Customer Care

July 17, 2015

Uber and St. Louis are going round and round about the requirements for licensing UberX drivers. Fingerprinting and drug testing are two of the bones of contention.

I don’t have a stake in the matter, but I will say that I would think twice about getting a ride from someone representing a company which argues that:

 “...every ride is a drug test for an UberX driver because passengers can immediately report suspicious drivers through the app.” *

When? As they’re careening through the streets? As they’re going the wrong way on the entrance/exit ramp? Is it also the customer’s responsibility to fling open the door and dive out of the car should the situation call for it?

I think I’ll stick with traditional modes of transportation for a while.

*The quotation is from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, not directly from Uber.

The Human Touch (Or, The Downside of Owning A Car)

July 15, 2015

I used to find my way around strange cities fairly well, without worrying too much about it. In latter years, though, I’ve been quite timid about even trying.

I finally realized that the reason I was able to find my way around so many cities without freaking out was that, when you take public transportation, you can always ask people for help. It’s harder to do when you’re driving.

Mystery solved.

I Hope He Hits The Big Time

July 15, 2015

My sister I went to an outdoor market last week. She’s on crutches, and we had to walk pretty far, so she got tired. A nice artist let her use one of his chairs while I strolled around the market, so I bought one of his pictures in return.

He was going to give me the 2^nd one in the series, in case he ever hit it big and I wanted to cash in; but when we couldn’t come up with the full asking price (it was cash only), he lowered the price, but raised the series number.

I still hope he makes it big; and also that when he does, I’ll remember his name so I can make my fortune.

How Do They Do That? (Part 2)

June 2008

I went to an event in downtown Boise, and had to park pretty far away. As I approached the event venue, I saw a beautifully dressed woman whip her nice car into the only parking space available in several blocks, and I wondered,

How do you GET that kind of karma?

How Do They Do That? (Part 1)

June 29, 2015

Yesterday at a Folk Festival I saw lots of pretty dresses for sale that I could only dream of wearing. Then, looking around me, I envied all the women who wear what they want to without worrying about how they look.

If the mantra for real estate is “Location, location, location,” the mantra for fashion is “Attitude, attitude, attitude.” Even women in unflattering clothes look good if they have the right attitude.

(Well, most of the time. I distinctly remember one co-worker...However.)

I was especially fascinated by the woman who wore snow-white capris, and didn’t even hesitate to sit on the dirty picnic table bench. I can’t even wear white to church without getting messy, let alone on a picnic. Amazing.

Just One Tiny Adjustment

June 27, 2015

I wonder how expensive it would be for the Muny in St. Louis to move every other row of seating so that the rows are staggered, instead of having all the seats lined up directly behind those of the row in front of you.

Or if there’s a way I could immobilize the head and torso of the woman who sits in front of me so I wouldn’t have to get seasick from her constant weaving to and fro.

Just a thought.

Define "Accessible"

July 12, 2015

From the “Maybe They Didn’t Think It Through” Department:

Some things you might encounter when you’re temporarily or permanently disabled:

Doors.

Entry Doors that say they open automatically when you push the button, but with no button apparent.

You finally track down the button, hidden behind a large concrete planter which contains a tall plant. In order to push said button you either have to be able to balance on one leg and a crutch while you use the other crutch to push the button; or wend your way around the planter, push the button, and hobble back to the door before it closes. But keep out of the way, because the door opens out.

I was hoping to get a video of this process to post on YouTube, but didn’t.

Bathroom doors. Heavy bathroom doors, that don't open automatically, and open out. Try doing that on crutches!

Bathroom Stalls. Why is the toilet paper so far away from the toilet in the Handicapped stall?

Once you’ve reached the hand-washing stage, you realize that the paper towels are across the room, near the door; so in order to get there, you have to put your wet hands on the rubber crutch pads, and hope you can hold on well enough to get to the towels without incident.

  

And guess what? This is at the DOCTOR’S OFFICE!

Electric Carts (or the lack thereof)

Enter a store, hoping to score a cart, but the carts are all stored at the OTHER entrance. Huh. I guess it’s a crap shoot: If you go in the wrong entrance, you’re out of luck. If you’re lucky, the employees at the store may get one for you.

At some stores the employees may give you vacant looks and not offer to go get a cart, or even tell you where they are.

The carts are really too small to hold the crutches, but by the third outing you may be able to figure out how to hold them and still maneuver. But backing up and taking corners are tricky propositions.

Have fun!