of that do not even know that they are doing it. It is not always their fault but when they refuse to listen or learn more about what goes on, it effectively becomes a social barrier to inclusion.

This post will also upset a lot of people (as I expected with my previous post). I will be called a "whiner." I will likely be sworn at through e-mail (which is on the right, by the way, for the people with legitimate questions). Many people will unfollow me on Twitter. Some will block me.

But this is the cold hard truth. And the truth is never easy to take.

Listening skills

This is common sense, but I really wish people would pay attention when something is being said to them. There is nothing worse than an unnecessary delay or chaos simply because people cannot follow instructions (as evidenced by my previous blog entry).

One of the common things bus drivers do is tell people at the bus stop to wait while a passenger in a wheelchair gets off. I have seen so many people who have normal English skills not understand the instructions and just stand there staring blankly.

Sometimes when the bus is running behind schedule and a passenger in a wheelchair has to get on, the bus driver instructs the other passengers (those who do not have disabilities or mobility problems) to enter through the back door; if they need to use the farebox, it can wait until later. However, it seems that when the driver makes this command, only half of the people actually comply even after hearing it.

One recent incident was even more bone-headed. I was waiting among a large crowd at Nanaimo Station. As usual, the 25 bus was running late. Finally, two straight 25 buses came, both destined for UBC. One was packed and the other was relatively empty. As he was deploying the wheelchair ramp, the bus driver told everyone, "There's another bus right behind me!" Everyone stared blankly. I repeated it for everyone in case they could not hear. Same reaction. As the first able-bodied passengers finally boarded, the bus behind us pulled away, only a quarter full as it took us another five minutes to board everyone.

There are often times when I wonder why people tend to shut off their ears and brains while using public transit. It is not rocket science and there are often very obvious and direct instructions you need to follow in order to reduce delays and make the ride smoother.

Hopefully this is not an indication of a problem with listening skills in our society.

Wheelchairs don't affect hearing

A common phrase that parents say to their kids is, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all."

I have a new phrase I would like to propose: "If you want to say something bad about someone, don't pretend that person is deaf."

Today, I was waiting for a Vancouver-bound bus at Park Royal in West Vancouver. Since it is summertime, there were a lot of young people at the stop who were enjoying their freedom from school. There was a group of teen boys nearby; one of the boys had an injured ankle and was using crutches.

Since the Park Royal stop is a bit narrow and it is difficult for bus drivers to be able to see wheelchair-using passengers through the crowd, I decided to head towards the bus stop pole. I passed by this group. They didn't seem to notice me at first. But then they did, and what I heard next was simply astounding.

One of the teenagers said, "I hate it when a wheelchair has to get on the bus."

The teenager with the crutches said, "I know. They're a bunch of assholes. I've been in a wheelchair before. It's not that bad. They're just making it seem worse than it is."

And they did this about two metres from me, in plain earshot. They did not even try to hide what they were talking about -- no lowering their volumes or speaking in hushed voices. It was blunt and direct, and offensive in the worst way possible.

This reminds me so much of some of the tweets I see on Twitter over and over again, every single week:

Why wheelchair ppl only wanna get on da bus when im late son..wheel yaself to ya destinationless than a minute ago via twidroyd Favorite Retweet ReplyDaddy Grandd
BRANDiGNORANT

Idk why people in a wheelchair get on the bus I mean they can drive themselves wherever they need to goless than a minute ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® Favorite Retweet Replytiffanie rivera
prettyful_tiff

Anytime I'm running late the person in the wheelchair want to get on my bus. Roll ya ass to where u need to go !less than a minute ago via Tweetlogix Favorite Retweet ReplyBelle Starr 
LouLou_Star

Every time I do a search on Twitter looking for content to re-tweet, I come across these all the time. Actually, I could care less about these people because they obviously do not have the reasoning skills to think about what wheelchair users go through. But if you have these kind of thoughts, keep them to yourself. Do not go around saying these things out loud, especially in front of the person you are talking about who has normal hearing.

That teenager has ZERO idea what it is like, yet he not only runs his mouth but also belittles people with disabilities. He obviously has no idea how to treat his fellow human beings. By the looks of it, he is nearing the final years of high school. It is time for him to grow up and be more mature.

"A long time ago, we used to be friends"

(Yes, this blog post's title is taken from the theme song of "Veronica Mars.")

---

This morning, I came across the following on Twitter:

Jeez, no matter how late I'm running, I'd never yell at someone in a wheelchair for "slowing down the bus". #shakesheadless than a minute ago via Twitter for AndroidCandice Dayoan
candicecd

It seems like a nonchalant tweet that doesn't mean much. But there is much more to this tweet than meets the eye.

If you do a simple search on Twitter for "wheelchair" and "bus," you will find that there are a lot of angry commuters out there who find wheelchair users on public transit to be a nuisance. The general gist of it is, "I'm in a rush and now a wheelchair user needs to get on. Stupid wheelchair users, making me late for work/school/etc." There are other various complaints as well.

What's interesting is that some wheelchair users today might have been one of those people once.

The other day, I attended a wheelchair basketball clinic at Douglas College in New Westminster. If you know the location and its topography, you will recall that the campus is very close to the SkyTrain station -- but has a 33-degree incline between the station and campus. Obviously going up (or down) that hill in a wheelchair is not really something you want to do, especially when it is raining like it was that day.

So instead of risking life and limb, I decided to simply take a bus from the station, even though it is only a one-stop ride. I didn't feel good about taking up all that time boarding/de-boarding for a one-stop journey, but what other choice is there?

At the basketball clinic a few hours later, I was chatting with someone else who I had previously met at GF Strong Rehab Centre during another event and the steep hill entered the conversation, and subsequently the necessary bus ride.

When I mentioned how it was uncomfortable taking that much time for only one stop away, the person said, "You know... It's interesting because before I was in a wheelchair, I was one of those people who would HATE it when someone in a chair had to get on. So when I got in a chair, I would avoid the bus as much as possible because of that." She said she got over that after a while, though obviously both of us agreed that it was best to get on and off as quickly as possible.

I think there is a certain transition period when you first start using a wheelchair. One of the steps in the transition is going from someone relatively anonymous to a sort of "performer" who is being watched by the audience. The bus is one such stage, and when all eyes are on you, it feels rather scary that you are now the centre of attention.

Of course, when you watch something, time tends to slow down. ("A watched pot never boils" comes to mind here.) I have a theory that is the reason why there are so many upset commuters out there who direct their frustration at wheelchair users, because we are so visible. It's much less common that you would hear the same frustration at people who are slow at taking out their fares or who have to ask the bus driver questions.

There is a certain level of discomfort for us wheelchair users too because we are being watched and have no idea whether you're watching for curiosity or watching while thinking, "Stupid wheelchair user. Let's roll him/her off a cliff or feed him/her to a pack of wolves or something." It may be paranoia talking but I have always found this rather unnerving and it takes a while to get used to.

In short, being a "performer" rattles me and these negative comments I keep seeing don't help. If you feel angry or upset at wheelchair users on the bus, consider the fact that perhaps we once shared the same thoughts as you and we don't want to be in our present condition any more than you want us to delay your commute. I really hope that one day most people wouldn't get so upset about wheelchair users sharing the same need to commute by public transit.

(If you really need to be in a rush on most days, perhaps consider adopting the "30 Minute Rule" at the bottom of this previous blog entry.)

Patience is a virtue

Last night, I was waiting on Granville Street downtown for a bus. It was really cold so when the bus came, I was a bit antsy to get on.

Apparently someone else was even antsier.

I'll call him Impatient Businessman. When the front doors opened, he stepped aside. The driver started deploying the wheelchair ramp. When the ramp was at an approximately 90 degrees' angle from the ground, Impatient Businessman somehow lost his patience and stepped forward to enter the bus, only to find that the ramp was about to lower on to him. Genius.

So the ramp finally came down and I started to get on the bus. For some reason, after I had one full push of my wheels, Impatient Businessman somehow saw it fit to push my wheelchair from behind in a rush to get on.

For the uninitiated, there are several reasons why you should never do this. Some are obvious, some are not.

1. It is dangerous. When I push my wheelchair, I am in control. Because most non-temporary wheelchair users have custom-built wheelchairs, they can predict exactly how their chairs will behave in certain situations. If someone suddenly exerts force on the chair unexpectedly, the wheelchair becomes unpredictable and the wheelchair user may get hurt; for example, the unexpected change in speed may get his/her fingers caught in the rear wheels' push rims. In some cases, the center of gravity may be affected and the wheelchair may tip.
2. It is degrading. Assuming we need assistance without asking is degrading and rude. It is similar to other prejudiced assumptions in other situations, like assuming Asians don't speak English. It is okay when the situation clearly calls for it, but the general golden rule is if we need help, we will ask for it.
3. Touching someone's wheelchair is like touching someone's body. While it is true that the wheelchair isn't part of our bodies, it should be treated as such when it comes to touching and proximity. Impatient Businessman's behavior is basically the equivalent of someone shoving you from behind. Unless authorized, touching someone else's wheelchair is a big no-no.

The general allowances that are made are for drivers, who sometimes help wheelchair users. In this case, it can be seen as them doing their job since ensuring safety is one of their responsibilities, and it's hard to blame them for making sure things are done properly before starting the bus. But note that drivers generally don't push anyone's wheelchairs. There's a reason for that. Too bad Impatient Businessman didn't realize it.

Pay attention to your surroundings

One thing I always try to do on board a bus is pay attention to my surroundings. It something every person should do. Even if you're taking a nap on board, at least make sure you're in a good position to do so or something, and not end up snoring on someone else's shoulder.

There was one person who obviously didn't know how to do that. I was on a bus between Surrey Central Station and South Surrey. It was a New Flyer D40LFR bus. I hate these buses because their newer "hook" restraints are incredibly difficult to use. They're supposed to be an improvement but require a million hands just to get strapped in. Another disadvantage to these buses is how the front seats flip up three seats at a time on one side. That's much more room than I need, and it sucks that others can't at least flip down the seat close to the wheel.

So anyways, I was getting on a bus at Surrey Central Station. I got myself strapped/hooked in and such, and we were ready to go. It was getting dark and the bus was semi-full. One guy, whom I'll call Clueless Guy, decided that he wanted to sit down. He saw that the area in front of me was wide open, and decided to flip down the seat to sit down.

Clueless Guy didn't notice that the seats flipped down all at once. He was in a huge hurry to sit down, for some reason. So he grabbed the seat closest to the front wheel, and flipped it down without even looking around. The seat closest to me slammed right down on my wheelchair and pinched a flap of skin on my thigh -- and I can feel that part. He sat down with all his might, and that flap of skin got sandwiched between my wheelchair cushion and the seat that just slammed down on me. OUCH SON OF A [BLEEP].

I tried to get his attention but he was looking out the window (at what, I don't know, since it was dark). Some other passengers who realized the situation tried to get his attention as well, but Clueless Guy seemed to be ignoring them. Eventually we did get his attention -- only to find out that he didn't speak a word of English (and probably didn't understand the "excuse me?"s and "sir?"s coming from us). He had no idea what he did wrong, until the bus arrived at a stop and the lights turned on.

He got off, and tried to lift the seat. But there was a problem. On these new buses, in order to lift the seat, it must go completely down first. The seat he sat down on went completely down, but the side that was pinching my thigh and trapping my wheelchair didn't. I was stuck.

The driver looked at the situation and then looked at his location. He was kind of in the middle of Surrey with a fairly packed bus. Eventually I freed up my thigh flap, but my wheelchair was still stuck because the seat was pinning down my wheelchair. Since my body was physically freed, the driver decided to call in a supervisor to meet us at Newton Exchange and asked us to make sure people don't sit down on those seats for the time being.

I'm not sure if it was due to the language barrier or what, but Clueless Guy didn't offer much in terms of an apology. He pretty much ignored me until his stop. I don't know, maybe he was embarrassed. I don't blame him for being embarrassed, but he should've really paid attention to what he was doing beforehand. I mean, when you pull down one seat but get three coming down at once, there's got to be a reason for that.

Finally after some huffing and puffing, we did get my wheelchair freed at Newton Exchange. Luckily my chair is a high-end one made of titanium (made by this company), so any scratches can simply be buffed up and it'd look like new again.

Let this be a lesson -- it doesn't matter how tired you are, or how dark it is. Please pay attention to what you're doing and pay attention to your surroundings on board the bus. You never know what can happen if you don't, because unexpected things like these can and do happen.

Also, thank goodness some of the newest TransLink buses have seats that can be flipped up one at a time. It's good for avoiding situations such as this one, and also good when a wheelchair user's friend can sit at eye level to chat.

Cheese + Whine

One time, I was on a bus leaving UBC Loop heading towards 4th Avenue. It was a typical school day around spring, when final exams are coming in and student anxieties and tensions were high. It was only normal that some students would be going a little crazy. But I didn't expect the craziness to come out on the bus. And in this manner.

Anyways, I was on the bus at the front. It was standing room only, as usual. The bus started to pull out of the bus loop. Suddenly, a student asked to get off. The driver was ready to turn on to Student Union Boulevard (a.k.a. no-man's land when it comes to dropping people off) and said he can't. The student then threw a tantrum.

Yes. A tantrum.

She kept whining about needing to get off. Finally, as the driver was making the left turn from Student Union Boulevard on to Wesbrook Mall, she screamed in the highest pitch ever, "LET ME OFF THE BUSSSSSS!!!" and jumped up and down with both her feet stomping the floor of the bus.

The driver ignored her but eventually did let off her right before we hit Chancellor Boulevard. As soon as she got off, almost everyone on board burst out laughing. It was ironic how one person's exam stress can end up being a de-stressor for everyone else.

At the next stop, a passenger said to the driver, "Well, that was something, huh?" The driver laughed and said, "I have a five-year-old daughter who acts more mature than that!"

And who says people get more mature in university?

The wheels on the bus go something something...

It's not often a drunk guy can come on a bus and make everyone happy.

But a while back, I was on a bus between Surrey Central Station and South Surrey. Around Surrey Memorial Hospital, a guy came on board smelling strongly of alcohol and lumbering around disoriented. The driver reluctantly let him on. (What was he going to do? The guy was drunk. Better on a bus than behind the wheel.) Everyone on board prepared for the worst.

Instead, he started singing. What he was singing, I had no clue. But whatever it was, he finished one tune and started another. And then he started encouraging people at the front to start singing. Amused, some people actually did (to my surprise). And then more and more joined in. By the time I got off in South Surrey, the whole bus was singing along to whatever song the guy chose. It was oddly nice to see a "nice drunk guy" instead of a "violent drunk guy" for a change.

At my stop, as I was waiting for the wheelchair ramp to deploy, I said to the driver, "That's got to be a first, right?"

The driver shrugged and said, "Nothing surprises me anymore."

Trafficking in traffic

For anyone who knows anything about Vancouver, one thing is blatantly obvious -- this city loves its marijuana. In fact, when Vancouver native Ross Rebagliati won the first-ever gold medal in snowboarding at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, he was almost disqualified because there were traces of marijuana in his system. Also, whenever you mention "Vancouver Art Gallery" and "marijuana" in the same sentence, you're sure to come up with some sort of joke.

Anyways, a while ago I was on a bus from White Rock to Surrey. It was one of those long and dreadful rides that seem to last forever. Shortly after entering Surrey, two guys came on board. They looked normal enough -- they paid their fare, they got on and they sat down.

And then one of them sold some marijuana joints to the other guy.

Normally, nobody would bat an eye. But that day, another person noticed and came forward.

"Hey, are you selling weed? How much per hit?"

So a second transaction was made.

But we weren't finished.

Soon, a FOURTH guy came forward and asked for weed. And then a fifth. And a sixth. Eventually, I think almost a third to half of the passengers bought weed from the guy by the time the bus pulled into Surrey Central Station.

Welcome to Vancouver. Come for the scenery, stay for the pot.