MUSKEGON, Mich. -- Cindy Clark is fed up with the Muskegon Area Transit System for quite some time now. She claims some bus drivers aren’t following Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. She even goes so far to say that their reluctance to deploy the ramp on the bus is partly to blame for a debilitating injury she suffered a few months ago.
“They always seem to be in such a hurry and are rude and nasty to act like [deploying the ramp] was an imposition, when all they do is push a button,” said Clark. “According to ADA rules, if a passenger asks you to deploy the ramp, you are supposed to do it,” said Clark.
Clark, 53, has been a consistent bus rider for almost 10 years, but she says lately the bus is becoming less reliable and it's uncomfortable for her to get on and off the bus with her walker.
Taking the bus is her only option. “It’s the only place I can get to where I need to go, and I gave up driving because car insurance is just too crazy expensive,” said Clark.
Knee trouble has Clark using a walker, and she says MATS drivers aren’t always happy to accommodate her needs. “About four of the drivers will deploy the ramp when you ask them. The rest will make excuses like 'You don’t need it’ or have the other passengers help us, which is fine, but it’s not their job."
An incident-in last September prompted Clark to call FOX 17 Problem Solvers. She says she got off at a stop at the intersection of Hartford Avenue and Terrace Street, where there is a severe dip in the sidewalk. Clark's feet were on the ground when she lost balance, but her hands were still holding onto the handles on the bus. “I fell and broke my shoulder in three places," she said. "The only thing the driver said to me was, 'If you weren’t so close to my tires, I could go on with my route.'"
Clark is still going through physical therapy and coping with medical bills, and all of it could could have been prevented, she believes.
FOX 17 News reached out to MATS for comment about their ramp policies and about Clark’s specific case. They sent us this statement:
“Thank you for contacting me regarding our policies for the deployment of vehicle wheelchair ramps for passengers. It is the policy and practice of the Muskegon Area Transit System to deploy the vehicle’s wheelchair ramp upon request of the passenger whenever the vehicle is located at a stop where ramp deployment can be done safely. Our drivers are instructed in this policy and expected to provide this required customer service. The Muskegon Area Transit System welcomes customer feedback and addresses concerns or shortcomings of the system as they are brought to our attention. Remedies to customer service shortcomings typically include employee counseling and training, but can involve disciplinary action where warranted.
I regret that I am unable to discuss with you the individual customer event that you have brought forward, as it involves an open insurance claim.”
FOX 17 News rode the bus with Clark and observed at several bus stops. We found that the majority of drivers on that specific day deployed the ramp when asked and parked close to the sidewalks to make it easier for riders to exit.
“Some of the drivers will deploy a ramp anytime we ask them to without question, and there is a couple others that do,” said Clark. "Others will park two or three feet from the curb, and I have to pick the walker up, and I got to jump over the curb -- do like a pole vault -- just to not fall down and take a header."
If you are disabled and have issues with a transit system, you can file a complaint with the Federal Transit Administration.
