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3:44pm 1/15/98
The Scalamobil is a flop!
The Scalamobil didn't work! Syndy is right, Greyhound is working harder to keep lifts off the buses than it would be to put the lifts on.
Dawn filed a complaint in Federal District Court against Greyhound. Read the News Release about how Greyhound does not respect civil rights. But the big event was what happened at the top of the steps of the brand new Greyhound bus.
The manager proudly introduced a Scalamobil. He was sure that this gizmo would solve all the problems for people with disabilities. It was a handcart or dolly with a vinyl seat and a powered set of stair climbing wheels.
Dawn rode the thing with the manager pulling to the top of the steps. Four amazed Greyhound drivers (although according to Greyhound they are fully trained) looking on. One of the drivers commented: "Do you think it will work?"
At the top of the steps everyone learned that the answer to that question is NO. The Scalamobil will not fit down the isle of the bus. The Scalamobil could only make the driver's seat accessible to Dawn (and we know the enormous threat to public health and safety that would be).
So after listening to all the Greyhound rhetoric, we actually had a chance to see that they are completely untrained and insensitive. Give us a lift Greyhound!
Tim Wheat
Memphis Center for Independent Living
The Memphis Center for Independent Living
1633 Madison Avenue,
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 726-6404 v/tty (901) 726-6521 fax
mcil@mcil.org
MCIL is a United Way of the Mid-South member Agency
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