I believe my husband was treated in a neglient matter by NYC AAR.
November 16, 2015 5:37 PM Subscribe
Hi all -
My husband came in the door today shaken. His AAR (Access-A-Ride) trip home today involved a driver who "handled him roughly", a torn sweater, and a one-inch piece of plastic hanging out of said sweater. I think this is potentially a case of negligence. More inside.
I will fully admit that AAR (MTA's Paratransit Program in NYC) is not an organization I think highly of. They bring me to rage fits almost daily with their ineptitude.
My husband, who is a very kind and nice man, was visibly shaken when I opened the door today. Near tears. He is NEVER like this. He brushes off nearly everything and always looks at people in a positive light. He said that the driver handled him and his wheelchair roughly when he was on the lift, and his sweater was damaged. I could clearly see a sharp piece of plastic poking through the sweater. The driver also refused to put him on the curb, and only when my husband begged did he do so. (Husband's phone was deep in his travel bag and he could not reach me inside.)
I am especially upset because as a wheelchair user, who also has hand weakness, he is not always able to ambulate his upper body as fast as someone without his condition. I fear that the driver was just frustrated with his slowness and pushed/pulled my husband in an unsafe way. I think that my husband may be making the situation seem less worse than it is, mostly so I don't worry, or escalate the issue.
Other than filing a compliant with Paratransit (which in my view, will do absolutely nothing.) What else should we do? Contact the Mayor's Office for Disabilities? If a driver is being negligent or worse, harmful or abusive, I feel it is my duty to report it and get a serious response. If is handling my husband this way, I imagine he may treat others in a similiar way as well.
Thoughts?
I will fully admit that AAR (MTA's Paratransit Program in NYC) is not an organization I think highly of. They bring me to rage fits almost daily with their ineptitude.
My husband, who is a very kind and nice man, was visibly shaken when I opened the door today. Near tears. He is NEVER like this. He brushes off nearly everything and always looks at people in a positive light. He said that the driver handled him and his wheelchair roughly when he was on the lift, and his sweater was damaged. I could clearly see a sharp piece of plastic poking through the sweater. The driver also refused to put him on the curb, and only when my husband begged did he do so. (Husband's phone was deep in his travel bag and he could not reach me inside.)
I am especially upset because as a wheelchair user, who also has hand weakness, he is not always able to ambulate his upper body as fast as someone without his condition. I fear that the driver was just frustrated with his slowness and pushed/pulled my husband in an unsafe way. I think that my husband may be making the situation seem less worse than it is, mostly so I don't worry, or escalate the issue.
Other than filing a compliant with Paratransit (which in my view, will do absolutely nothing.) What else should we do? Contact the Mayor's Office for Disabilities? If a driver is being negligent or worse, harmful or abusive, I feel it is my duty to report it and get a serious response. If is handling my husband this way, I imagine he may treat others in a similiar way as well.
Thoughts?
Calling 311 should get you to the right person to talk to, if you have the patience for putting up with them trying to foist you off on 911 instead for the stupidest reason. I would call during the morning, when their call volume isn't quite as high.
posted by Mchelly at 6:43 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Mchelly at 6:43 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Supervisors may take it a little more seriously if they find out from you that you have filed a police report.
posted by grouse at 6:45 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by grouse at 6:45 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Call your city councilperson's office. Find a sympathetic ear in one of their staffers. Much more likely to get results than calling 311 or the like.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:54 PM on November 16, 2015
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:54 PM on November 16, 2015
Tweet about it and mention @nyctAAR and/or @MTA.
posted by capricorn at 11:59 AM on November 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by capricorn at 11:59 AM on November 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dawkins_7 at 6:42 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]