More joys of public transit

[urocyon]

Just a too-late note to some of my fellow bus passengers, on my way home a little while ago:

Not that it is any of your business why I am taking up one of the precious disabled seats, but, believe it or not, I am less able to stand when I am lugging home enough shopping that I have to fold my cane up and shove it in a bag. That sticklike object with a wooden handle at the top, which should be clearly visible while you're disapprovingly scrutinizing me? Yep. If I were even marginally capable of giving over my seat to an elderly person, I would do so.

I don't see you getting up. On either occasion you choose to glare at me. I guess a display of disapproval magically opens up a seat.

You, Mr. Where's The Fire, still yakking on your phone there? You really needn't be staring and scrunching your brows like that. I watched you shoulder a guy on crutches out of the way, paying no attention whatsoever to your surroundings in your rush to, erm, sit on a bus. *scratches head*

The change of expressions when I drag the cane out for balance (yes, while sitting) on a lurching bus? No thanks. The previous filthy, distasteful looks were bad enough; the exaggerated looks of sympathy are at least as insulting. Nobody should have to openly display a mobility aid to pass muster; bus seat policing is not your job. Really. And, yes, people really can appear to be fairly young and in a certain kind of corn-fed rude health, and still have trouble standing up on a moving bus. For any variety of reasons. And it's none of your business why.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

And, yes, people really can appear to be fairly young and in a certain kind of corn-fed rude health, and still have trouble standing up on a moving bus.

I want you to lead up The Loyal Opposition's "we need the bus, too" campaign.

One of the inciting causes for my powerchair was bus shenanigans with my rolling walker (which the drivers complained about using the lift for). On our buses there simply isn't a place to park a walker, and so one's expected to clutch it one's bosom for the whole ride.

In addition to truly comfortable seating, and able to force people out of the accessible seats, and lugging >50# of stuff on a bag hanging off the back, the front casters can provide an excellent behavior modification device when needed.

[urocyon]

On our buses there simply isn't a place to park a walker, and so one's expected to clutch it one's bosom for the whole ride.

That sounds really convenient. :/ The powerchair does sound easier to manage, in that situation. On most of ours, you'd have to duke it out with people travelling with baby carriages, in either case. (And yeah, I've seen a couple of drivers just not let someone in a chair on because the ostensible wheelchair space was occupied by prams.) There is usually only one seat available with a reasonable amount of space available for parking a walker, so that it's not in the aisle with people shoving and kicking at it. Which also happens to be in the wheelchair space.

Ha! I really do have to restrain myself from using my cane as a behavior modification device. Sometimes I do get pissed off enough to use my elbows that way--unfortunately mostly by just not scrunching in my shoulders and arms, and bracing myself to let people (95% men) run into them. Hoist on their own petards. But, I've got the kind of PTSD that pretty much does away with the latter part of the fight or flight reaction, and have to watch it in crowded situations anyway. Hypervigilance + shoviness? Not good. If I start whacking people with the cane, I'll probably be sorry later--possibly from jail. :-|

[jesse_the_k]

This conversation almost kicked me in the pants enough to go to a bus board hearing about this very topic, that is, strollers (a pram hybrid that's actually bigger than the old fashion sprung style) v wheelchairs. I just couldn't gather the spoons, however (two Other Thing today; I only count on one Thing daily).

However, I seem to be ranty, so check my journal for some spewage.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

You get sympathetic looks? I need a more sympathy-inducing cane. I have a photo-collection of people sitting down on public transport ostentatiously looking away while disabled people stand up. I'm intending to start a blog. I appreciate 0.1% of them might also be disabled in some not-visible way, but the ones who use my mobility problems as an opportunity to barge past and grab a seat, even when someone else was specifically trying to give it up... well, unless narcissistic personality disorder is a disability (probably, but I'm not sure how sitting down would help) then...

[urocyon-c.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've run into that entirely too much. Not as much as getting shoved and knocked into just walking down the pavement, though. Grrr.

I noticed the weird embarrassed, vaguely sympathetic thing on a couple of people yesterday. It both surprised me and pissed me off. (More used to just the disapproval.) Though embarrassment was appropriate. Maybe being too tired to keep the pain off my face helped, but I wouldn't bet on it.

The blog idea really does sound tempting. Just remembering one from a guy who was apparently on crutches temporarily in New York, taking photos of people who were blocking up the disabled seats. Some of the facial expressions? Priceless, in a rage-inducing way.

[nitoda]

I'm always amazed how many people go for the first empty seat when they get on the tube, which is nearly always an access seat. I will always choose another if there is one available, but then, I don't want to have to leap up to accommodate someone who needs the seat. I'm rather uncharitably guessing that most of the people who just sit in that seat actually aren't keen to give up their seats either, sadly. I'm in a sufficient state of health now that I really couldn't *ask* for a seat, but I do still prefer to sit. And I remember how ill I was and it didn't really show, so I know *some* of the people I see sitting in access seats might really need them, I just don't believe they all do. I hope I don't glare at anyone who really needs the seat. I will observe myself more closely in future.