I live just off Alberta, and I've NEVER heard of them closing the street for Last Thursday. When the frell did that start happening?!?

From the Trimet site: "During Last Thursday art event, 6 p.m. until about 11 p.m., no service to stops on Alberta, MLK or 30th."

Let me just state for the record here that my wife was dropped off on Killingsworth at 5:15. I still hold to that last paragraph.

"All the way" being a minimum of 1 extra block and a maximum of 3?

The roll home was five blocks, including a couple of jogs around corners where streets don't continue -- and for a person with spinal arthritis, every curb is agony.

I would have gladly met her and rolled her home -- if I had known when she was returning, if I had known she was being dropped off somewhere other than her usual stop, and if we weren't too poor to afford a cell phone.

My wife wound up taking the third bus that stopped on 82nd, because the first two had no room for her -- and she understood completely, luck of the draw. She doesn't blame the driver for anything. But because he took the alternate route 45 minutes *before* Trimet said that the detour started, her pain levels are so high that we're cancelling our Labor Day plans. She still won't be up to getting out of the house on Monday.

"I doubt she was the only person put out by it in some way." Probably not. But I'd bet what money I have that she was one of the few that will spend *days* waiting to recover from it.

Hi, I am the wife in question and I thought I should post to this myself.

First off, yes, when I first got home I was in a great deal of pain and probably wasn't being really clear and coherent when I told my wife about what happened. This post is an attempt to clarify the events of yesterday.

When I left home to run errands it was just before noon. I had 3 places I needed to get to and thought I would have plenty of time to get them all done and be home before rush hour. I know how annoying a wheelchair can be to other travelers on Tri-Met, especially during rush hour.

I plan my routes very carefully to minimize the distance I have to travel as I don't have a fancy power chair, but an old fashion muscle powered chair.

Did I consider Last Thurs. in my travel plans? Honestly I didn't think much about it as I was expecting to get home before rush hour.

These next statements are NOT complaints. They are simple statements of fact to help explain what happened.

Twice the bus I was waiting for was running late. I don't know why, but things happen and I understand this. That said, these 2 late buses added about 20-25 min. to my transit times.

My ride out on the 72 was longer than normal; the bus stopped at almost every stop on the route. Again this added added another 15-20 min. to my transit time.

After my last stop I had to let 3 other buses go by as there was not room for me and my chair. At about 7-10 min. per bus, this added another 20-30 min. and as by this time it was about about 4:20 to 4:30 (sorry, I don't currently have a working watch to be more exact) rush hour crowds were in transit. Again, this led to the bus stopping at almost every stop from Holgate to my stop at NE 13th & NE Killingsworth.

I think it was about 5:12 when the bus got to NE 33rd & NE Killingsworth and the driver announced that due to Last Thurs. the bus would not be going down the Alberta part of his route. Living in the neighborhood I generally consider Last Thurs. to be a nuisance as is with people invading the neighborhood, parking in front off my driveway (it's happened at least 3 times in the last year), yelling and shouting as late as 3 A.M., deciding that local yards will work as a garbage can (most Last Friday mornings there can be bottles, cans or other refuse in front of our house or in our yard), and most recently fights and the sirens they bring can make it difficult to get to or stay asleep.

However I did NOT know that Tri-Met would not be running that part of the route during the event. It is not posted at the bus stops I usually use and I try not to go out after 5 P.M. on Last Thurs. This was a complete surprise to me. Hey, live and learn.

As for my physical issues they are as follows. I deal with fibromyalgia, spinal arthritis, herniated disks in my back, and chronic headaches. As you can see, if you are at all familiar with any of these conditions, I have severe chronic pain issues.

Riding the bus at the best of times is hard on me, especially on rough roads (hey we're talking about 82nd Ave here) and with some of the sudden or jerky starts and stops that happen (again, I recognize that there is little any driver can do about these issue), and I was already in considerable pain before getting off the bus at NE 13th & NE Killingsworth.

The streets I had to travel are not the best for someone in a manual wheelchair. I dislike traveling in the street for safety reasons, so I try to stay on the sidewalks. However, not every corner on those streets has a wheelchair ramp at both ends of the block and more than once I had to backtrack to find a driveway, which are often steeper than a corner ramp and involve a sharp jolt at the bottom ( I have 2 new bruises on the insides of my elbows).

The distance from the stop to my home is about 5 blocks, but with having to backtrack on 2 separate blocks it's closer to 6 blocks traveled and 2 sharp jolts going down driveways.

On one other block I had to travel in the street for about 3/4 of a block and then get UP a steep driveway to get out of the street. Until you are in a wheelchair and try to go up one of those things you can't really understand what kind of stress that puts on a back, especially how it can aggravate other pre-existing conditions.

With all of this I was crying for the last 2 1/2 blocks from the pain and I could barely get into the house when I finally got here.

Today I have spent most of today in bed and I don't expect things to be any different for the next 3 or 4 days. I have even had to bow out of plans to spend time with my family this Labor Day weekend.

Also, my wife checked the Tri-Met sight today and they say that that change in bus route is supposed to begin at 6P.M. not 5 P.M., so none of this should have happened if the route change had waited until 6 instead of starting between 5 & 5:30 P.M.

In light of this, I think I have a right to be upset at being subjected to the unexpected route change and the pain that this caused.

I will certainly NEVER leave the house again on Last Thurs. if I can help it to avoid a repeat of this. Thanks Tri-Met and Last Thurs. for making me more of a shut in order to pander to people who do not even live in this neighborhood.

Lady in Pain

Thanks DamosA, I am going to make a complaint.

However, until you have my kind of pain issues to deal with please don't call me a 'whiny baby'.

You have no idea of what I deal with, just as I have no idea of what kind of things you have to deal with on a daily basis. There is wisdom in not disparaging someone until you walk (or in my case wheel) in their shoes (or pain).

I hope you show more compassion to people you actually know.

Lady in pain

iceprez is right, I do freely admit I had along trip and I would have been tired and in pain without this.

However, without this I would have been able to recover by this evening (9/1). Now I'm going to be down at least thru Monday, maybe longer.

Also, the only complaint I have for the driver, is that he took the route change about an hour early which I only found out after the fact.

Most Tri-Met drivers are wonderful people and very helpful to people with disabilities.

My complaint is for the fact that the route change is NOT posted at my usual stops, nor at any 72 stops I was at heading towards Swan Island that day.

I do accept part of the blame (read my first post) but really how many people check the Tri-Met sight before going on a trip that you make with any regularity?

I have seen several other route or service changes posted at stops I use, but nothing about the fact that the 72 would not be going down Alberta during Last Thurs. If the route change had been posted, I would have either cut my errand shorter or delayed the trip until Fri.

I expect a certain amount of pain when using Tri-Met, but route changes that get announced 'on the fly' as it were, can have a way of making things worse. I had zero chance to plan for this change.

I think I have a right to be upset about this.

Lady in Pain

Yes, I have lots of free time. I am legally disabled and unable to hold a job.

This does not mean I have lots of energy. Fighting constant pain is very draining.

As for whether or not I have 'carpet bombed' this thread, I have responded to comments other have made with facts as I see them. I have not exaggerated or embellished, I have not yelled, insulted or even used any foul language!

If you call that being 'whiny' then we obviously don't use the same dictionary.

Lady in Pain

Lady in pain,
A human heart can have empathy and tell you you have a right to feel upset. Assholes have no heart and are full of shit, the only thing have to offer and say is shit. For your healing get rest and get off of this thread, it isn't helping. Call and make a complaint.
This is the most hateful, coldest, thread I have read. I will not be reading anymore as I am sure these mean creatures will only attack me.

@human. It's the human *mind* that can have empathy. Take this "hateful, coldest, thread" and shove it up your sad ass.

@OP.
Well I feel deep in your heart there are wounds Time can't heal
And I feel somebody somewhere is trying to breathe
Well you know what I mean
It's a world gone crazy
Keeps Lady in Pain

For those who actually care, I have filed a complaint with Tri-Met. I don't know if anything will come of it, I guess I 'll found out after business opens on the 4th.

For all those who have given encouragement and support, Thanks!

For all the assholes who think it fun to rag on the disabled, why don't you crawl up your own asses and help the rest of the world get better when you disappear.

Lady in Pain

Update: It seems that since last Thursday, a bunch of new signs are at the 72 bus stops on Alberta announcing the 72 will not be going down Alberta during Last Thursday. It does not give what times this is supposed to happen, but at least they are marked now.

I think Tri-Met read my complaint, although I haven't heard from them directly...

Lady in Pain