Access A Ride

[Exotic Reef]

Can they get a different driver? You should call and ask

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Good morning to all.

What would you do if your senior citizen parents were put through the following?

My parents are 80 & 87 years young. They cannot take the subways any longer do to the many stairs involved. So I had them apply for access a ride for some of their travels because I cannot do it all for them.

This past Thursday they came out to visit us via Access A Ride. The trip back home is the one that I will speak of today.

They were picked up at 5:45 PM for what should have been a 45 minute trip back to their place. The trip ended up being a very long, and miserable 2 hours.

For starters I thought they would have a great ride home as they were picked up by a TLC vehicle because Access A Ride did not have a bus or car coming out to the Rock. TLC buses & cars do not have the smoothest rides.
Now here is what transpired:
First the driver was constantly on his cell talking with friends, wife, and his employer. This made my parents nervous because they felt the guy was not paying attention to the road.
Secondly, and the most disturbing to me is that he ran out of gas on Queens Blvd. He then pulled over to the side of the road (not really sure where. Did he pull over to the service road, or just on the shoulder). He then left my parents in the Van with windows closed, he walked away with a gas can. My parents although frighten did not call me. He came back 10 to 15 minutes later, poured the gas in the tank, and put the empty gas can in the back of the van. My mom had to ask him to please open the windows because they couldn't breath, and were feeling nausea's, and light headed. He did open the windows a bit for a little while.
Thirdly he missed their exit off of the FDR, which convinced my parents that the driver was in fact not paying attention.

The driver repeatedly asked my parents to "please don't call the office. Please don't file a complaint", before, and after he left them stranded in the van while he went to purchase gas.

My husband, and one of my sons want me to file a complaint against the driver. My mom says no. She worries that he is a young man with a baby, and wife (there was a baby car seat in the van). Mom does not want to cause him his job. My husband insist that he should be reported, and that reporting him will not cause him his job because he does not work directly for Access A Ride.
I feel like we don't have the whole story. We have no way of knowing if his vehicles gas gauge just went bad on him, and therefor he had no way of knowing that he was running out of gas. Secondly we have no way of knowing where exactly was it that he parked the van with my parents in it.
Was it on the service road, or on the shoulder?

Obviously now my step dad does not want to ride with Access AL Ride.

What do you good folks think?

I am speechless, I would call because he does not care about his job if he kept being on the phone instead of driving and making sure he has gas..

 

[aagresti]

should you call and complain? absolutely!! incompetency shouldn't be tolerated when it comes to people's safety. that said, I wouldn't use any publicly offered service as you get what you pay for. next time I'd recommend private car service. yes, it's more expensive but i'd never take a chance of that happening to my parents again.

 

[beerfish]

I might sound like a terrible person here, but I don't care if he's got 17 kids and they're all starving... That's all the more reason to do your job properly.

Personally, I'm sick and tired of tips being expected, bad service being tolerated, and unemployed people losing jobs to incompetent jackwads like this guy.

He performed an illegal act while driving (assuming he wasn't using a hands free device), put people in danger (how many people do you know that carry a gas can in their car... it's not the first time this has happened), and paid no attention to where he was going. This is unacceptable.

If you can't do your job properly, someone else will be happy to take it. He shouldn't have his hack license, and needs to be reported.

 

[cowfish]

i might sound like a terrible person here, but i don't care if he's got 17 kids and they're all starving... That's all the more reason to do your job properly.

Personally, i'm sick and tired of tips being expected, bad service being tolerated, and unemployed people losing jobs to incompetent jackwads like this guy.

He performed an illegal act while driving (assuming he wasn't using a hands free device), put people in danger (how many people do you know that carry a gas can in their car... It's not the first time this has happened), and paid no attention to where he was going. This is unacceptable.

If you can't do your job properly, someone else will be happy to take it. He shouldn't have his hack license, and needs to be reported.

big +1

 

[Paul B]

Awilda I deal with them all the time. My Mother N Law is 87 and in an assisted living. Now I have her on Medicaid rides which are no better than Access a ride. She gets the ride and I meet her at her doctors. Last winter she had an appointment near Plandome on the north shore. Her apointment was 8:00 am. The driver left her in front of the office at about 7:15 am. 45 minutes before the office was open. She is in a walker and roamed around for half an hour in the cold until I showed up.
The problem with those drivers is that I think they are on unemployment and they have to take a job, what ever it is. So the unemployment office gets them these driver jobs. In the 4 years I have been dealing with these companies, I don't think I ever saw the same driver twice. They always have new people because every day someone complains and they get fired, or quit.
This is our tax money at work.
The Medicaid rides my wife's Mom gets are worse. The last time she got a ride to her doctors office near my house the driver first went to his girl friend's house in Flushing, 10 miles past the doctors office. You can't win. They just fire the guy and you get another one. Try to call Medicaid? You may as well try to call St Peter.

 

[Awibrandy]

Good morning my friends!
I called Access A Ride, they gave me the MTA's number to call for the complaint. I called the MTA; I was asked to make it "brief" (LOL), she took the "message" vs the COMPLAINT, and said she would forward the complaint to Access A Ride.:frown: Our tax dollars at work. I did get the number to the private car service this guy drives for, so my next action is to call them as well.

aagresti, a round trip to, and from my parents place in the city will be about $100. Simplest way to handle this is for me to take the trip into the city pick them up bring them back to my place, then take them home when they are ready.
That really sounds simple doesn't it? It would be if I didn't have all the physical problems I have. Those two round trips will be murder for me, but it is looking like I don't really have much of choice anymore. I just wish they would move in with me, but they insist on us needing our privacy. They are so cute...
I'm just grateful to still have them around....


BTW, one of my neighbor's tenant drove for AAR for a while, but quit because of the way he was treated by the supervisors. He told me the conditions of the job are horrible.

 

[CoralMeister]

Sue them.....this is ridiculous. This is what made me mad when I read this:

"The driver repeatedly asked my parents to "please don't call the office. Please don't file a complaint", before, and after he left them stranded in the van while he went to purchase gas."

Absolutely #%#! Service...how can someone beg like that?

Plus missing the freaking exit.....pathedic.....and running out of gas and etc and stranding them while he went to buy gas???? WOW!! This guy shouldn't be driving senior citizens with that kind of service. Worst case scenario what if someone has a stress related condition and have a panic attack???


This is outrageous.

 

[Awibrandy]

Sue them.....this is ridiculous. This is what made me mad when I read this:

"The driver repeatedly asked my parents to "please don't call the office. Please don't file a complaint", before, and after he left them stranded in the van while he went to purchase gas."

Absolutely #%#! Service...how can someone beg like that?

Plus missing the freaking exit.....pathedic.....and running out of gas and etc and stranding them while he went to buy gas???? WOW!! This guy shouldn't be driving senior citizens with that kind of service. Worst case scenario what if someone has a stress related condition and have a panic attack???


This is outrageous.

I agree with you, and I did file a complaint!! Problem is that you complain to the MTA, and some of the people working there don't give 2 nickles about anyone.:sad2: I don't know if anything will come of it. I would be satisfied if they had at least told me that they would speak to him. But nothing of the sort, the woman told me she would forward the complain to Access A Ride.

I call Access A Ride, Access A Ride in turns tells me to call the MTA. I call the MTA file the complaint, and MTA tells me they will forward it to Access A Ride.:banghead:

Anyone know who else to complain to?:sigh:

 

[tunicata]

Hey Awi,
I am sorry your folks had to go through this. I am glad however, that you have filed a complaint and plan on doing your best to ensure someone is held accountable.

I would try 311, you can call or also file a complaint online to TLC since it was their service that was shotty in a direct fashion:
http://www.nyc.gov/apps/311/simpleSearchResults.htm?search=COMPLAINT+TLC

http://www.nyc.gov/apps/311/simpleSearchResults.htm?search=COMPLAINT+ACCESS+A+RIDE
(I see that the best link there sends you to the MTA to complain. I read that you've already spoken with them on the phone. If you like, you can follow up with a letter and/or an email to create a paper trail.)
http://www.mta.info/nyct/paratran/guide.htm#complain

 

[saltwaterinbrooklyn]

I might sound like a terrible person here, but I don't care if he's got 17 kids and they're all starving... That's all the more reason to do your job properly.

Personally, I'm sick and tired of tips being expected, bad service being tolerated, and unemployed people losing jobs to incompetent jackwads like this guy.

He performed an illegal act while driving (assuming he wasn't using a hands free device), put people in danger (how many people do you know that carry a gas can in their car... it's not the first time this has happened), and paid no attention to where he was going. This is unacceptable.

If you can't do your job properly, someone else will be happy to take it. He shouldn't have his hack license, and needs to be reported.

You are dead on beer fish

 

[CoralMeister]

Anyone know who else to complain to?:sigh:

Hire a lawyer

 

[rbtwo4]

inbox awi

 

[Awibrandy]

Thank you ALL for your input! The complaint has been made. I am not looking to sue anyone especially since my parents came out of this without physical harm thank God!!

Hey Awi,
I am sorry your folks had to go through this. I am glad however, that you have filed a complaint and plan on doing your best to ensure someone is held accountable.

I would try 311, you can call or also file a complaint online to TLC since it was their service that was shotty in a direct fashion:
http://www.nyc.gov/apps/311/simpleSearchResults.htm?search=COMPLAINT+TLC

http://www.nyc.gov/apps/311/simpleSearchResults.htm?search=COMPLAINT+ACCESS+A+RIDE
(I see that the best link there sends you to the MTA to complain. I read that you've already spoken with them on the phone. If you like, you can follow up with a letter and/or an email to create a paper trail.)
http://www.mta.info/nyct/paratran/guide.htm#complain

Hi Tuni, thanks for doing all that research for us! You are a great friend. I think you are right on that I should follow up with a letter.

 

[Awibrandy]

Just to update you all looks like Access A Ride took the complaint seriouly.

My step father received a call from the Access A Ride representative! My father told the person all that transpired on their trip home. My step father being who he is told the rep to "please do not fire the man".hahaha