Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Baby Strollers Trump people With Disabilities on the MBTA?

Here is a blog post about uppity baby stroller opperators who believe they can throw disabled individuals under the bus. http://bostonrailfan.wordpress.com/2013/07/07/should-the-mbta-ban-strollers-on-vehicles/ In the past year from what I have seen personally, there has been a growing number of passengers bring strollers on board Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) vehicles such as buses, and subway vehicles. The seating area closer to where operators of the buses are the handicap seats which are meant solely for seniors and persons with disabilities. Under federal law of the United States Federal Government’s Americans with Disabilities Act these seats are not to be used unless it’s for a senior or a person with disabilities, which in this case is not happening. Instead operators are asking people that are seating in these seats to move so that baby strollers can be placed there. I know this because I got into argument with a female who wanted my seat for her baby stroller. I explained to her under federal law states these seats are not her stroller, she got in my face and said that I either move or there was going to be a problem. She finally got her seat across from where I was seating and got other passengers to complain as well. I picked up my phone and called the MBTA Transit Police while she was on the bus and made it loud and clear that as a disabled person I was being threatened and that the bus operator was doing nothing to put an end to the harassment. The passenger got off the bus at Dudley station and while doing so got in my face and saying that if her boyfriend was with her, I would have been stabbed. I informed the operator about the statement and sat and did nothing when I requested to have police notified. I got off the bus and called them myself and informed of the police of what happened, they said this action should have happened and is not called for on any of the MBTA vehicles. The office went on saying that I was doing the right thing by refusing to give up my seat as a disabled person and sticking up for my rights. This event happened in the Spring of 2013. ............

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