Jimmy,
I see the NEED for it - what I don't see is a service like that being
sued because they don't offer a particular service. They are not publ
access vehicles - they are privately owned vehicles that people are
using themselves to make a little extra money. It's not taxpayers
dollars or anything.
There was a time (not too long ago) where if you were Disabled (or
handicapped as they called it back then) you accepted that there was
certain things that just didn't apply to you. For instance, the movie
house where I grew up was a small 4 screen movie theatre. The bathrooms
were located UPSTAIRS meaning if you climed all the way up the top of
the theater seats you could exit into a lobby ABOVE the concession stand
and use the bathrooms. It was very compact and they made use of every
bit of space they could. The bathrooms were located right behind the
pojection booths.
In the mid 2000's the theater was forced to close because of no access
to bathrooms for wheelchair patrons... in fact they had no place for
people in wheelchairs to come in and sit. The theater was built and
designed in the 1950's. It worked for us for years, and most of the
people of my generation enjoyed many shows there.
Now my community has NO movie theater and we have to drive a very long
distance just to see a movie. It's all because now all businesses
-must- provide equal access for the disabled. Sadly, the westland 4
movie theaters paid the penalty for not having an elevator. All
buildings that the public can access or enter must have elevators and
ramps.
Even the grocery store that my best friend manages has the managers
offices on the balcony above the front checkout. Unfortunately, they
had to install an elevator there because they may someday get a disabled employee that would have to go up there.
Most cab companies here have to provide vans that can handle a
wheelchair upon request... it's the law... and they can't charge extra
for it. Although there's a separate company called a "para-transit"
company that provides wheelchair accessible vans and drivers because
they "specialize" in that service they can charge more because all their
rides are scheduled. But non disabled people can't use that service.
Where is the equality in that?
I may not be abel to see well but I don't force every restaruant to
provide me a big print menu.
ALlen
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
# Origin: LiveWire BBS -=* Louisville, KY *=- LiveWireBBS.com (1:2320/100)
* Origin: LiveWire BBS - Synchronet - LiveWireBBS.com (1:2320/100)