Submitted by Muni rider CAK
Was riding an 8:45 Richmond BART train this morning with my partner, who is disabled. He is a white cane user (read: blind) and it’s pretty obvious that he can’t see. This morning in particular, the train was crowded and a gentleman carrying a large boombox cut in front of us in line (at 24th Street) and then decided to stop right in the middle of the door pathway. While it was standing room only, there was still plenty of room to fill in between aisles. I said, “excuse me, sir,” to which he retorted, “excuse you, it’s crowded” and i proceeded to guide my boyfriend around him and his boombox without remark. This was annoying. What was more annoying that my boyfriend, whose commute goes through the East Bay while mine ends in the FiDi, was not offered a seat by any of the young and able bodied kids sitting in the senior/disabled seating. Eventually, after Civic Center, an elderly woman gave up her seat for him.
I am just curious, do people particularly not give up their seat for him because they see that he has a companion? If so, I think this is strange. People pretend not to see him. It’s awkward, really. Once he told me that he was taking BART alone (which he does daily) and he heard someone say–as if he cannot hear–”…such a shame. they really shouldn’t let people like him ride alone”.
Lessons learned? Well, you tell me.
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Arg. People are jerks. I saw a man with a baby (carried in front papoose thingy) standing today and no one offered a seat. I honestly think it’s because he was a man.
I think maybe the lesson is that, yeah, it’s life in the big city and you’ve gotta be tough.
That, or you’re gonna go crazy. I mean, punk kids aren’t reading “Muni Manners”.
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For those who don’t know, there’s a great site called People Who Deserve It. Anyway, people who don’t move back when there’s plenty of room and the bus or train is clearly filling up belong on that site, and in jail. Stop it right now. And move the hell back!
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i work with two people who are also white cane users and initially i have to admit i was a little awkward – when i see them approach in the hallway, i don’t know if i should let them know that i’m walking toward them or just step out of the way. And a bunch of other things like that. But i think giving your seat to the blind is a no-brainer, though. Too bad people are so rude.
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A tip from my BF: Always let them know you’re there. Or at least keep talking. She hates it when people suddenly go silent because it actually makes it much harder to navigate around them. A clearing of the throat or well-intentioned cough will work. Thanks for being a great community, Munidiaries friends.
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