Early Calgary Winter Fun With Penelope And Mikaela!

Merry Christmas girls!

Of course that is a very bad Uncle Mike joke.

Because it is only the end of September.

But at least you look like you're having fun in your yard in Calgary!

Your mom just sent me a message that yes you had to go to school! :)

School is sure fun when you can count how old you are on your fingers, isn't it?

And because I know that you are both very bright girls, I have a feeling that you both are going to do very good as you go through school.

And I bet that you will have lots of fun too!

Your mom and I sure did!

But I will say goodnight for now, my favorite nieces.

Because there was one thing that I remember about going to school, when your mom and I could count how old we were on our fingers.

Grandma Annie and Pepere Paul made sure we were in bed by about 7:30.

And it's a little past 8:00 now...oops!

Love you Penelope!

Love you Mikaela!

Auntie Shawna and I send you hugs!


Uncle Mike

DATS Hope

Heard some interesting things about DATS lately.

There are a number of new drivers being trained to be ready for fall.

And there is a focus on not only driving excellence...

...but also on outstanding people skills as well.

That is all.

Your Partner In Life

Alberta Bound!

Hi Penelope and Mikaela!

Happy summer!

You look like you were ready for another big adventure as you stood outside your Toronto house a few  hours before you started your big trip.

And you are!

You're coming home to Alberta!

Calgary, to be exact.

Now Calgary is about 3 hours from Edmonton.

That's still pretty far.

But it's still a heck of a lot closer than Ontario!

We are so excited to have you back in Alberta!

And we know you are excited to be coming back too!

But we know that you will miss Toronto, and all the friends and fun you had there.

Like your Karate, Penelope.

And your ballet, Mikaela.

And that's OK.

Because Canada is a very big country.

And it's a very connected country too.

So all your friends will be able to connect with you!

No matter where they are!

With Facebook and FaceTime!

And I know that Auntie Shawna and I are very excited to see you in a couple of weeks!

We want to hear all about the adventures on your trip!

Like the neat pool in Regina your mom told me about

The weather in Alberta is a little cool right now to be honest.

But you girls are definitely our rays of sunshine!

We love you Penelope and Mikaela!

See you soon!



Uncle Mike

DATS Food For Thought

OK fellow DATS users;

I have been doing some deep thinking.

And soul searching.

Wondering how we, as the disabled community, can effect change in the DATS system...

...which is so negatively affecting our work, leisure, and appointment-heavy lives.

Now, I know that the idea of change, or of protesting something, can be scary.

When most of us think of protest, we think of things like antiwar protests...

...like these in Vietnam.

Cops, guns, and arrests.

They are scary images for sure.

I know that for a few mostly sleepless nights...

I was wondering if this type of action was what it would take...

...to overhaul our DATS system.

Then a few nights ago I found the above clips...

...concerning a group of 100 Americans who fought for changes...

...to their Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

This act guaranteed freedom from discrimination for the disabled in the US.

As well as access to education and transportation.

For whatever reason, the government was slow to ratify or enforce these changes.

Four years later, the American disabled population had had enough of stalling and inaction.

So in April of 1977, 100 disabled people gathered in a San Francisco federal building.

They protested calmly but forcefully for 26 days.

Risking physical, mental, and medical hardship

Until the changes were signed into law.

And they succeeded!

It got me thinking.

Could we, as the disabled community in Edmonton, achieve similar success?

Even for a day or two, in a public location?

Calmly but forcefully hammering home the point...

...that public transportation is a right for disabled and able-bodied Edmontonians alike?

This should be a basic, common sense precept enshrined into law!

But as always, in order to make a difference we need numbers!

Both in terms of statistics and in numbers!

City Hall likely won't listen to us otherwise!

Again we should have no quarrel with DATS drivers or booking agents.

They are working their asses off to serve us.

Even with a very broken system.

But otherwise, as far as time and resource management...

DATS needs change!

So can we unite, fellow DATS users?

Under a common theme and purpose?

I think we can!

But it's up to you, me, and everyone!



Your Partner in DATS Life

DATS Survey Says!

OK fellow DATS users. I know a lot of us have spent a large part of our lives being told what to do. Or what to think. I would never do that with this survey, because I hate it when people do that to me. But this could bring about change with stats. https://t.co/lZbQfwrvaH I want to thank each and every one of the 47 people who took the time to read my DATS Gotta Change! post. And to the 11 people who have taken the survey so far, I appreciate you as well! Advances in technology such as the Internet, instant messaging etc. have made it much, much easier to connect over issues that affect us all. And with the breakneck pace that daily life now operates at, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle. I noticed at the council meeting I attended in the fall that many people lobby for the City Council's attention, time, and purse strings. Requests for rec centre funding or construction and concessions for the hotel industry and small businesses were all a part of the session I attended. And the one thing that everyone had to bolster their presentations? Stats and numbers. Now you may think that answering questions about how many years you have been taking DATS, or what age range you fall into, or even the time you spend on hold, may not matter much. But the truth is, it really does matter. A whole lot. Because the numbers make it easier to convince the city, Mayor Don Iveson, or someone in his office, that we have a legitimate issue. Thousands of able-bodied people get around on ETS every day, with nary a glitch. Why not the disabled on DATS, which is a specialized para-transit service? DATS did get funding in December. Where did it go? These are questions that deserve to be answered. But we need numbers and stats. So that our concerns and issues can be heard. Your Partner In Life

DATS Gotta Change!

A while ago I posted about the DATS booking experience being similar to a game show.

Yes I admit my tongue was firmly in cheek at that time.

But the truth now is that if you are not on the phone at 30 seconds before 7:30....

...sorry to say...

….you will likely not get the trip...

Even if it's three days away.

I know that's unbelievable.

And it really sucks.

But I know a lot of people who have put their mornings...

...in some cases entire days...

...on hold to sit on the phone to get trips.

And that just isn't right!

DATS Gotta Change!

I mean, could you just imagine if the regular ETS system or LRT was suddenly down for even three weeks?

The city of Edmonton would grind to a halt.

But it probably wouldn't last long.

Because the city wouldn't want that to happen.

Because frankly people would be pissed off.

And wouldn't stand for it!

"We have jobs to get to!", they would say!

"We have appointments to keep!", they would say!

"We have life to live!", they would say!

And our able-bodied brethren would be absolutely right!

Well guess what?

We as disabled have appointments and commitments to keep!

A lot of us have jobs we have to get to!

And dammit, we have life to live too!

So let's get together, hopefully with the city.

And see if there is a plan in place..

Or be part of the solution of putting one in place if there isn't.

Because even if we look at the eventual massive cost of missed work opportunities...

...and even the added cost and strain on Alberta Health Services from missed appointments...

…there is another even more important aspect.

And that is the sense of community that DATS helps facilitate with its service.

As we go about town doing what we have to do and living how we live.

Just like anybody in the City of Edmonton.

And if the DATS service stays overworked...

...and trips just aren't available...

...the disabled just might stop travelling and become shut-ins.

And if that happens to even ten to twenty percent of us that is tragic.

Even I have started consciously reducing my trips.

And if you know me, then you know that isn't like me.

So we must also consider the physical, mental and psychological costs...

...of the current costs and strain, again on our health system.

Not to mention our straining personal pocketbooks or wallets...

...when we must shell out $40 to $100 to accessible taxis...

...to make our schedules work when we must.

Now don't get me wrong. Accessible taxis are wonderful.

And a long-awaited and welcome option for sure.

For those in the disabled community who can regularly afford them...

...in the absence of DATS round trips. Or any DATS trips, for that matter.

But the reality is, most can't.

So come on, City of Edmonton!

Let's talk and formulate a plan!

We've seen you do it.

With the bike lanes, for instance.

These allow a significant portion of the population to get around and get exercise.

But not us.

Maybe using a bike lane in winter conditions would give people an idea...

...of the current slowness and clogged nature of DATS service.

Isn't disabled transportation just as important as bike lanes?

We appreciate the tireless work of DATS drivers and booking clerks of course.

But by now, it's pretty obvious.

DATS Gotta Change!

Cam Tait's Comedy Comeback!

I had the pleasure of seeing Cam Tait speak many years ago about his life and career, and he was awesome. A few years after that, he was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to offer me some much needed guidance when I was a very wet behind the ears college student at Grant MacEwan just starting to think about pursuing a writing career. I have always appreciated that. I had always heard that Cam was the originator of sit-down comedy, to quote Rob Christie. Now I’ll get to see for myself. Looking very much forward to seeing you take the stage sir!

Show is Tuesday, January 22, at The Filipino Centre, 7447 Roper Road

Start time : 7:30 PM

Cost: FREE for this show only!

Dinner available for a cost

Let’s fill the room!

UPDATE 1/21: I am still looking very much forward to the show tomorrow. However, due to the current vagaries of DATS scheduling, I am supposed to arrive in the early afternoon. For a show that starts at 7:30, this doesn't make much sense, although certainly Cam and all the others would certainly be well worth the wait lol. We will see how I do with my Tuesday morning Wheel Of DATS round...

Wheel...Of...DATS!

Well hello there folks!

Are you disabled?

Have you ever had a burning desire to be on a game show?

It turns out that the City of Edmonton can accommodate you!

They have a new one!

It's called...

Wheel....

Of....

DATS!!!!

The endurance tests start right away!

There's the Call Center Wait.

Can you survive the full 15-to-30 minute wait?

Congratulations to you...on to the next round!

Where you spin the Wheel Of DATS!

So you have a doctor's appointment at 9 AM?

Let's spin the wheel now...how does 6:50 sound for a pickup?

Happened to me last Thursday folks!

Now let's spin again to get you a ride home!

Oh, we're so SORRY! We don't have one!

Try to get one again tomorrow...with the Wheel of DATS!

Now potentially missing appointments is bad enough.

(I did not miss mine, because I took the early time and hung out in the Circle K for about 90 minutes.)

But if you are working and consistently can't show up on time due to transportation issues, you are probably spending a good portion of what you make just to arrive on time.

Kind of a self-defeating situation, if you ask me.

And even if you travel just to get out of the house two or three days a week to meet friends at a mall, all this bother might inspire you to cut down your trips to one a week.

Or none.

Not a good thing either.

Of course, there are a few logical reasons for what seems to be illogical.

About ten drivers retiring all at the same time

Thank you all for your years of service providing this essential and much appreciated service!

Very tight schedules handed to the drivers who are left, causing them stress and sickness.

And a rapidly aging bus fleet.

There is hope for change on the horizon.

New drivers have been hired to fill the gap.

New buses are reportedly in the works too.

But here's the potential problem.

As is the nature of any level of government, all of this could take months.

Personally, if not for the weather, I would be doing most of my travelling on accessible ETS, to lighten the load.

And I haven't yet, but I will be signing up for the online I-Book program, to free up the DATS phone system.

For seniors and others without access to the Internet, that may be a helpful gesture.

I know a few hardy and enterprising souls who are undertaking DATS/ETS combo trips to make things work. Even with the weather,

So I was thinking, if all of us...

...that is drivers, riders, and management...

...work together the best we can...

...perhaps we can encourage the big wheels of government...

...to progress at something close to normal speed.

And then the game show wheels can stay on TV!

Your Partner In Life