In an Email to OCTA Customer Relations, a Fellow MS Traveller wrote:

04/23/2208

Customer Relations,

I am writing this letter to make you aware of a problem that I had. I experienced the problem this morning on Route 37, south bound leaving 1st and Euclid, at 10:24am, the bus number was 5520.

After I boarded the bus on my scooter, the coach operator put a restrain belt across the back of my scooter only. Not straps securing the armrests, which is normal. No front strap was attached to the tiller, or front control mast, which is also normal.

At about 10:35am the bus came to a very sudden stop. My scooter, with me in it, rolled forward, and tipped. My scooter is a 3 wheeler and the one restraint belt, which the driver had put across the back, did not restrain the scooter. The scooter and I were partially tipped over sideways.

I had to wait until the driver stopped to be righted back into a correct, safe position. Another passenger had to come over to help put me back into an “all wheels on the floor” position. Then, after the coach stopped at the next stop, the driver came back and finally secured my scooter properly.

Being thrown forward and hanging in midair, was not the type of ride I expected on this day.

Coach operators need to secure scooters and or wheelchairs properly with a 3-point method that will ensure their user’s safety.

Please help us with this, we can not do this for ourselves.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter,