MY VIEW: BEFORE CUTTING TRANSIT SERVICES, RIDE A MILE IN A WHEELCHAIR.

Byline: LINDA JOBE 

By Linda Jobe

I recently attended a City Council meeting concerning city transit and its doomed fate!

I was distressed that although many handicapped people claim to use that service, few showed up for the meeting in the Council chambers. Perhaps it was the lack of advertisement of the agenda for that meeting. Perhaps people feel, as I do, that we are not adequately represented by our councilors.

Whatever the case, I and a few other handicapped citizens did show up for this meeting, albeit hardly anything was said by the Council about the fate of the cut in service of the Santa Fe Trails transit system.

While I was there, I decided to present a challenge of sorts to our esteemed mayor and the councilors. I challenged them to ride along with me in a wheelchair for a day, or even for a few hours, so they could get a feel for themselves for the challenges we have to face.

They all put their heads down as though they were scolded children being admonished by a parent. I decided to extend the offer once again by writing e-mails to each of them and calling them at their city offices.

No one accepted the challenge, including one councilor who came out of the City Council meeting at one point stating she would take me up on my challenge. Upon my calling for a time confirmation, she declined, saying there must have been a miscommunication.

Out of all the councilors, only three responded at all. The ones who did gave great excuses. A couple said they could identify with me because members of their extended families used a wheelchair and they'd had to push that person around at one time! That certainly is not the same as the point I was trying to make by asking for a council member to ride along with me.

That was more than a month ago, and now it is getting cold and the problems of getting around for a disabled person in Santa Fe are becoming even worse. Still no one will take me up on the offer. What will be their next excuse, too cold? Or is it really that yet again we have elected self-centered, egocentric city officials to represent us?

I guess disabled persons in Santa Fe don't count very much. We are expected to manage in our wheelchairs with the deplorable conditions of our sidewalks and streets and the lack of sidewalks. You know, the baby boomers are tomorrow's senior citizens and they will be heard.

Perhaps one of our esteemed council members or our mayor will become disabled to the point of needing a wheelchair. Maybe then they'll take notice of the sidewalks and street conditions and realize that an alternative transportation system for those who don't drive is of great value!

I certainly do hope that doesn't happen to anyone, but if it does, perhaps then they will take note!

Santa Fean Linda Jobe uses a medical scooter for tranportation.