The Get Bus

How I felt at the time.
 

The Golden Empire Transit (GET) has over the past ten years has accommodated people who use wheelchairs. They have put lifts on there buses and made places for wheelchairs to park and be secure by using tie downs and lap belts. Although, there is more to just putting someone on a bus, it takes patients and compassion from the drivers, riders and of course the person who is in the chair. In my opinion, GET has come along way from when I first began riding. I have had Cerebral Palsy since birth, I have used a electric wheelchair for most of my life. Once I got old enough to go places on my own, I started ridding the bus. At first, it was very difficult for me to want to ride the city bus because I was not use to getting myself on a bus. I had ridden it before but I stopped for a while and began to ride the bus for the disabled because of the comfort of picking me up at my residents. Also I think because of some experiences that I had in the past. For an example, when I would be sitting on the bus and some people behind me would be thinking that I could not hear them talking, they would say. “Oh that poor girl should not be on her own, she should have someone with her.” There had also been times I have been waiting for the bus, and people would say things not realizing or thinking that I may not understand what they are saying. The famous phase is, “she should not be by herself,” and staring. I do think that some people, especially teenagers and young adults get impatient when the drivers let the wheelchairs on first. What they do not seem to realize is that it is easier to load the chair first and get it settled in and put on the tie downs before they let people on board. The first few times, I did ride with a friend until I was comfortable enough to ride by myself. It was not easy at first, but when I got use riding the bus and learned the routes, I felt more at ease. It was not easy for the drivers either. I would imagine it was because out a lack of knowledge of not knowing how to treat the disabled. It maybe because of not be around people with a disability until they began making the buses accessible, but over time it has become easier. I feel the reason for this is because of the drivers have become more understanding and have made riding the bus more comfortable, specially when I ride the same routes on regular bases. The drivers get to know me and know how I am able to work my chair. Some of them even recognize when I have a bad day and will tell me that there is no hurry when I know they are running late. It has remarkably change the way I feel about riding the bus. Now I ride GET everywhere I need to go. I still get a little nervous when I do not know a driver, only because I feel a little afraid of what they might think. If I let that stop me every time I felt that way, I would never leave my house.