l’azile

I know I have already written about the STM’s crappy service when it comes to Paratransit and I might be tempted to apologise to my handful of readers because really, this is not what I want this blog to be about. But yesterday was an all time record in corporate stupidity and utter lack of consideration for those of us who rely on this service to get around the city.

So, yesterday morning, I wait and wait for the gawd-damn taxi or minibus or whatever it was supposed to be to show up. After a half hour (which is the requisite time I am expected to wait before contacting them to ask “where is the transport?”), I call. After waiting on the line for about 10 minutes, I am told unceremoniously that my reservation has been cancelled. Just. Like. That.

Needless to say that I was quite pissed off. I mean, wtf?! But I did not have time to debate it with the woman on the phone nor to ask the reason for this decision as I was going to be late for a meeting. So I did the only thing I could do and called a taxi and high-tailed it to the office, arriving 10 minutes late for my meeting, pissed off and stressed out. Thankfully, the guy I was meeting with was really nice and understanding, not to mention hilarious, and we had a really fun and productive meeting so at least that was something.

Continue reading… foiled by the STM’s Paratransit service yet again

Today, when I called the STM Paratransit Service to make my reservations for the next three days, I was told unequivocally that I would not get any service tomorrow because Montréal is expecting a “big” snow storm and all transports have been cancelled (except for dialysis patients and long-standing medical appointments).

Indeed, unbeknownst to me (because I am usually pretty oblivious to small talk such as in “some weather we are having, eh?”), it seems that the southwest region of the province is expecting anywhere between 15 to 30 centimetres of snow by tomorrow (although, as of 21h50, I have yet to see my first snowflake). So today, as a preventive measure (for whom, I wonder), Paratransit refused all new reservations and has unceremoniously cancelled everyone, even people who are travelling to go to work or school. Just. Like. That.

Continue reading… white-out

As a wheelchair user, naturally I use the Montreal Paratransit Service of the Société de transport de Montréal to travel to and from places that are just too far to get to using my own power or that of my power wheelchair. I have been using this service for almost 20 years now and it has often been the bane of my existence, to the point that I have always tried to find apartments that were close to work and to all the goods and services that I am likely to need on a regular basis. Unfortunately, there are times when I need to use adapted transit services as I do not drive and after all, Montreal is a big place.

I often get remarks from non-disabled people concerning adapted transit that eloquently reflects how clueless people are regarding this service. Things like: “Oh, you are so lucky, you get door to door transportation, like a limo service” or “There may be a few hassles once in a while but at least it is free, right?” or “Ok, maybe you have to pay a fare like us but it is far below the real cost of the service you get”, etc., etc.

Continue reading… mini-buses trying to disguise themselves as surveillance vehicles