Five-Star Disability

Hey everyone!

I’ve been an avid bus rider for my entire life.  I wonder why?  I think its because I can’t drive!  Yup, being Deaf-Blind means that driving is something I can’t do.  Not that I can’t drive!  I DO drive my wife crazy!  That is one of my best qualities!  And I can drive a go-kart!

Here is an interesting tidbit of info: 99.95 percent of legally blind people in general cannot drive.  But I do know of three or four people with legal blind status, yet they do drive.  One happens to be Deaf-Blind.  Do you know other legally blind individuals who are licensed to drive?  Share please!

Anyways… Bus travel can be a pain!

Anyone who has ridden a bus can tell you many frustrations and problems:

• it can be late,
• it can never show up,
• it can be overflowing with people,
• it can go 13 MPH or 135 MPH, depending on driver preferences,
• it can be cut off by idiot drivers,
• it can get stuck in traffic & cannot detour easily,
• Etc etc…
• Can you add more?

The same thing goes for riding subways or, in Vancouver, Skytrain…

My purpose here is not to critique, I think I’ve already done that, but to compare Bus Travel to Car Travel.

Here is a scenario:

Recent Sunday, I took my kids from my home to the mall so they could purchase a Minecraft game (for some reason they like Minecraft!).

We left the house at 3:55 and arrived at the bus stop just down the street from my house at 4:03.

We waited uncharacteristically long for the bus.  Over 35 minutes!  Yes, it was a Sunday schedule, but buses should still be 20 minutes apart.

We rode the bus less than ten minutes to our stop, taking an indirect route to the mall, we arrived around 4:48.

We walked to EB games, and the kids got their boring Minecraft game.  We then walked to Dollarama to get Soda, and then walked to the bus stop to go home.  This was by far the fastest I have ever shopped with two kids!

We waited for the return bus about 10 minutes and then rode 14 minutes to our stop and walked home.

We arrived at my lovely home at 5.53.

A two hour trip!  Someone cue the Gilligan’s theme song…

(All times are estimated!  I did notice time we left and time we arrived home!)

Now, if someone were to drive us 3 from my home to the mall and back.  We’d get in the car at 3:55, zip down the hill and be at the mall by 4:10.  We’d also park close to EB Games, so not need to walk all over the mall.  After 15 minutes in EB, we’d buy the boring Minecraft game, and head back to the car.  We’d drive home, no need to stop for soda, because we are not thirsty from waiting.  We’d be back home in my amazing home by, probably, 4:40.  Or less.

You, amazing readers, can see the difference times: two hours by transit verses 45 minutes by car!

Yes, I do know about the cost of gas, car insurance and other wonderful ways to splurge hard earned money!

There are pro’s and con’s to both, of which I will not get into here!

In conclusion: if you drive by people waiting for the bus, please be considerate!  Do not chuckle at us, do not say “That poor blind man is waiting for the bus, oh turn up the heat, I’m freezing!” or do not splash us with rain water because you can!

Instead, please be mindful, wave and drive focused!  (A blind person cannot see you wave in your car, but it is the thought that counts!)

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Thank you and have a great day!