My journey through the magical land of bureaucracy with the beloved Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) continues.  I called in (again) to try and see why my complaint had not be responded to (again) and told that the “Superintendent” would call me back (again).  I was also told that this person’s (not sure of their name or sex or any details beyond their title) information was not “public record.” 

About an hour after that conversation the Superintendent, whose name is Eunice Rhodes, called me back and we had an interesting discussion where I learned that she didn’t really know a lot.  She started off for apologizing for the the lack of communication but couldn’t tell me why it had taken almost two months to get back with me (in five days after this post it would have been two months since the initial complaint).  This was frustrating, but I plugged along, attempting to get answers to some of my other concerns.  She proceeded to let me know that the driver had been brought in and informed that if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk they are definitely to stop and not speed up to turn in front of them. we then had this conversation:

“so, the bus didn’t hit you, it just hit your cane, correct?”

“that is the exact same thing as hitting me”

“I understand that, in your view, it’s the same thing, but it didn’t actually hit you.”

“Yes, it did. It hit my cane and came about 6 inches from my face. If I had been walking faster he would have hit me head on, if I hadn’t stopped he would have side swiped me fully.”

She refused to accept that the driver hit me, implying throughout that the driver’s version of the story (the lie where I wasn’t even in the street to begin with) was more accurate.  I let her know that it was of the utmost importance that she and the drivers understand that hitting my cane is the same as hitting me.  I asked if the driver hit a wheelchair if it would be considered the same as hitting the person and she said that was different.  

Near the end of our conversation I asked when the driver had been brought in for this “conversation.” She sputtered a bit and rephrased my question “you want to know when he was brought in?,” she asked. “Yes, I would love to know when this conversation took place,” I responded.  I hear her talking to someone in the room and hear a confirmation of 11/29 (which would have been a month and a half after my initial complaint) from both the other person and Superintendent repeating that date, she then focuses back on me and tells me that she doesn’t have that date, but he was definitely brought in.  She kept reassuring me that they took this complaint seriously and the complaint would say in the driver’s file.  

After I advocated for education for both the Superintendent, her staff and all the drivers I tried to bring home the point that it was important that she and the drivers understood the meaning of hitting a cane or other implement for navigating the world. I use the cane to better control and operate in my environment, hitting that device with a large vehicle is frighting and jarring and to be dismissed so casually is insulting.  I don’t feel that she actually accepted or understood my plea, but it felt necessary to vocalize that feeling.

So, to sum up the Superintendent knows: the driver was brought in and told not to hit pedestrians in the crosswalk.  

The Superintendent does not know: why she didn’t return to previous requests to call me, why it took almost two months for a resolution, when the driver was brought it, why hitting my cane is the same as hitting me and why the customer service agent couldn’t give me her extension.  

I’m not sure where to go from here.  Obviously education need to happen at all levels of MARTA.  The lack of understanding about the meaning of mobility devices as they relate to their users, the lack of communication and the lack of documentation of their procedures is disturbing.  What should I do? Leave it here and be satisfied that I finally heard back and voiced my concerns? Lodge a complaint against the Superintendent for blowing me off for two months (I wonder how that would go)

This is my (Danny, the Social Media/I&R Coordinator for disABILITY LINK) experience recently with dealing with Marta (Atlanta’s mass transit service).  Please feel free to share and send feedback to me (dhousley@disABILITYLINK.org)

Here is an unfortunate tale (that is still unfolding) of Atlanta’s mass transit provider: Marta.  I am visually impaired and use a cane, this is really the only background information you need, and honestly that knowledge isn’t that necessary.  So, in October I chose to walk to the Target around the corner from where I live.  Upon crossing the street (where I was in the crosswalk with the walk signal on) I hear a bus speed up, the next thing I know my cane is knocked to the side and a bus goes whizzing by my face.  Fortunately I stopped walking or the bus would have hit me bodily and sent me flying backwards, or, had I been walking faster, the bus would have hit me head on.  In my view, and that of my coworkers, the bus hit me. After all, the bus hit my cane (quite hard), which is an extension of me.  To make matter worse, the bus driver didn’t even stop to make sure I was okay; he just took off up the street.  Fortunately for me there was traffic and red light to catch him, I ran to snap pictures to get the bus ID number so I would have some way of accurately reporting the incident.  

This incident took place at 5:50 in the evening so the customer service office was closed.  I took my notes down and decided to give them a call the following morning.  I had a pretty good experience with relaying my situation to the agent, right up until the end.  I informed her I was visually impaired, I use a cane and that the bus actually sped up to turn left in front of me.  And then this exchange took place.  

“Was it a man or a woman driving the bus?” the agent asks.

“I think it was a man, I couldn’t really make it out.”

“What makes you think that, sir?”

“The outline looked like a man, I couldn’t really tell any other details.”

“I thought you said you were blind.”

I was shocked that she would say something like that. It makes the interaction beforehand seem like a set up.  I informed her that I was not in the mood to discuss the meaning of blindness with her and wanted to finish this report.  She told me that someone would be in contact with me regarding this matter in seven to ten business days.  

Cut to about three weeks later: I still haven’t heard from Marta regarding this situation and decide to follow up on my own.  So I call customer service, give them the reference number for the complaint and ask what is being done about it.  This call took place on November 8th, I spoke with the same woman I filed the initial complaint with, she informed me that it had been sent to the Superintendent’s office and that she was going to put me on hold and call over there, after a few minutes she said she left a message and would have to get back to me later that afternoon, I agreed to this and hung up.  The problem is: she never called.  So, the next day I call back talk to a gentleman who leaves a message with the initial woman, who calls me back that afternoon and leaves a message saying she’s still waiting on the Superintendent to call her back.  So I decide to wait on a response.  

On November 18th I decide to follow up with customer service yet again.  I speak with a customer service agent who tells me that there is still no word on my initial complaint (which he stated was sent to the superintendent on the 11th of November) and asks if I had filled out a complaint with the risk management office since the bus hit me.  I said that nobody had informed me of that option before this, I also requested a copy of my initial report, since that was also never offered.  The agent tells me I have to actually come to the physical building to pick that up; which worked out fine since I was only working half a day that day and I live beside the headquarters building.  After filing my report with risk management I go to the Marta headquarters building at Lindbergh Center.  

Little did I know what mess into which I was about to wade.  I go to the front desk and was directed to a public phone that would direct me to customer service where they would bring the report down.  After waiting for ten minutes on the phone I was told by a customer service representative that they couldn’t print that out today and I would have to go through legal.  I was then transferred to legal where I was told it would take 3-5 days to print something out that could easily be pulled up on a computer, a statement that I had given.  While waiting on the person from legal to come down I spoke with the ADA Coordinator for Marta, who happened to be in the lobby at the time.  She had now taken my information and will supposedly get back with me.  So I wait.  

On Tuesday of the following week I receive an e-mail with the report I filed. It was after looking at this report that I recalled the customer service person telling me that my complaint had been sent to the superintendent on the 11th of November, when I called on the 8th (3 days earlier) the woman claimed to have called and left a message regarding this report, how could she have left a message when it hadn’t yet been sent.  

Marta has handled, and continues to handle this situation horribly.  I feel as if they are trying to give me the run around so that I just drop the matter and walk away.  I don’t think they are handling the situation with the seriousness that it deserves.  Am I being paranoid? Do you see any alternatives for action? Have you had a similar experience?