I WAS on time.
At the appointed time of 7:41, I was seated at the dining room table in my apartment, the blinds of the large window open so I can clearly see the street. If the vehicle pulls up to the step near the staircase, I can see them. If the vehicle pulls up to the walkway next to the disabled parking sign, I can see them. I have an unobstructed view from inside my apartment. Metro wants me standing on the curb, in any manner of weather - hot, cold, windy, rainy, etc. But there's no need for me to stand in the elements (emphasis on STAND and ELEMENTS), sometimes for as long as thirty minutes, when I can sit inside and wait. I have five minutes to board when they arrive. It does not take me five minutes to gather what I'm taking with me, close the blinds, turn off the lights, and lock the door.
Okay, full disclosure. I was in my seat at 7:43. I checked the street slightly before 7:40, then I went to the restroom one more time. But even at 7:43, I was still within my five minute window. There was no vehicle waiting outside.
The minutes ticked by. This situation occurred last Thursday, so I don't remember exactly what I did during those thirty minutes. I'm sure I was looking at my phone - scrolling through Facebook, checking my e-mail, maybe even buying something on Amazon. But I know I looked outside frequently. There is absolutely no way that I let five minutes pass without looking up from my phone and viewing the street.
The clock said 8:11. My ride window had officially closed. Time to call and find out the scoop. I figured they would tell me the driver was running late. Scheduling problems. Traffic. Maybe a problem with a vehicle. Or it was a new driver learning the ropes - someone who had never been to my apartment and was searching for my building.
Nope.
I heard the dreaded words.
I had been no-showed.
The driver had arrived, waited the standard five minutes (allegedly), then left without attempting to locate me.
The dispatcher gave it to me straight. It was a weekday morning. Schedules are always tight. They had no other vehicle available to pick me up. I was on my own to find transportation to my doctor appointment.
I was due there in an hour.
When a driver no-shows a passenger, they must provide the dispatcher with three visual cues in the area, as a way to show that they are in the right place. The dispatcher told me the three items that the driver communicated to him: staircase, orange building, carports. The last word should have immediately caused me to say, "The driver was in the wrong place!" Because my building is not next to carports. It is next to a set of garages. But in my frustration and anxiety over my looming appointment, I didn't listen close enough to what the dispatcher was telling me. I didn't have time. I had to find a way to the doctor.
Thank goodness I now have a more reliable and quicker back-up plan than a cab. I picked up my phone, opened one of my TNC (transportation network company aka ride share) apps, typed in my destination address, and hit the "confirm ride" button. In less than five minutes, I was in a vehicle, and less than thirty minutes after that, I was at my doctor's office. My driver was pleasant, helpful (opened the car door for me), and drove safely and patiently. I feel very fortunate that as a non-visually impaired disabled person who rarely needs a mobility device, I have no trouble using a ride-share. I can access the app and I don't need a specialized vehicle. The ride share was cheaper than a cab, arrived quicker, and the driver was nicer than many (but not all) cab drivers.
The downside, of course, was that the ride cost money. If Metro had not failed me, I would have been able to use my monthly pass to travel. I also wouldn't have had to scramble to find transportation.
There are three places ways to enter and exit my apartment building. Two are on one side of the street; the other is around the corner. I can't be in three places at once. If I was waiting on the curb, I could see one of the other entrances, but not both. So even if I was waiting outside, there is still a possibility I could get no-showed.
In the end, I got where I needed to go, and I wasn't late. Which is
great. But I still think the "curb to curb" level of para-transit
service that I receive results in extra stress for me and often
confusion and frustration for the drivers. Wouldn't it be easier for the
driver to get out of the vehicle and check the apartment numbers,
rather than having to sit and wait for five minutes and then go
through the no-show process?
I can call and argue against a no-show, and I plan to do that today. I will not be compensated for the cost of the ride share. But the service keeps track of no-shows, and if you accrue a certain number (a percentage based on how often you ride), you can be suspended from the service for a few days. Habitual no-shows can result in permanent suspension. Always, the burden of proof is on the passenger. It will be my word against the driver's. And if I tell them I was not waiting at the curb, that will likely be enough ammunition to make the no-show stand.
librarianintx
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