Thrown From the Holiday Train by Arwen Bird

Comment

Comment by Alexander D. Mitchell IV on October 26, 2009 at 7:18pm

I would like to point out a few facts not touched on in this video. First of all, the excursion operation was a one-time special event for a weekend, not a regular, routine operation as is the Mount Hood Railroad or Amtrak. Thus, no facilities for even regular passengers, let alone differently abled passengers, were provided or promised. Second, the passenger equipment was historic equipment built before ADA and not compliant as built, meaning that no wheelchair clamps or tie-downs, as used in transit vehicles, were available. The historic equipment is exempted from ADA compliance issues because of its historic nature.

Furthermore, I was told the following from an officer of the non-profit that actually operated the excursions (verbatim, a spelling error or two corrected and annotations made):

"The woman in the chair was informed by our ORHF [Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation] volunteer [selling tickets in advance] that we can not handle wheelchairs safely on the train. She then assured our volunteer that when she got to the loading area of the train that she could walk up the stairs and would not need the chair on-board. Based on this representation, she was sold a ticket.

When she got to the train loading area she did not walk up the stairs as she had assured us she promised she would do, but had her family lift her in the chair up the stairs onto the car.

When a representative of the railroad [over which the train operated] (Oregon Pacific RR) saw the wheelchair on the train, she rightly insisted that it was not safe to have wheelchairs on the train. The message from the railroad employee could have been delivered in a better and more discrete fashion but Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation does not control OPR employees. . . ."

I will point out that there was already an article written in an alternative weekly newspaper about this incident; it is still online at http://wweek.com/editorial/3505/11965/ A perusal of the 56 comments made to said story will show more testimony regarding the differing stories as to just what happened that day.

The official I quoted above said this about the article:
"What I told the reporter was that ORHF is sorry that we cannot accommodate wheelchairs safely and that this woman could not ride the train and was understandably disappointed. The reporter decided to edit out the rest of my statement. Our web page has always stated that we can not safely carry wheelchairs on the moving train.

The article is also wrong when it states that the railroad (OPR) owns ORHF. There is no such ownership connection."

As someone who has been hearing-impaired since birth and someone who has been actively involved in railway preservation for over 25 years, I can see both sides of this issue, and I find the overall situation somewhat saddening and disappointing all around. However, given that I/we have been told that Ms. Bird had been specifically told IN ADVANCE that the wheelchair was not an option for the train ride, it appears to me that Ms. Bird may have been either actively seeking a confrontation and/or willfully disregarded specific instructions intended for not only her safety and comfort but that of the other passengers.

I would be curious as to whether there are plans to operate a Holiday Express in 2009 and beyond, or whether the headaches and bad publicity created by this one incident are enough to dissuade the parties involved from trying it again. Let's hope hundreds of willing and eager riders aren't disappointed or deprived of a fun opportunity for the sake of one wheelchair.......

Comment by Gene on October 5, 2009 at 2:54am

Wow! You sure have a positive outlook on life! I understand about taking the positive approach, but in the end, it sounds like this is a policy that needs to change. Did they explain why they would not allow you onto the train? I believe you said that this is a local train company. I suggest to write your story and send it to a local newspaper or TV station. Write ahead first and see if you can locate a sympathetic journalist who is interested in working on this with you..You can also include a link to your video, which I think is very well done by the way!!

Comment by Glenn Coleman on September 22, 2009 at 2:08pm

Hi Arwen,

Wow, what a powerful story.

I'm new to the disability world, having setup a mobility scooter website, and these stories help me understand the types of challenges people on wheels face and how I might be able to make a difference.

Thanks for sharing -- I feel totally connected.

Glenn Coleman
www.mobility-scooter-reviews.com