Equality

wheels on wheels...riding the bus in today.

I met a new driver on my regular route.  I was first in line, it was freezing, I had positioned myself ready to back onto the ramp, and the driver waved the other passengers to go ahead of me even though they were waiting for me to go first. Why? I keep thinking that my actions of standing up for my needs as a rider using a mobility device to be: treated equal to other riders, to be respected as an adult in control of my space and body, and be given the rights that have been provided in the ADA laws, are making a difference but alas more work must be done.  Am I alone in wanting to be moved from the back of the line?  

Part two: Customer Service Expectations for ADA riders

King Country Metro KCM Transit policy and practice for drivers when serving passengers with disabilities.

          This is the second part of a three part series on King County Metro guidelines for passengers with disabilities, and those using mobility devices and will address the following questions. What level of customer service should riders with disabilities expect from KCM employees?  Who has control over the personal space of a customer using a mobility device: the passenger or the KCM driver?  Can riders with disabilities request to attach belts to their mobility devices, or do they have to let the KCM driver touch their mobility device?

Customer Service: what level of customer service should riders with disabilities expect from KCM employees?

I have used Metro services since I first moved to the Seattle area in 1998 and though did not use the lifts then, I did realize how important they were for passengers with disabilities and seniors.  After I started using a scooter as my main means of transportation I knew that I could only use King County Metro service, because my scooter was too large for the local busses in my county.  This service is wonderful, but at times I experience KCM drivers that are nice and treat me with respect, while at other KCM drivers treat me like I cannot think or take care of myself. I picked up a few key points from the two driver’s manuals about how drivers are expected to interact with riders using mobility devices, the rights of the riders, and the expectations that metro has of the drivers. 

   

          The part time operators’ manual listed that since 1978 King County Metro has been a leader in providing accessible public transportation for passengers with disabilities. Currently 100% of the Metro fleet is equipped with ramps, or lift systems to serve passengers with disabilities and seniors (King County Metro, 2012, p. 104).   Metro bus drivers are trained to use people first language when talking to or about customers using disability equipment and should say “a person using mobility equipment will be boarding and not announce a “chair” needs space please make room, (King County Metro, 110).  

Personal Space: who has control over a customer’s personal space when riding KCM buses? 

Who has control over the passengers’ personal space when they are using the public transportation system? Both manuals state that the person with a disability has control over their personal space, and that the driver should ask before they reach out to touch a mobility device or a person with a disability (King County Metro, 2012, 4.22, p. 110).

Personal autonomy: who is in charge of securing a mobility device: the KCM driver or the person with a disability using the mobility device? 

How to secure a mobility device can be a hot topic between riders and drivers.  According to the manuals metro drivers have the final say in how a mobility device is safely secured, and can check the mobility device before going to the next stop; but riders can opt to secure their own device or ask the driver for help (King County Metro, 2012, p. 106). 

For more information about national disability transportation laws and advocacy check out AAPD.org (American Association for People with Disabilities), this website includes equal rights advocacy tools to improve the rights for people with disabilities.  The link below will take you directly to their transportation page. (http://www.aapd.com/resources/power-grid-blog/transportation-equity.html). 

Next week’s blog is the last in this series and will outline how accessible KCM’s bus stops are, and when and how to call metro for assistance.

Reference:

Washington, King County Metro, The Book, (2012)

Washington, King County Metro, PTOManual (Part-time Operators Manual), (2012)

This Blog was written by Tanya Atkinson

Part One: How People with Disabilities are Expected to Board KCM Buses

King Country Metro Transit Policy and Practice for Serving Passengers with Disabilities 

Part One: How People with Disabilities are Expected to Board KCM Buses 

I have been riding King County Metro’s public transportation system for years. As a woman with a new disability, I have been searching for a few years for the guidelines of how riders using mobility devices are expected to use KCM’s bus system and how I should expect to be treated by KCM officials. 

1. I will be posting a three part series on the information I have gathered from two driver’s manuals that KCM uses to train their driving staff. In this three part series, I will answer the following questions: Do people using mobility devices or needing the ramp board first, hold their place in line, or board last? 
2. What level of customer service should riders with disabilities expect from KCM employees? Should passengers secure their mobility device or expect the drivers to secure the mobility device? Who has control over the personal space of a customer using a mobility device: the passenger or the KCM officials? Can riders request to attach belts to their mobility devices or do they have to let the driver touch their mobility device?
3. Are all bus stops accessible? When and how should riders call metro? 

To find answers for these questions on what to expect from KCM bus drivers, I requested a copy of their training manuals from KCM. I was directed to two manuals “The Book” and the “Part-time Operator Transit Manual.”

I will cite information from these two manuals as sources in this series on tips for riders with disabilities who are using KCM bus system. Sections 4.20 to 4.32 of The Book and pages 104 to 110 of the POT Manual are dedicated to information about how drivers are expected to interact with passengers with disabilities. Both manuals reference the Americans with Disabi lity Act as a standard for KCM policies. These annually updated manuals are from September 2012 and can be requested by contacting King Country Disclosure Coordinator Craig McMurdo at 206-6684-1005 or at craig.mcmurdo@kingcounty.gov.

Do people using mobility devices or those needing the ramp board first, hold their place in line, or board last? 

As a KCM passenger, I have been waived aside on multiple occasions to let the “normal or able” riders enter first, even when riders step aside and wave me to go ahead. I would be happy to wait my turn in line or board first, but chronically being directed to the back of the line has caused me to be late for work, school, and miss my transfer points. This is because, being directed to the back of the line comes with the added risk of losing my ride because there are too many passengers. 

In a search for answers to this problem, I started asking KCM about the rules for riding the bus when using mobility devices. 

I was advised by drivers that having passengers with disabilities board last make the most sense logistically. Some KCM drivers stated reasons like able-bodied riders are difficult to manage because they try to jump over clients with disabilities to get on the bus when the ramp is still down and the client with a disability is securing their vehicle. I have also heard that using this method is just easier for the drivers to manage. 

In contrast, a customer service representative advised me that the driver should board clients with mobility devices first. 

Although the KCM training manuals recognize that people with disabilities should be given respect and detail the level customer service drivers should provide, they do not identify a direct practice of how to load passengers. According to The Book, all passengers can request the lift or ramp and should always be accommodated. According to the POT Manual, Drivers who recognize a person with a disability is waiting for bus service should stop the line of passengers boarding and request that space be made available for the passenger with a disability. If the passenger with a disability cannot be loaded, the driver is required to call Priority Request to Talk. The information that drivers get from PRTT is then provided to the passenger with a disability and should include information about what action the passenger should take. If a passenger with a disability decides to wait for the next bus, the KCM driver is free to leave the zone. 

Unfortunately, my research did not provide me with a clear answer as to whether I should board first, hold my place in line, or board last. As a busy person who depends on KCM as my primary means of transportation, the next time I am in danger of losing my ride I will be sure to have the KCM driver call PRTT. 

Next week’s blog on KCM transportation services will be dedicated to customer service and what riders with disabilities can expect from KCM officials and drivers.