Recently in Transportation Category

I transferred into a cab as my friend, S, started to breakdown my wheelchair.

It was cold and snowing.

“I think my friend could use a hand with the chair,” I said to the driver who had remained in his seat. “Will you please help her put it in the trunk?”

“Nope,” he said. “That’s what she’s here for.”

“Really? I thought she was here because we just went to the movies, and she enjoys my company.”

He glared at me in the rearview.

“How nice for you.”

I didn’t tip him.

I took a taxi to work this morning. A wonderful indulgence! During the ride, I had a chance to think about a number of the Chicago transportation tricks I've learned.

Here are my top ten for taxis, buses, and trains (in no particular order):

10. Ask an able-bodied person (preferably a female person) to hail a cab for you if they're passing you by. Some cabbies just don't like to get out of the car to help fold a wheelchair, and this can be especially true in bad weather. Like it or not, sometimes it's most expedient to lurk in the background and let a pretty able-bodied girl do the hailing.

9. Tip well… even if your cabbie is a little uncertain about dealing with a wheelchair. If you tip well consistently, you'll eventually earn a reputation in the neighborhood for being a good tipper. Cabbies remember that. And the next time they see you, they'll stop. Guaranteed.

8. Do whatever it takes to get out of the car immediately if a cab driver mishandles your wheelchair, doesn't respect your personal space, or says you look like Melissa Gilbert and he’s in love with you.

7. Hail a cab going north during morning rush hour and south during evening rush hour. I'm not sure why, but I always have better luck when I do that.

6. Plan to take the bus either a little earlier or a little later than rush hour commuters. That way there will most likely be space for a wheelchair on the bus.

5. If the bus is crowded, and a person in a wheelchair needs to get on, let them get on first. If the bus is empty, it’s easier for everyone else to board before the wheelchair passenger.

4. If you’re riding the bus with a friend in a wheelchair always let her/him get on the bus first to ensure that the wheelchair lift is working.

3. Call the RTA before taking the train to ensure that all of the elevators are working at the train stations where you’ll be. Riding escalators in a wheelchair is a last resort!

2. If you’re taking a route you’ve never taken before, take a cell phone with you. Occasionally, the accessible CTA stops aren’t as accessible as they should be. One time I was stranded on a median in the middle of the street with no curb cut. I was glad I had my phone with me.

1. Leave extra travel time. Most days a few taxis, buses and trains will pass you by. So be prepared. And be nice to the drivers who do stop.

Have tips of your own? Leave a comment and tell me about them.