Driven to drink

I dreamed last night that I was at a cocktail party (that's how I knew it was as dream. I don't go to cocktail parties).

Anyway, I passed this couple who was talking about taking the car keys away from a father and how he would be happy because he would no longer have to deal with the stress of driving.

I wondered if I should talk to them, tell them that their dad won't feel relieved. He'll feel imprisoned. Unable to go anywhere unless he gets a ride, he'll feel dependent and child-like (and not the good kind of child-like with the wonder and whatnot). It'll just suck, I thought, but do not remember if I told them.

I think I was doing a little projecting on my own lack of driving. A friend was having a little happy hour get-together and if I could drive it would have been easier to go.

It was several blocks from the subway, and several caring people did not really think someone in a wheelchair should be walking in that area. I could have pointed out that I wouldn't be walking, I'd be rolling. HEE!

Plus, it rained all day and I didn't want to go for a stroll in the rain. Wet dog smell can't be real welcome in a bar.

Not that I was real sad. I really didn't want to go. It is so hard.

But I worry that if I don't do some things, people will stop asking me to and I will become homebound.

If I could drive, though, it would be so much easier.

And if I could drive, it would mean I didn't have Freidriech's fucking ataxia.

So this went on over night, and then I got on the ride to work, probably the worst one ever. Here is a copy of the complaint I sent, which I also sent to my elected officials:

Hi, I have reported several scheduling problems in the past regarding service, but today's was the worst. I was picked up on time about 7 for my regularly scheduled weekday trip from my home to my workplace half an hour away. We then drove half an hour in the opposite direction from where I was going to pick up another passenger. We then traveled even farther away from my destination to pick up a third passenger. About 8:15, we started to my destination. About 8:50, nearly two hours after I was picked up, we passed my home again on my way to my destination. I arrived at about 9:45, almost three hours after my trip started. My trip is a 30-minute commute. I expect it to be longer since you is a shared ride service, but not three hours. And while part of the lateness could be blamed on traffic conditions, my drop-off time was after 9, according to the manifest. In other words, you knew I'd be on the bus for two hours.

What was once good service has become increasingly shoddy as you cram more riders together, regardless of pickup times. On Tuesday, for instance, my driver had to make two pickups after mine that were within five minutes of my house. Great, you think. But not really, one of the other pickups was not until 8:15, so after being picked up at 7:25, and getting to the second pickup quickly. We waited.

I have had calls after past complaints saying you is looking into the problem, but the same scheduling problems continue. This is far from the "quality transportation services" mentioned in the customers' bill of rights. This just cannot continue. Please let me know what the issue is, why a 30-minute shared-ride trip is scheduled to take 2 hours, why we pick up clients who are nowhere near where I am going, or why we pick up clients who live near me but aren't scheduled for pickup until 45 minutes or an hour after me?

I still feel sick about my ride. I was two hours late to work and was all out of sorts pretty much all day.

My boss brings me hot water for tea every morning, and today was no different. I felt like asking him for something stronger than water.

Dad offered to drive me in tomorrow and Friday, but it is a long way for him and I would not ask him to do it regularly.

If only I could drive ...