Monroe County Council of the Blind

The following was submitted by a MCCB member. The views and opinions are those solely of the author and may not reflect those of The Monroe County Council of the Blind.

I work Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in an office, that’s routine enough. Well, how I get there and back is not so routine. Three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday I travel to work and back with the Pocono Pony, specifically the Program for Persons with Disabilities (PWD).

On Mondays and Thursdays I have to wing it inasmuch as finding a way to work is concerned. Well it would appear that the MCTA is using a new computer system to schedule runs, without having worked out all of the bugs. First let me say that things had been going along fine for more than 6 months with a regular driver, a very nice and considerate driver at that. So, back to the new system.

On Tuesday morning I had just halled myself out of bed, it was 6:25 a.m. and was just about to make a pot of coffee when my daughter informs me that the shared-ride vehicle was in the drive way. My normal pick-up time is 7:40 or thereabouts. So, right away you see the problem. There I am, still in my night clothes, not showered, in no way able to leave for work. I opened my window to address the driver who had stepped out of the vehicle for a cigarette and this is how the conversation went.

(me) Morning, you know you’re an hour and ten minutes early

(him) so?

(me) So? What do you mean so? I can’t go with you now, I just got out of bed.

(him) Well, I can’t come back.

(Me) Well, I’ll go call dispatch.

(him) yeah, well I’ll call too)

(me) Well fine!

After some back and forth on the phone with a dispatcher who expected she could take her frustration regarding the new system out on me, we established that the driver would be back in an hour. You know, it just seems that getting to work should not be so difficult, it should not leave one without his or her dignity. Obviously the driver got to work as did the dispatcher, shouldn’t it be just as routine for me?

- Mary Ann Alexander

Filed under: Member Editorial, Transportation