My DB friend sent me this email and I just had to post it. If you are sighted and hearing, you may take for granted how hard it is for the rest of us who may be deaf or Deaf-blind and using the MTA buses/trains.
I got home safe and sound but the trip from LI to the Bronx was miserable!
It took me home almost four hours unexpectedly.
Able-ride driver walked me to the right tracks in Hicksville train station
for Manhattan. I thanked him for help but then I barely missed trains and
waited for half an hour for another train to Penn Station.I asked the
conductor if I could take another train at Jamaica for Flushing and said "NO" I would have to change other trains at Woodside. I said "never mind" and decided
to stay that trains all the way to Penn Station.
I walked to the subway station and waited for #2 uptown express tracks. I
waited for 20 minutes and got puzzled what's wrong with #2 trains?? I asked
someone and said that I would have to go to local tracks due to repairs on
express tracks on weekends! I took #1 train for Times Square and took shuttle
trains from Times Square for Grand Central Terminal and took #6 trains for
Pelham Bay Park station so finally I was able to relax and read Sunday
newspapers all the way to last stop but I got puzzled that #6 trains stopped at
Parkchester Avenue for very long but then I saw one male (maybe homeless) sleeping on the seat and I checked the info on ceilings and said Parkchester Ave was the
last stop so I went over and pulled EMERGENCY alarm and blew my metal whistle
for attention. Workers came by there to get me out of trains. They told
me that no trains were running between Parkchester and Pelham Bay Park
station due to repairs on weekends. Workers walked me to catch shuttle bus from
Parkchester for Pelham Bay Park before it got dark. I got QBX1 bus from
Pelham Bay Park for Co-op City! It was miserable! I have seen some subway
trains on weekends very limited, some other trains were not up and running in
parts of The Bronx, and other trains on local tracks instead of express
because of repairs and detours. Yes I understand MTA but MTA should ALERT
everyone postings at stations AHEAD of time so that passengers can be well prepared
for subway routes and shuttle bus on weekends. How could deaf, and deaf-blind passengers be heard of their announcements from conductors for detours
and different routes or last stops like at Parkchester? Blind passengers
cannot see postings or bulletin board at stations (and platforms) so how could
blind passengers be seen?
I think it's so important for us to discuss this with MTA for proposals and
suggestions in the future for weekend services.I have seen postings at different subway stations in Brooklyn and Manhattan but not in the Bronx! BUMMER
Thank you for listening and sharing comments with me!
Good night from the Bronx,
XXXXX
Wow, that sucks royally that he had to go through all that trouble just to get home There's gotta be a better way for Deaf and Deaf-Blinds to recieve last minute information on the MTA services.
My GGG movie is almost done, just need 2 more sounds and its completed. Clyde helped me adjust the volume on it last night. I am anxious to get my website up and running by early next week.
Am on my way now to tutor the 3 year old twins :-D
1 comment:
I know how that can be, especially when utilizing public transit in what we jokingly refer to as the "uncharted territories" (non-Manhattan boroughs). Their mentality is always along the lines of "you should have a car you lowlife, don't ask me for help". I would suggest that you tell your friend to sign up for weekend updates at http://mta.info. Every Friday they email the weekend updates and changes to the transit system due to construction/diversions. I can only imagine how hard it must be when you are deaf/blind. Even for me it's always surprising to wait for a train at 2 am on a Sat and have the uptown train show up on the downtown track.
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