One Tuesday I get on the bus to find a lady sitting at the back of the bus with an open walker. Now what puzzled me was the bus was empty. All of the designated handicapped seats were available. What even puzzled me more was .. HOW THE HELL YOU GOT UP THERE? The fact you're using a walker tells me you are limited with your walking and balance hence you needing the walker. In order to get back there you had to go up two steps. How did you do it with the walker? My theory is .. if you can do all of that then you don't need a walker. I then began to wonder why did you think this was a good idea. There is limited space in the back and now all of it is used up with your walker. We already have to squeeze by and step over back packs, book bags, briefcases and feet from the kids/grown men who want to slouch in the seats. So because you're in denial of being handicapped we have to walk an obstacle course on the bus. Which leads me to another question.
I understand a person who is handicapped wanting to be treated like everyone else but lets face it .. some of you aren't. I know it's pride. I'v experienced the same thing with my grandfather. He doesn't want to use his walker when he goes outside. However he doesn't understand that the walker will prevent him from falling should one of his dizzy spells occur. I remember a lady who had difficulty waking was getting on the bus and misjudged the distance getting off the curb and fell. You could tell by the way she walked she needed either a cane or a walker. PEOPLE c'mon we have to do better ... God willing I will one day be there too. When that time comes, I'm gonna need one of you youngins to show me this post 😂. I too I will be in denial. Shoot I will probably try to roll my wheelchair to the back of bus to get to my favorite spot. But anywho ...
Soooo my friends and I were curious to see how she was going to get off the bus. Unfortunately they got off before her and it was left up to me to find out. When it was time for me to get off she folded the walker some asking if I had enough room to get by. Because I was raised right ... I smiled and said yes. Meanwhile I was having another conversation in my head. While standing up front waiting for my stop she gets up. Keep in mind the bus was moving, she had to push the walker and hold on. Now unless she was Grandma Houdini this wasn't going to work. Sometimes the bus is going so fast I can barely walk down the isle not to mention the jerking you do because the bus driver is hitting the breaks. Anyway .. because that alone is a #nycmta rant. Just when she got the walker to the first step, she stopped to hold on causing the walker to start rolling. I almost missed my stop looking to see how she was going to get down them steps. While she stood there holding on with one and trying to hold the walker, young man got up and put the walker down the steps for her. Instead of getting off she goes and sit in the single seat. Really? No seriously .. really? I was officially done! I so wanted to go over to her and ask her, "Why the hell you didn't sit in the front?" It truly would have been worth me missing my stop but I didn't only because my momma raised me right. All I could think was how I truly hoped it was a one time thing and she doesn't become a regular in the back of the bus. Me and my friends already has the back of the bus locked down. She needs to keep her tail up front. God forbid something happens and we have to get off the bus in a hurry .. we might just die trying to climb over her walker and/or helping her get off the bus from the back. Because she wanted to sit back there with a walker we had to rescue her. Should that happen I will forget how my momma raised me and channel my Kevin Hart while shouting, "You have to be a part of your own rescue!" from outside the bus. Just in case you couldn't picture it .. I'll give you the visual.
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| Walker in the back! |
Until next time .. Be safe and save time by having your Metro card in your hand before boarding ..
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