Why Won't You Give Up Your Seat on the Bus?

[Carrie Ellis]

I first hand know some people abuse handicap parking. My uncle, for one, was driving my grandparent's car and utilizing the handicap sticker or mirror thing to his advantage. To this day we don't know if he still used it after they passed away. I would not doubt it.

 

[ducklite]

Ducklite to answer you again reread my ythread I said I would wait for another bus if it wasn't going to be 30 mins and would still stand . So where is the wnts and needs coming in and as for the handicapped thing you obviuosly don't look very hard or you would see exactly what I mean Of course I know not all handicaps are clearly visible but the lack of anyhandicap is often very clear.; and as a truly disabled person you too should be outraged not flaming me for defending your rights. I thank God that at 60 I don't need a handicapped sticker and can and will stand on a bus.

I never said anything about a disabled person.

I don't consider myself disabled. I have a chronic medical condition, but it's certainly not a disability. Does it affect my life sometimes, yes. But it's not a disability.

Anne

 

[english rose 47]

Thank you Carrie Ellis This is exactly what I mean. I frequently drive vehicles that have tags in them but NEVER use it if I don"t have a "handicaopped person with me and they are called handiacapped tags not medically challenged or whatever I too hav eDX Arthritis but not bad enough to warrant any tagand I believe excercise can help. These same people who misuse tages would never give up there seat!

 

[mousermerf]

Why can't we all just insist that standing is unsafe all-around and Disney shouldn't load up buses so that people have to stand, but rather found some other solution.. like more buses, or heck, expand the monorail.

 

[ducklite]

Why can't we all just insist that standing is unsafe all-around and Disney shouldn't load up buses so that people have to stand, but rather found some other solution.. like more buses, or heck, expand the monorail.

Simple, they can't hire enough drivers, and the monorail is far too costly to expand. Frankly the monorail is NOT the most efficient for of transportation. They don't hold all that many people, and they tend to have mechanical problems more than any other form of transit that WDW offers. The ROI is just not there. If they were to expand the monorail you could expect to see park ticket prices double. And obviously that's not going to happen.

Frankly I don't see standing on buses as unsafe. Millions of people do so on commuter buses everyday without incident.

Anne

 

[goofy4tink]

Exactly what Anne said. Disney can't get enough drivers to drive the buses they have now. Standing in buses is not all that unsafe, for heavens sake. We need to realize that each person is going to have their own set of personal 'rules' that they live by. All we can hope for is that there are enough able bodied people who are predisposed to giving up seats to someone else (for whatever reason) on each bus. You can make rules about courtesy, you can't mandate this kind of thing.
But, again, I'm still curious as to why the seating on the buses has changed in the past several years. The buses used to have rows of double seating, on each side of the aisle, with some along the side of the bus that faced each other,with spots for wheelchairs, ecvs. But, for the most part the seating was in rows. Does anyone know why the change? It was much easier standing on those buses. Sure, perhaps the new buses have more standing room, but with this type of 'open' space, there are rows of people, three deep, that are standing...not very well balanced if you ask me. At least with the old buses, if you were standing, you weren't stepping on people's feet, you were facing someone's less than attractive areas dead on...there were many more handholds to grab.
Wish those buses were back, but maybe they all died a natural death.

 

[4formickey]

Exactly what Anne said. Disney can't get enough drivers to drive the buses they have now. Standing in buses is not all that unsafe, for heavens sake.
But, again, I'm still curious as to why the seating on the buses has changed in the past several years. The buses used to have rows of double seating, on each side of the aisle, with some along the side of the bus that faced each other,with spots for wheelchairs, ecvs. But, for the most part the seating was in rows. Does anyone know why the change? It was much easier standing on those buses. Sure, perhaps the new buses have more standing room, but with this type of 'open' space, there are rows of people, three deep, that are standing...not very well balanced if you ask me. At least with the old buses, if you were standing, you weren't stepping on people's feet, you were facing someone's less than attractive areas dead on...there were many more handholds to grab.
Wish those buses were back, but maybe they all died a natural death.

As times change so does design. over the years buses have been updated and made more user friendly.Disney lease their buses but they are the same ones that you will find in any city. We have the same buses in chicago and the story is never ending. More people are not hired to drive the buses for several reasons. Two of the big things are passing background checks and drug testing. The DOT have guidlines on what type of driving background you must have. People can not meet these guidelines.We had about 50 people to start the hiring process but on a handful made it pass the drug stage. Have anyone seen the test for your cdl driving permit. Do you understand the federal guidelines that we fall under even when we drive our personal cars.A person with a commerical permit is held accountable 24 hrs a day seven day a week no matter what they are driving. The job is not easy.

 

[dtuleya]

DH and I were in San Francisco (Chinatown specifically) when some elderly Chinese women got on the bus with some bags. My DH and I gave up the seats and gladly stood. The lady who took my seat put her bags at my feet. As we went up one of SF's many, many steep heels her bag started to slide so I stood with my feet around it in a "V" shape. All of the sudden the plastic bag started move and shake. I about jumped through the roof of the bus. I must have looked like I saw a ghost because all three Chinese ladies started laughing at me and one said in very broken English "that a fish". Apparently her dinner was still very fresh. It must have been as long as my forearm! I thought I was going to have a heart attack!

I hadn't thought about it in awhile but this thread made me think of it again. Thought I'd share and lighten things up a little. Back to the show....

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

But, again, I'm still curious as to why the seating on the buses has changed in the past several years. The buses used to have rows of double seating, on each side of the aisle, with some along the side of the bus that faced each other,with spots for wheelchairs, ecvs. But, for the most part the seating was in rows. Does anyone know why the change?

With low-floor buses, it's virtually impossible to have the ramp be in the rear door, and have forward facing seats. Having the perimiter seats allows for the easy access for those using mobility devices. It also allows for much easier access for those with extra-large strollers.

Most public transit buses have the ramp be in the front door. Disney opted to put it in the rear door, as it provides easier manueverability (sp?) for those using electric wheelchairs or scooters.

 

[goofy4tink]

With low-floor buses, it's virtually impossible to have the ramp be in the rear door, and have forward facing seats. Having the perimiter seats allows for the easy access for those using mobility devices. It also allows for much easier access for those with extra-large strollers.

Most public transit buses have the ramp be in the front door. Disney opted to put it in the rear door, as it provides easier manueverability (sp?) for those using electric wheelchairs or scooters.

Ahhh, thanks Tyler. Knew you could enlighten us. Do the low-floor buses carry the same number of passengers as the old style? Just curious. It could be an optical illusion but I got the feeling the older buses, with that side by side seating actually held more, with safer standing capacity (more seats to hold onto).

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

The low-floors hold the same, if not more.

By the way... the seating that Disney has, versus the forward facing style that you talk about... Disney buses seat 35, versus 39 with the forward facing seats. So really, you're losing 4 seats, but gaining quite a bit of extra room.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks Tyler....that was something that has bugged me for awhile.It's good to finally have the answer. Now I can obsess over something completely new!!!

 

[MomofCKJ]

So many posts, I have not read them all. I would give up my seat for someone who was disabled, holding a very small child, etc. I will be travelling with my DH and my 3 kids and I know he would do the same. My 6 year old is an absolute waif and I hope she doesn't have to stand, I would rather seat her on my lap. If she stood I would be afraid she'd go flying and get hurt. Same for my 4 year old. So if we choose to wait for the next bus in order to get seats for ourselves (3 seats, the 6y and 4y can sit on laps) does that make us bad people for not giving up those seats that we opted to wait for? I just feel like this is one of those topics you can around and around on.

Allyson

 

[maxiesmom]

What I'm taking from all of this is that no matter what you do, there may be someone who thinks you are being inconsiderate. So do what is best for your family first. If you wait for a bus so your kids can have a seat, it is yours. Ignore the judgemental looks you may get.

 

[M 'n C]

I usually give up my seat if I see someone who needs it more than I. I will also say that sometimes you don't have a choice to wait for another bus because the one time I stayed at CB I was staying in the area with the last stop and usually the bus would be full and pass me and my family up or we'd have no choice but to board and stand as kids because you never knew when the next bus would come and whether it would stop or not. Not sure if that is the way it goes there or not any more but that has been my experience with the whole wait for the next bus advice.

 

[Disneyhappy]

I have not read this whole thread so I apologize if someone already posted this. I just returned from from a business trip in Chicago and noticed a sign on the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) train that said " Please Stand Up for Seniors & People with Disabilities ----- Chicago CTA - Federal Law Requires Priority Seating Be Designated for Seniors & People With Disabilities". There were also several announcements through out the ride advising passengers to give up their seats for the "elderly and people with disabilities." Although I did not ride the CRA buses, I was also told these signs are posted in the buses

I am in no way stating that people who do not give up their seats on Disney transportationare breaking the law. I have no idea if the Federal Law applies to Disney. It may only apply to federally funded transportation systems. The only point I would like to make is that I felt sad that the Federal government had to impose a law to enforce what used to be and should be a common courtesy.

 

[ducklite]

I have not read this whole thread so I apologize if someone already posted this. I just returned from from a business trip in Chicago and noticed a sign on the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) train that said " Please Stand Up for Seniors & People with Disabilities ----- Chicago CTA - Federal Law Requires Priority Seating Be Designated for Seniors & People With Disabilities". There were also several announcements through out the ride advising passengers to give up their seats for the "elderly and people with disabilities." Although I did not ride the CRA buses, I was also told these signs are posted in the buses

I am in no way stating that people who do not give up their seats on Disney transportationare breaking the law. I have no idea if the Federal Law applies to Disney. It may only apply to federally funded transportation systems. The only point I would like to make is that I felt sad that the Federal government had to impose a law to enforce what used to be and should be a common courtesy.

I think there's a difference between an obviously frail senior who has been in a wheelchair or ECV all day in a park and the spry 68 year old who played 36 holes then spent three hours riding Space Mountain. That's why I don't like generalizations like that. The word "disability" is also a broad stroke. My son is legally disabled--eligible for SSDI although not currently receiving it and hopefully never will need to. But he's certainly not at all mobility impaired, and would offer his seat to a frail senior without being prompted.

Anne

 

[DaisyD]

If we have waited for a bus to only find it full then we wait for the next one. When we do this then we do not offer our seats. I feel that you can always wait for another bus, as we have, to assure yourself a seat. I've done this for years even with little babies. Now if there are enough seats on the first bus and we get on and I find I really don't need to sit then I will give it up to someone that looks exhausted and needs a seat. That could be a parent with a small child or an elderly person.

 

[CleveRocks]

I have not read this whole thread so I apologize if someone already posted this. I just returned from from a business trip in Chicago and noticed a sign on the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) train that said " Please Stand Up for Seniors & People with Disabilities ----- Chicago CTA - Federal Law Requires Priority Seating Be Designated for Seniors & People With Disabilities". There were also several announcements through out the ride advising passengers to give up their seats for the "elderly and people with disabilities." Although I did not ride the CRA buses, I was also told these signs are posted in the buses

I am in no way stating that people who do not give up their seats on Disney transportationare breaking the law. I have no idea if the Federal Law applies to Disney. It may only apply to federally funded transportation systems. The only point I would like to make is that I felt sad that the Federal government had to impose a law to enforce what used to be and should be a common courtesy.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 does not and cannot address what individuals must do, it only addresses what employers and providers of public accomodations must do. In other words, there's no federal law saying that you or I must get up and give our seat to an individual with a disability or an individual of advanced years.

The ADA is a complex law and is easily misunderstood. it does NOT give preferential treatment to individuals with disabilities. Rather, it attempts to remove the barriers caused by an individual's disabilities. For example, the spirit of the law is that someone who uses a wheelchair shouldn't have to wait for 4 buses in order to get lucky and find the one out of four that has a wheelchair lift. The reasoning behind this is that those of us without disabilities don't have to wait for a rare bus, so neither should someone with a disability. I may not be explaining this well enough, but the purpose of the ADA is to create a level playing field, not a playing field tipped to the advantage of people with disabilities.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

I guess I am going to get flamed here but why, if we are all equal, does a person in a wheel chair get to go to the front of the line? I can understand having the equipment and accessability so that we can all be treated the same but??? Now I can totally understand the people who have special passes because they have a terminal illness or something just as grave; that does not allow them to stand in line for lengths at a time. They deserve to be treated special because they have been through so much. We have a friend who lost his legs at 3 and is too heavy to have "legs". He is healthy (except he is overweight). Where ever he goes he shoots to the front of the line, amusement parks, historical tours, etc...