Part-time Accessibility for Full-time Disabled

Yeah, it's 2 a.m. and I'm up and awake.

Par for the course, my sleeping schedule is so out of whack.

But the upside is I like to do alot of work around the house in the wee hours, especially in the summer. It's not as hot or humid- perfect for laundry time. Perfect time to go shopping at Walmart, too.

Or so I thought. I really gotta stop thinking so much.

You see, I've taken Sun City Cab over to Walmart or other places after 9 p.m. when there's no bus service. It's worked out about 4 times that I've used them. And I use Sun City because they advertised to the CAC and the CAAC (city accessibility advisory committee)that they have handicap accessible vans and I'm usually accompanying my client in a wheelchair.

I also know that Yellow/Checker has handicap accessible vans, but I now have a "relationship" with Sun City and try to give business to the ones that want it. Sun City seemed to really want to serve the disabled community.

Last year when they let us know about the vans they said to give them 24- hour notice at first for a ride. Ok- I can understand they wouldn't always be available. They were waiting til word spread about the vans- then they could have them available full-time. The owner and his son gave us their first ride in the vans one night last year and we have been using them since.

Earlier this year they said there would be maybe a couple hour notice needed, then it was "call anytime". And it's worked out like I said the 4 or so times I've used them.

Last I heard, Sun City has 5 handicap accessible vans. I had heard that one got wrecked in an accident in Juarez and is being tied up in red tape as far as getting it fixed. I think it's still in Juarez.

So that would leave 4 vans.

Speaking with one of our usual drivers, we were told that two vans were waiting to be painted with the Sun City graphics- that was a while ago. Where are they now?

See, called for a handicap accessible van just now from Sun City and there isn't one available. It's not on another call- it's not being used. The drivers out tonight are using other vehicles. Or maybe they have a handicap accessible van out on calls but the back back seat is put in and they don't want to drop off that seat over at headquarters, make this call, then go pick it back up? I dunno.

Called Yellow/Checker- no vans available until "maybe" in the morning.

Called Border Cab- no handicap accessible vans in their fleet, according to dispatch.

City Cab- none.

According to our "usual" driver at Sun City, some drivers don't like to use the handicap accessible vans because when they go on certain calls, like picking up soldiers, they can't fit as many into the taxi because the back back seat is taken out of the handicap accessible van to make room for a wheelchair. So in reality, the vans can only carry maybe 4 passengers that way as opposed to 6 or 7 with the back back seat in.

Why don't they just send another van for larger groups?

Bus service and cab service are two separate entities in the transportation industry.

Maybe I'm being selfish, but since cabs run 24 hours a day I believe that if they receive any grant money for handicap accessible vans they should be required to have the handicap accessible vans available 24 hours a day!

I'm pretty sure Sun City received grant monies for these vans, and probably Yellow/Checker, too- I will check in the morning and post an update.

But in the meantime, cabs being the most expensive mode of transportation in the city compared to bus service out-of-pocket to the disabled community, and you have handicap accessible vans- don't you think your advantage would be having them available when bus service doesn't run?

Or am I thinking too much, again?