November 18, 2025 • 33 mins
Lizzie Eastham and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.
On this week’s show
“Public Transport”
Many people take a drivers license for granted, as well as free access to a motor vehicle. This is not the case for people who are Blind or have Low Vision. Lizzie and Sam look at the pros and cons of various public transport types, as well as asking the Choir of Angles their experiences.
Studio 1 welcomes any input from our listeners. If you have any experience or thoughts about issues covered in this episode or believe there is something we should be talking about.
You may also be interested in joining our choir of angels and telling your story.
EMAIL: studio1@visionaustralia.org or leave comment on the station’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VARadioNetwork
A special thank you to: Tim; Maddie; Sammy C; Sarnya and Stephen
This program was made possible with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at https://cbf.org.au/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:15):
This is Studio One with Sam Rickard and Lizzie Eastham
on Vision Australia Radio.
S2 (00:25):
Hello, I'm Sam and I'm Lizzie and this is Studio One,
your weekly look at life from a low vision and
blind point of view here on Vision Australia Radio.
S3 (00:32):
This week it is said that Australia is a car society,
but that doesn't help us.
S2 (00:38):
So in order for us to get anywhere, we are
reliant mostly on public transport. We talk to a few
friends about their experiences on buses, trains, trams and ferries.
S3 (00:48):
As we always say at this point, please do get
in touch with the show. Whether you have experience of
any of the issues covered on this week's episode of
Studio One, or if you think there's something we should
be talking about. You never know. Your story and insight
may help someone who's dealing with something similar.
S2 (01:03):
You can reach us via email Studio one at Vision Australia. Org.
That's studio number one at Vision Australia.
S3 (01:09):
Org or of course you can drop us a note
on the station's Facebook page by going to facebook.com slash
Radio network.
S2 (01:19):
Hello, Lizzie.
S3 (01:19):
Hello, Sam. How are we on this dreary day?
S2 (01:24):
It is a rather dreary day. Summer seems to have
decided to pack its bags and go elsewhere. At least
that is in our part of the world. Knowing some
of some of our listeners will probably tell us that yes,
it's baking and hot and wherever they are, please do
let us know if you do have apparently have our
email address, so feel free to, uh, tell us about that.
And in fact, we have an email here from friend
(01:46):
of the show, Kelly Schultz, who wanted to give us
an update on the one three Cubs situation at the
moment and if things are actually working. So if it's
okay with you, I will read it out.
S3 (01:58):
What if I said it wasn't?
S2 (01:59):
Well, I'd read it out anyway. All right, I'll just
do it. So in a silly voice, though.
S3 (02:03):
Off you go.
S2 (02:03):
Okay. I thought I'd share a little story, given our
mutual interest in taxi and rideshare refusal. Usual. Yesterday. I
think I saw the one three cab system in action,
and for once it looks like it might actually be
working the way they claim. I've got the assistance box
ticked in my app, but have always been skeptical about it.
(02:25):
When I spoke with them, they assured me those bookings
are actively monitored. The driver I got yesterday was absolutely fine,
no refusal, and even told me he's left money to
guide dogs in his will. But here's the interesting bit.
As we got into East Melbourne, his phone rang on speaker.
It was one three cabs calling to ask why he
hadn't picked up the job yet, how long was he
(02:47):
going to be and why he was going in the
opposite direction. It turns out he hadn't put the meter
on when he picked us up, because it was a
set fare. App booking. He didn't actually need to run
the meter, but apparently he does need to flick it
on to indicate the job is underway. So yes, they
may indeed be monitoring these things. Well, I think that's
(03:10):
a positive, positive piece of news.
S3 (03:11):
That's very interesting. I mean, imagine being Kelly in the
cab and getting a call from one three cabs. I mean,
I wonder, Kelly, did you speak to the operators and say, nah,
he picked me up. I'm here. I'm all good. I'd
love to hear how that went down and how that
conversation happened. I'd love to have been a fly on
the window that day.
S2 (03:30):
As I said, any positive news is something that we
do like to report. So again, dear listener, if you
have any more news on that, please let us know
because we genuinely want to know. Know what's going on
out there. Um, have you had any interesting refusals recently?
S3 (03:43):
No, I haven't really been using cabs or Ubers very
much because I'm still in the teething process with Mackenzie.
So we've been catching a lot of public transport, which
funnily enough, is the subject of tonight's show.
S2 (03:58):
How has the new guide dog been going on? Um,
buses and such like.
S3 (04:03):
Yeah, we got some teething issues to work out. I
think she's a little bit hesitant to do some things
that I ask her to do, especially if she thinks
that she knows better than me what I actually want.
Which is a bit weird, but for the most part,
she's a really good dog. She's, you know, attentive. She's
got a lot of initiative. She keeps calm when, you know,
(04:23):
the bus gets crowded. So not too much to complain about.
Just a few teething issues, but I'm sure that we'll
work them out over time.
S2 (04:30):
Yes. You seem to be okay. When I picked you
up at the bus stop today, so, uh. But apparently,
what are we? A week ago, she got all muddled.
S3 (04:38):
Yeah. So we got to the interchange. Okay? We walked
all the way, all right? And that was all good.
And then we crossed the lights to get from one
side of the interchange to the other. And the minute
we crossed over, she just did a bunker. Couldn't decide
where we were supposed to be going or why I
wanted to go that way. And she couldn't seem to
figure out that, um, yeah, there's a bollard there and
(05:00):
I can go around it. So that was very interesting.
I was stuck behind this bollard for five minutes, thinking
to myself, how am I going to get out of
this situation? Um, and because there were people standing and
they wouldn't move when they could see that we were
trying to get to the directional tactiles, it made things
hard sometimes.
S2 (05:20):
I think when things like that, it would be handy
if a dog came with a horn attached to it.
So you could just beep, beep, beep and get people
out of the way.
S3 (05:26):
Anyway, sometimes I wish that I could use the dog
and the cane at the same time so I could
have the best of both worlds.
S2 (05:32):
Well, you sort of see pictures of people doing that,
but yeah, I suppose it's frowned upon.
S3 (05:38):
Well, I tried doing it with Lacey and she absolutely
skidded out. She's like, are you gonna hit me with
that thing? So I haven't tried it with Mackenzie yet.
Maybe I'll try it on the way home. I mean,
I do have my cane with me.
S2 (05:49):
Well, um, we are talking about public transport this week, and, um,
it comes hot on the heels of a interesting email
that we, uh, had forwarded to us regarding a study that, uh,
one of the universities is making That some women don't
take public transport because of poor experiences when they were younger.
S3 (06:10):
Yeah. Basically, the study highlighted that women who had been
exposed to harassment or had been victims in cases of
assault on public transport at the age of 18 or under,
I believe it was were less likely to catch public transport. And,
you know, we got forwarded this study because I think
(06:30):
the powers that be wanted us to do an episode
on it. And I thought it was a good idea. But, Sam,
you highlighted something that is so true. And that is
the fact that for a lot of us who are
blind or vision impaired or have a disability which precludes
us from driving, we have no choice but to catch
public transport. So even if we have been victims of
(06:52):
assault or exposed to harassment or whatever it might be,
we don't exactly have a choice. We can't exactly say, well,
that's it. I'm not catching public transport ever again.
S2 (07:03):
Exactly.
S3 (07:04):
Because that would make everything that would make daily life costly,
for a start.
S2 (07:08):
Well, yes, you'd be taking taxis and rideshares everywhere and
support workers. Support workers, indeed. And yes, the plan would, uh,
suddenly empty very, very quickly. Um, so yes, the choice
that most people with a vision impairment or who are
totally blind have is use public transport or just don't
go anywhere, or maybe marry somebody who drives a car.
(07:30):
That's the other option, I suppose. Um, and yeah, that's, um,
the other thing. I mean, that's something that I've learnt
over the years. It's something that I think I've been
able to do since I was ten. And that is
the skill of bumming a lift. Doesn't matter where I am,
I will still always, um, do that. It's always easier
than public transport anyway.
S3 (07:48):
Bumming a lift?
S2 (07:49):
Yes. So if I'm out at a function or something
like that, when I was competing as an athlete and
be looking around talking to someone, I was like, oh,
where do you live? Oh, can you drop me off
at such and such a place?
S3 (08:00):
Yeah, I used to do that too, actually. And then
people got sick of me bumming lifts.
S2 (08:05):
Ah, no, I find that in that sort of case,
you've got to be shameless anyway. Uh, that's enough of us.
How about we catch up with a few friends here?
So first, let's listen to what Tim's got to say
on the whole thing.
S4 (08:20):
Well, I get a bus because it's at the end
of my street, and, uh, I'm a bit more these
days because I run a business, and I'm very busy,
and I need to get here, there and everywhere really quick.
So I'm a bit more of an Uber these days. Like,
I'll spend a couple hundred a week on Ubers, you know,
like just to get from here to there and everywhere.
But the bus, uh, or a tram, because I have
(08:42):
tram that stops not far up the road from me.
But I'm a fan of all public transport. I mean,
what whatever gets you to the place you need to
go to the quickest is the one to grab.
S5 (08:52):
Now, you used to live in, um, a semi-rural area. Um,
you did. And so tell us about how what it
was like trying to flag down buses when you had
a lot of other, um, vehicles going past.
S4 (09:06):
Oh, now I do. Okay. So I go the gym
on Pulteney Street on, uh, on a couple of days
a week for PT, so I get the bus there.
That's no problem at all, because you're standing at a
bus stop on a reasonably quiet road. It stops. No problem.
On the way back, when I'm standing on Pulteney Street
to go out to Unley Road, you have to flag
the bus, right? And I can tell there's a bus
(09:27):
by at the traffic lights, which are about 30 or
40m away. Right. But I can't read the number. So
basically all I do is I have my cane out
and the bus stops. Right? Some of them get grumpy
when you don't want it. But what do you say, mate?
What am I supposed to do? So that's overcome that.
Because if a person with a cane is standing at
(09:48):
a bus stop, they should stop, right? That's theory. Doesn't
always work that way, but that's how I get around it.
S5 (09:54):
Now, what about, um. Because I remember you telling me
at one stage about trying to flag down logging trucks.
S4 (09:58):
I've done that. Yeah. So I used to. I used
to have to get a bus on Belair Road early
in the morning and you'd there's like a bend just
before the bus stop. And the thing had come around.
I'd put my hand out. It was like a, it
was like a maybe a garbage truck or something like that. Yeah.
Pretty stupid though. Probably wondering what I'm doing, but, uh, yeah.
Just from not being able to see it because, I mean,
(10:19):
I do, I use my phone camera and I have
my cane out so I can kind of work out
what it is now a little bit better. I've just
become a bit smarter with it.
S3 (10:32):
Funny about that. I've often flagged down trucks. I mean,
how many times have we been standing on the main road, Sam?
And I've gone, oh, is that the bus? And you've gone. No, Liz,
it's a dump truck.
S2 (10:43):
Mhm. Nice. And you can only tell as it's going
past that. It's actually a, uh, a garbage truck. Truck
for example. And it's like. And then yes, as it
recedes off into the distance, the smell stays with us.
S3 (10:55):
Yeah. You know what I'm mad about? Will you remember
that time you and I were standing on South Road
and my sister texted me like, oh, I just saw
you standing at the bus stop on South Road. I'm like.
And you didn't think to stop and give me a lift?
S2 (11:07):
Well, yeah, exactly. Um, just. Yes. She was driving a
a truck, a truck.
S3 (11:13):
Yeah. How dare you?
S2 (11:14):
Yeah, she could have just stopped in the middle of
a busy main road and pulled.
S3 (11:19):
Into the bus stop. I mean, we were standing at
the bus stop. It's not like we were walking.
S2 (11:23):
Mm.
S3 (11:24):
You could pull into the bus lane and just, you know,
I'll hop in. Wait. Yeah. Did I have Lacey with me?
Because if I did, that might make it a bit tricky.
S2 (11:31):
Ah, well, I think you were between dogs at the time.
S3 (11:34):
How do you get her in a truck?
S2 (11:35):
Oh, she can always ride in the back, I suppose.
S3 (11:37):
Today we had one of those situations at the interchange
where two buses pulled up at the same time. So,
you know, I had Stephen with me. Um, just because
I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety, which we'll
talk about later. And, uh, we were making our way
to the bus behind the first bus that arrived, and
the bus shuts its doors and. Stevens oi Mei, can't
(11:59):
you say she wants to get on the bus? And
he's like going off his head? And anyway, the bus
driver starts pulling in closer to the curb, and I
think we must have felt really bad because he opens
the door and he goes, I was just trying to
pull in close. So he didn't go a over T
and Stevens like, I am really sorry because he's like
jumping up and down, waving his arms around like, oh,
(12:20):
she wants to get on that bus.
S2 (12:23):
Well, we will be hearing from Steven of course, a
bit later. But in the meantime, let's hear from Maddie.
S6 (12:29):
I definitely prefer the trains over buses. I've missed so
many buses, um, and had quite a few issues with
certain bus routes and buses not stopping even though you're
trying to hail them. And uh, yeah, they can be
quite tricky.
S2 (12:46):
I've noticed. Also, if you try hailing a truck down,
they don't stop.
S6 (12:49):
No they don't.
S3 (12:49):
Um, I think we've all done that, haven't we? Yeah,
I've certainly done it.
S2 (12:58):
Hauling trucks is not not necessarily a good idea, but
there's not necessarily a good way of avoiding that if
you can't actually see or tell one from another.
S3 (13:06):
No, no. And they sound very similar too.
S2 (13:08):
They do indeed. Uh, so yeah, I do prefer trains. Um,
for most of my first 30 or so years of
my life, I was reliant on buses because in both
the cities I lived in over that time, both Darwin
and Canberra, it was reliant on the bus system. So
the trams are a lovely novelty and they tend to
be quicker as well because they're not reliant on traffic.
(13:30):
So if it's peak hour then they'll just cut straight
through and yeah, there's a set stop. So as long
as you know that your stop is coming up, then
it's a lot easier to. Yes get them. That's that's
my point of view. But you don't really have that choice,
do you?
S3 (13:44):
No, I have to catch buses. But however, for the
first like four Years of mine and Lacy's, um, working career.
I would say we lived in an area where the
only way to get to the city was to catch
a train. Well, the only quick way to get to
the city was to catch a train. So we got
used to catching trains and it wasn't so bad. I mean,
(14:07):
Adelaide railway station is a bit hard to navigate if
you can't see, but when you have a really smart
dog like Lillee was, it's not too bad. We didn't
fall off any platforms or.
S2 (14:18):
Yes, we have or had a mutual friend who decided
at one stage she wanted to see how far down
the tracks were, and she fell off the platform.
S3 (14:28):
Yeah, I'm just glad she got up on time. How
did she do it? Like, how did she get up?
S2 (14:32):
I never asked her, but I did hear that. I
think everyone's heard that particular story.
S3 (14:37):
Yeah, I think they have.
S2 (14:37):
And, Sylvie, wherever you are, you're missed.
S3 (14:40):
Indeed.
S2 (14:41):
Anyway, who are we hearing from next? Oh, the rather
verbose colleague of ours, Sam Collie.
S7 (14:52):
Well, the thing with, um, trains, I like trains most. Um,
it seems just the most straightforward kind of, um, mode
of transport. Um, you just get on. It takes you
from point A to point B, you know, ideally when
it's not sort of delayed or buses replacing and all
(15:14):
this other palaver that goes with, um, public transport and things.
But um, I think especially um, nowadays when the train
ideally announces, you know, here is the next station, it's
this one, um, and that sort of thing. That's great.
(15:35):
Trams don't do that so much. You sometimes you get
a smart tram and it says this stop is such
and such. That's great. They don't all do that. Um,
most of them do, but the old ones don't. Um,
and the buses are probably my, um, least preferred mode
(15:55):
of transport. Not necessarily the worst ones. I mean, they
serve a purpose when trains, trains and trams aren't available,
but they don't always announce where the stop is and
what the stop is. And you know how far it
is that you have to, you know, go before your
stop arrives and all that sort of thing. And I
(16:18):
understand there's a couple of apps that are coming out
or being developed that are looking to address that issue. So, um, quite, um,
interested to follow the progress, um, there. But yeah, I
think that's probably um, the main things. Um, yeah.
S2 (16:40):
Do you have any interesting stories, uh, that you might
want to share regarding public transport?
S7 (16:45):
Yes. Um, so in terms of the priority seats for
people with disabilities, I, um, if people see me from
far away and don't see that I'm obviously legally blind,
you can get people have a go at you for
sitting in a spot right next to the door that you,
(17:06):
with your, um, blindness or low vision are entitled to
sit on. But, um, you know, people are saying, well, no,
you don't look blind or you're not this, you're not that.
But and that's not really their place to make that
assessment of you without knowing you at all. And that's
the whole thing there. But, um, you know, that that
(17:29):
that can be an issue when you're, um, seen as
quote unquote, not blind enough or don't look blind and
all this stuff, it's just it's something you just don't
really feel like dealing with it on a on an
everyday basis. So you just, you know, you stand up
or you sit somewhere else or that sort of thing,
(17:50):
you just end up avoiding it. Really.
S3 (17:58):
Interesting. He says that because with a guide dog, you'd
never have that problem.
S2 (18:02):
No, not really. And also cane users wouldn't necessarily have
that problem either, which is actually one of the reasons
why I don't carry a well, I don't usually have
a cane when I'm going onto trains or public transport,
because I've had old ladies offer me their seats and
it's like, don't, your need is more than mine.
S3 (18:17):
See, I'm in that same position with you as well, Sam,
in that, like, I would rather a pregnant woman or
an old lady. Take my seat. I am strong, fit
and capable of standing. I am more than happy to
stand as well. But because we have a disability, yeah,
we we get priority. Which in some respects it's great.
And in others it's like, well, it's all right. You
(18:39):
can keep your it's fine.
S2 (18:41):
Having a non-obvious disability is. It really is a double
edged sword as far as that goes.
S3 (18:46):
It's because I can imagine.
S2 (18:47):
Um, yes. Sometimes it's handy to be inconspicuous. Other times
in the case. I mean, what's been a godsend really
has been that the blind pass is now a smartcard.
S3 (18:59):
Yeah, I agree.
S2 (19:00):
So quite often I was at the mercy of bus drivers,
for example, when I was going to work and things
like that, and you'd sort of flash your pass and
they'd nod and you'd sort of walk past and then
they'd say, hey, you need to put your ticket in
the machine. And it's like, I've just shown you a pass.
S3 (19:14):
So yeah, I'm really glad that they've updated to the
Metro because, you know, um, not only do we now
have a smartcard, but we can just scan our tickets
and go on our merry way, just like everybody else.
We don't have to flash the pass at the driver again, though.
I used to, when I first started with Lacey. Forget
my blind pass everywhere I went. And you know what?
(19:34):
Nobody ever asked me for it. And the one time
that the inspector came on the bus. I was like,
oh mate, I'm really sorry. I forgot to bring my
boarding pass. And he's like, I wasn't even gonna ask you.
I can see you've got the dog. I'm like, yes.
S2 (19:49):
It's nice when people are actually sensible, isn't it? Uh,
but I mean, the other thing as well is going
through gates at stations used to be a major pain
in the neck. And I, of course, relived that every
time that we go interstate because our passes don't work
on the gates in, say, places like Sydney or Melbourne
or anything like that. So, um, we have to sort
(20:10):
of flag somebody down and say, can you let us in?
S3 (20:12):
Well, Lacey used to target the gate in Adelaide railway station.
You know, the one right down the end which has
the people manning it. And she was great. She'd go
straight in there and she'd just like, boom, that's the
gate you want to go through, mum? Like, you know what?
Like I'll think about Lacey was really good. I know
she was really bad in her last 12 months of
like of work, but she was a really good dog.
S2 (20:34):
Unfortunately. That's the nature of animals. They don't last forever
as far as their health and everything like that, that goes.
But no, that particular gate you're talking about, it used
to really bug me because, um, during busier times, again,
going to and from work, you'd have to wait in
line as somebody was arguing with the ticket collector about
(20:55):
whether they should have a ticket for their bike or not.
Or you have someone who is new to Adelaide and
doesn't know where things are, asking questions and having a
bit of a chat. In the meantime, I'm sort of
sitting back there going, my bus is in another five minutes.
S3 (21:09):
I need to go.
S2 (21:10):
I do need to go.
S3 (21:11):
I can smell them donuts and I really want one.
S2 (21:14):
So. So yes, the magic card that actually takes us
directly through the gates nowadays. And I think people in
other parts of Australia can sympathise with this is really
is a godsend. It's it's terrific. So that's one of
the big things that has changed that I am really,
really happy with. Anyway, next up we're talking to Sonya.
S8 (21:36):
I do use a support worker to help me do
day to day tasks such as grocery shopping appointments. I
will use public transport if I'm going to the city.
So more as a leisure thing. The city or Tea
Tree Plaza and I don't need to be there on
(21:56):
a specific time. But if time is crucial, such as
an appointment at a physio or a doctor orthodontist, I
would definitely go with a support worker.
S5 (22:07):
As a young mum with kids, how did you find
public transport?
S8 (22:11):
I found public transport quite horrendous with young kids. There
was never a bus that went from home to the
destination I was going. There was always a bit of
a walk. You would never know whether you'd get a
bus with steps or ramps, so you didn't know whether
to fold up the umbrella stroller or whether to leave
it down and getting two kids on and off a bus.
(22:35):
Often the driver doesn't help. Uh, so you just sort
of stuck there. You've got to be able to manage
what you've got. So it's a bit like the airport.
You've got to manage your own baggage. You've got to
manage your own children and, uh, pram on a bus.
S5 (22:50):
And I find that there's one thing that a lot
of people don't take into account is if you're doing
more than one thing, you've got to take everything with
you as well. So if you're going shopping and then
maybe going and see a doctor or something like that,
everything that you need for that day has got to
be with you. You can't just leave it in the car.
S8 (23:05):
I find that a huge disadvantage because you traipse around
a backpack. I've got one client that has been to PT,
then will come to me for a massage and they
have caught a bus to me, and then they've got
their guitar with them because they're going to a music
lesson afterwards. And it's just a massive amount of stuff
(23:26):
that we have to take around. We have to pre-prep. Yeah,
we can't live in our car and say, oh, I
think I've got a spare towel or, oh, spare water
bottle in my boot.
S3 (23:42):
Yeah. I've, um. Yes, I've had this problem too. Uh,
you know, the amount of, and especially because, you know,
you got a dog as well. So I can sort
of relate to Sonia in this respect. Not fully, but
sort of. You have to take stuff for the dog. Yes.
You always have to be prepared if you're going out
for any more than, say, two hours and the place
(24:04):
that you're going to hasn't got water or whatever, you
have to take everything water, bowl, poo bags, a bottle
of water, you know, uh, emergency food. It's all you've
got to pack it all. You've got to have everything because, well,
even vet paperwork. I used to take my vet paperwork everywhere,
just in case, you know, the dog had an accident
(24:26):
or illness while we were out. And. Yeah, it's just
a whole thing. Like if you're going out for a
day and you're going from one place to another, you've
got to carry a massive backpack. It just makes things
so much harder.
S2 (24:37):
Well, when I was in training and studying at the
same time, I had a case where there would be
a tutorial at around about 3:00 and I'd have to
go straight from university to training. So yes, I would
be carrying my books for the tutorial in the same
bag as I was carrying my running shoes and my
sports equipment and stuff like that as well, because there
(24:59):
was no opportunity to go home and drop things off
or anything like that. There was. So it was all
in the same bag or a whopping great bag as well.
And often, yes, I'd be grabbing some stuff at the
shops on the way home as well, so you'd end
up with three lots of stuff in the old sports bag.
S3 (25:13):
Yeah, well, I don't think we are talking to Stephen
next to and I don't think he touched on this,
but we do a lot of our grocery shopping without
the assistance of a support worker, because Stephen doesn't like
people being with him when he shops. Okay. That's he
he doesn't like it. So Steven often has to take
a trolley and then, you know, he takes his cane and, uh,
(25:33):
you know, so coming on the bus, it's not so
bad because the trolleys light, you can just lift it
up on the step if there's a step or whatever,
and you go, but then if you've got like a
trolley full of shopping coming home, it's a disaster. It's
absolutely taxing. And I've been out with him while he's
done it. You know, I've been following with Mackenzie or whatever,
and it's so tiring. I don't blame him for being
absolutely buggered at the end of just a two hour
(25:54):
shopping trip. And that's not even, like a whole day's outing.
S2 (25:57):
So to finish off, we will be talking to. Well,
your husband.
S3 (26:02):
I began by asking him when he started using public
transport and his earliest memories of doing so.
S9 (26:09):
From a very early age. I learnt to travel on
public transport, through school, on the buses and whatnot. I
lived up north at Elizabeth. I used to travel all
the way down to Hove on the bus 2 to
3 times a week. I started off doing it once
a week or once a fortnight when my mobility instructor.
(26:30):
Now this goes back to pre mobile phone days pre
GPS all of that stuff. So we had to do
it the hard way. And we had maps. They used
to take about 2.5 hours for me to get from
one end to the other. That was during peak hour.
There was one incident during a heat wave. It was
about 35, 38 degrees and I got stuck on a bus.
(26:53):
We were just coming out of the city and there
was a train strike, and I was stuck on that
dang bus for three hours, which set in traffic, and
my mother was panicking. I didn't have a phone. We
didn't have phones or anything back then. So yeah, that
was the most memorable thing. That was bloody awful, I
tell you. Very hot, fully packed bus. You couldn't get off,
(27:16):
the bus wouldn't move. Everybody was panicking and sweating and
we were all stuck on that bus for three hours
in the city. Fully.
S3 (27:24):
What do you think of the general public's attitude towards
you when you catch public transport?
S9 (27:29):
Most of the time people are pretty friendly and if
they see me coming, they'll get up out their disabled seats.
But a lot of the, uh, a very, uh, privileged
young people, I should say, they all take up the
seats and I don't really care. They'll make you stand
there and whatever. A lot of the time, the bus
driver would get up and say, hey, he needs to
sit there. And I'm like, no, we actually have an
(27:52):
extremely good bus service in Adelaide and God bless them.
I tell you what, we'd be lost without them. Some,
sometimes they give me the air. It's like everybody else,
I suppose, because you'll be waving them down and they
won't stop. But it's all an adventure, you know. I
love the bus system. I can ride buses for hours.
I hate travelling around the cars. I feel claustrophobic, but
(28:13):
it's always nice to sit on a bus and get
to know people. Sometimes you get to talk to people
and sometimes new Australians. They want to talk to you.
Sometimes there's other people with dogs or other people with disabilities,
and you strike up a conversation with a stranger. It's
all nice and friendly. Uh, yeah. I'd really do love
travelling on the buses. Not the train so much though.
Trains are a bit funny with the doors, automatic doors
(28:35):
closing and opening, and having a set amount of time
to quickly get off and on before they start closing
on you.
S3 (28:42):
So in this day and age of mobile phones and
viral videos, we are seeing an increase in incidents happening
on public transport of assault or confrontation. Do you ever
feel any anxiety about travelling on public transport?
S9 (28:57):
Yes, a lot of people with disabilities and visual impairment,
they carry a certain level of anxiety, PTSD, some of us,
and sometimes it takes a lot of courage just to
step out the door. And with me in particular, at
the moment, I'm having issues with that and having a
huge anxiety. I do love buses and I love getting
(29:17):
out and about. But I gotta tell you, if you
get a bus driver and you start chasing me out,
I really want to snap and have a garden because
it takes all the energy you've got in your soul
to get out and about. Sometimes I've been on the
bus and I've gone to do my ticket, and bus
driver will tell me, oh, don't worry about it. Sit down,
(29:38):
sit down. Go on wasting time. We've got to get moving.
So I've stopped doing that. And then because I've stopped
doing that, I'll get a bus driver that will sit
there and wait and like, after three minutes, you go,
are you going to scan your ticket or not? I'm like,
are you talking to me? Oh, the blind one with
a cane. He's just going to yell random stuff out
so he can't sort of win or lose with that.
S3 (30:00):
Unfortunately, I have heard many a tale of blind people
accidentally sitting in spilt drink or other such fluids. Have
you ever had that experience?
S9 (30:15):
Oh, dear. Here we go. Where are getting into the
dark side of things here. Unfortunately, a lot of elderly
people or kids perhaps can be a little bit incontinent,
and a few times I have sat in someone else's. Um,
let's just say urine on the seat. It's very horrible.
(30:37):
I tell you, because it's not so bad if you're
on your way home and you can, like, quickly get
home and have a shower or whatnot. But if you're
going out and you sit in somebody else's warm piddle,
you're going to have a piddly piss poor day of things. And, uh, yeah,
it happens. I mean, it's one of those things, I suppose,
being vigilant with anything. Fill the seat before you sit
(30:57):
on it. Don't just put it down and plonk your
bum down because you, um. You might regret it as
I have in the past.
S10 (31:05):
Oh, dear.
S2 (31:09):
I've had, I've had quite literally I've had happened to
me as well. I was took a bus to, um,
work when I was working for, um. Hewlett. Hewlett Packard
and I set in. Yes. The, uh, disability seat and
someone had sitting there I think had, uh, yes, it
(31:30):
was dry, but the smell was still there, and the
smell was with me for the whole day was I
was at work because there was no opportunity to just
turn around and go home again.
S3 (31:38):
Yeah. I think I remember a couple of months ago
coming into work and be like, Sam, I'm sorry, but
I've sat in somebody else's pee, so it looks like
I peed myself or it smells like I peed myself.
S2 (31:48):
I haven't well, it's a good story, and you're sticking
with it anyway. That's a wrap for this week. A
big thank you to Tim, Maddie, Sam, Colley, Sonia and Stephen.
S3 (32:01):
And of course, a big thanks to you for listening.
That includes our listeners on the Reading Radio Network. You
can find a podcast of this program, plus some extra
content by going to Apple, Spotify, Google or your favorite
podcast platform Next week.
S2 (32:16):
Once more we tackle the topic of vision loss.
S3 (32:18):
We explore how vision loss shapes our identity, relationships and
everyday life. We ask what adaptations people make to rebuild.
S2 (32:28):
But between now and then, please do get in touch
with the show. Whether you have experience of any of
the issues covered on this week's episode of Studio One,
or if you think there's something we should be talking about,
you never know. Your story and insight may help somebody
else who is dealing with something similar.
S3 (32:42):
You can contact us via email at Studio One, studio
number one at Vision Australia. Org or of course, as usual,
you can find us on Facebook or Instagram by searching
for VA Radio Network.
S1 (32:58):
Studio one was produced in the Adelaide studios of Vision
Australia Radio. This show was made possible with the help
of the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at.
This is Studio One with Sam Rickard and Lizzie Eastham
on Vision Australia Radio.
S2 (00:25):
Hello, I'm Sam and I'm Lizzie and this is Studio One,
your weekly look at life from a low vision and
blind point of view here on Vision Australia Radio.
S3 (00:32):
This week it is said that Australia is a car society,
but that doesn't help us.
S2 (00:38):
So in order for us to get anywhere, we are
reliant mostly on public transport. We talk to a few
friends about their experiences on buses, trains, trams and ferries.
S3 (00:48):
As we always say at this point, please do get
in touch with the show. Whether you have experience of
any of the issues covered on this week's episode of
Studio One, or if you think there's something we should
be talking about. You never know. Your story and insight
may help someone who's dealing with something similar.
S2 (01:03):
You can reach us via email Studio one at Vision Australia. Org.
That's studio number one at Vision Australia.
S3 (01:09):
Org or of course you can drop us a note
on the station's Facebook page by going to facebook.com slash
Radio network.
S2 (01:19):
Hello, Lizzie.
S3 (01:19):
Hello, Sam. How are we on this dreary day?
S2 (01:24):
It is a rather dreary day. Summer seems to have
decided to pack its bags and go elsewhere. At least
that is in our part of the world. Knowing some
of some of our listeners will probably tell us that yes,
it's baking and hot and wherever they are, please do
let us know if you do have apparently have our
email address, so feel free to, uh, tell us about that.
And in fact, we have an email here from friend
(01:46):
of the show, Kelly Schultz, who wanted to give us
an update on the one three Cubs situation at the
moment and if things are actually working. So if it's
okay with you, I will read it out.
S3 (01:58):
What if I said it wasn't?
S2 (01:59):
Well, I'd read it out anyway. All right, I'll just
do it. So in a silly voice, though.
S3 (02:03):
Off you go.
S2 (02:03):
Okay. I thought I'd share a little story, given our
mutual interest in taxi and rideshare refusal. Usual. Yesterday. I
think I saw the one three cab system in action,
and for once it looks like it might actually be
working the way they claim. I've got the assistance box
ticked in my app, but have always been skeptical about it.
(02:25):
When I spoke with them, they assured me those bookings
are actively monitored. The driver I got yesterday was absolutely fine,
no refusal, and even told me he's left money to
guide dogs in his will. But here's the interesting bit.
As we got into East Melbourne, his phone rang on speaker.
It was one three cabs calling to ask why he
hadn't picked up the job yet, how long was he
(02:47):
going to be and why he was going in the
opposite direction. It turns out he hadn't put the meter
on when he picked us up, because it was a
set fare. App booking. He didn't actually need to run
the meter, but apparently he does need to flick it
on to indicate the job is underway. So yes, they
may indeed be monitoring these things. Well, I think that's
(03:10):
a positive, positive piece of news.
S3 (03:11):
That's very interesting. I mean, imagine being Kelly in the
cab and getting a call from one three cabs. I mean,
I wonder, Kelly, did you speak to the operators and say, nah,
he picked me up. I'm here. I'm all good. I'd
love to hear how that went down and how that
conversation happened. I'd love to have been a fly on
the window that day.
S2 (03:30):
As I said, any positive news is something that we
do like to report. So again, dear listener, if you
have any more news on that, please let us know
because we genuinely want to know. Know what's going on
out there. Um, have you had any interesting refusals recently?
S3 (03:43):
No, I haven't really been using cabs or Ubers very
much because I'm still in the teething process with Mackenzie.
So we've been catching a lot of public transport, which
funnily enough, is the subject of tonight's show.
S2 (03:58):
How has the new guide dog been going on? Um,
buses and such like.
S3 (04:03):
Yeah, we got some teething issues to work out. I
think she's a little bit hesitant to do some things
that I ask her to do, especially if she thinks
that she knows better than me what I actually want.
Which is a bit weird, but for the most part,
she's a really good dog. She's, you know, attentive. She's
got a lot of initiative. She keeps calm when, you know,
(04:23):
the bus gets crowded. So not too much to complain about.
Just a few teething issues, but I'm sure that we'll
work them out over time.
S2 (04:30):
Yes. You seem to be okay. When I picked you
up at the bus stop today, so, uh. But apparently,
what are we? A week ago, she got all muddled.
S3 (04:38):
Yeah. So we got to the interchange. Okay? We walked
all the way, all right? And that was all good.
And then we crossed the lights to get from one
side of the interchange to the other. And the minute
we crossed over, she just did a bunker. Couldn't decide
where we were supposed to be going or why I
wanted to go that way. And she couldn't seem to
figure out that, um, yeah, there's a bollard there and
(05:00):
I can go around it. So that was very interesting.
I was stuck behind this bollard for five minutes, thinking
to myself, how am I going to get out of
this situation? Um, and because there were people standing and
they wouldn't move when they could see that we were
trying to get to the directional tactiles, it made things
hard sometimes.
S2 (05:20):
I think when things like that, it would be handy
if a dog came with a horn attached to it.
So you could just beep, beep, beep and get people
out of the way.
S3 (05:26):
Anyway, sometimes I wish that I could use the dog
and the cane at the same time so I could
have the best of both worlds.
S2 (05:32):
Well, you sort of see pictures of people doing that,
but yeah, I suppose it's frowned upon.
S3 (05:38):
Well, I tried doing it with Lacey and she absolutely
skidded out. She's like, are you gonna hit me with
that thing? So I haven't tried it with Mackenzie yet.
Maybe I'll try it on the way home. I mean,
I do have my cane with me.
S2 (05:49):
Well, um, we are talking about public transport this week, and, um,
it comes hot on the heels of a interesting email
that we, uh, had forwarded to us regarding a study that, uh,
one of the universities is making That some women don't
take public transport because of poor experiences when they were younger.
S3 (06:10):
Yeah. Basically, the study highlighted that women who had been
exposed to harassment or had been victims in cases of
assault on public transport at the age of 18 or under,
I believe it was were less likely to catch public transport. And,
you know, we got forwarded this study because I think
(06:30):
the powers that be wanted us to do an episode
on it. And I thought it was a good idea. But, Sam,
you highlighted something that is so true. And that is
the fact that for a lot of us who are
blind or vision impaired or have a disability which precludes
us from driving, we have no choice but to catch
public transport. So even if we have been victims of
(06:52):
assault or exposed to harassment or whatever it might be,
we don't exactly have a choice. We can't exactly say, well,
that's it. I'm not catching public transport ever again.
S2 (07:03):
Exactly.
S3 (07:04):
Because that would make everything that would make daily life costly,
for a start.
S2 (07:08):
Well, yes, you'd be taking taxis and rideshares everywhere and
support workers. Support workers, indeed. And yes, the plan would, uh,
suddenly empty very, very quickly. Um, so yes, the choice
that most people with a vision impairment or who are
totally blind have is use public transport or just don't
go anywhere, or maybe marry somebody who drives a car.
(07:30):
That's the other option, I suppose. Um, and yeah, that's, um,
the other thing. I mean, that's something that I've learnt
over the years. It's something that I think I've been
able to do since I was ten. And that is
the skill of bumming a lift. Doesn't matter where I am,
I will still always, um, do that. It's always easier
than public transport anyway.
S3 (07:48):
Bumming a lift?
S2 (07:49):
Yes. So if I'm out at a function or something
like that, when I was competing as an athlete and
be looking around talking to someone, I was like, oh,
where do you live? Oh, can you drop me off
at such and such a place?
S3 (08:00):
Yeah, I used to do that too, actually. And then
people got sick of me bumming lifts.
S2 (08:05):
Ah, no, I find that in that sort of case,
you've got to be shameless anyway. Uh, that's enough of us.
How about we catch up with a few friends here?
So first, let's listen to what Tim's got to say
on the whole thing.
S4 (08:20):
Well, I get a bus because it's at the end
of my street, and, uh, I'm a bit more these
days because I run a business, and I'm very busy,
and I need to get here, there and everywhere really quick.
So I'm a bit more of an Uber these days. Like,
I'll spend a couple hundred a week on Ubers, you know,
like just to get from here to there and everywhere.
But the bus, uh, or a tram, because I have
(08:42):
tram that stops not far up the road from me.
But I'm a fan of all public transport. I mean,
what whatever gets you to the place you need to
go to the quickest is the one to grab.
S5 (08:52):
Now, you used to live in, um, a semi-rural area. Um,
you did. And so tell us about how what it
was like trying to flag down buses when you had
a lot of other, um, vehicles going past.
S4 (09:06):
Oh, now I do. Okay. So I go the gym
on Pulteney Street on, uh, on a couple of days
a week for PT, so I get the bus there.
That's no problem at all, because you're standing at a
bus stop on a reasonably quiet road. It stops. No problem.
On the way back, when I'm standing on Pulteney Street
to go out to Unley Road, you have to flag
the bus, right? And I can tell there's a bus
(09:27):
by at the traffic lights, which are about 30 or
40m away. Right. But I can't read the number. So
basically all I do is I have my cane out
and the bus stops. Right? Some of them get grumpy
when you don't want it. But what do you say, mate?
What am I supposed to do? So that's overcome that.
Because if a person with a cane is standing at
(09:48):
a bus stop, they should stop, right? That's theory. Doesn't
always work that way, but that's how I get around it.
S5 (09:54):
Now, what about, um. Because I remember you telling me
at one stage about trying to flag down logging trucks.
S4 (09:58):
I've done that. Yeah. So I used to. I used
to have to get a bus on Belair Road early
in the morning and you'd there's like a bend just
before the bus stop. And the thing had come around.
I'd put my hand out. It was like a, it
was like a maybe a garbage truck or something like that. Yeah.
Pretty stupid though. Probably wondering what I'm doing, but, uh, yeah.
Just from not being able to see it because, I mean,
(10:19):
I do, I use my phone camera and I have
my cane out so I can kind of work out
what it is now a little bit better. I've just
become a bit smarter with it.
S3 (10:32):
Funny about that. I've often flagged down trucks. I mean,
how many times have we been standing on the main road, Sam?
And I've gone, oh, is that the bus? And you've gone. No, Liz,
it's a dump truck.
S2 (10:43):
Mhm. Nice. And you can only tell as it's going
past that. It's actually a, uh, a garbage truck. Truck
for example. And it's like. And then yes, as it
recedes off into the distance, the smell stays with us.
S3 (10:55):
Yeah. You know what I'm mad about? Will you remember
that time you and I were standing on South Road
and my sister texted me like, oh, I just saw
you standing at the bus stop on South Road. I'm like.
And you didn't think to stop and give me a lift?
S2 (11:07):
Well, yeah, exactly. Um, just. Yes. She was driving a
a truck, a truck.
S3 (11:13):
Yeah. How dare you?
S2 (11:14):
Yeah, she could have just stopped in the middle of
a busy main road and pulled.
S3 (11:19):
Into the bus stop. I mean, we were standing at
the bus stop. It's not like we were walking.
S2 (11:23):
Mm.
S3 (11:24):
You could pull into the bus lane and just, you know,
I'll hop in. Wait. Yeah. Did I have Lacey with me?
Because if I did, that might make it a bit tricky.
S2 (11:31):
Ah, well, I think you were between dogs at the time.
S3 (11:34):
How do you get her in a truck?
S2 (11:35):
Oh, she can always ride in the back, I suppose.
S3 (11:37):
Today we had one of those situations at the interchange
where two buses pulled up at the same time. So,
you know, I had Stephen with me. Um, just because
I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety, which we'll
talk about later. And, uh, we were making our way
to the bus behind the first bus that arrived, and
the bus shuts its doors and. Stevens oi Mei, can't
(11:59):
you say she wants to get on the bus? And
he's like going off his head? And anyway, the bus
driver starts pulling in closer to the curb, and I
think we must have felt really bad because he opens
the door and he goes, I was just trying to
pull in close. So he didn't go a over T
and Stevens like, I am really sorry because he's like
jumping up and down, waving his arms around like, oh,
(12:20):
she wants to get on that bus.
S2 (12:23):
Well, we will be hearing from Steven of course, a
bit later. But in the meantime, let's hear from Maddie.
S6 (12:29):
I definitely prefer the trains over buses. I've missed so
many buses, um, and had quite a few issues with
certain bus routes and buses not stopping even though you're
trying to hail them. And uh, yeah, they can be
quite tricky.
S2 (12:46):
I've noticed. Also, if you try hailing a truck down,
they don't stop.
S6 (12:49):
No they don't.
S3 (12:49):
Um, I think we've all done that, haven't we? Yeah,
I've certainly done it.
S2 (12:58):
Hauling trucks is not not necessarily a good idea, but
there's not necessarily a good way of avoiding that if
you can't actually see or tell one from another.
S3 (13:06):
No, no. And they sound very similar too.
S2 (13:08):
They do indeed. Uh, so yeah, I do prefer trains. Um,
for most of my first 30 or so years of
my life, I was reliant on buses because in both
the cities I lived in over that time, both Darwin
and Canberra, it was reliant on the bus system. So
the trams are a lovely novelty and they tend to
be quicker as well because they're not reliant on traffic.
(13:30):
So if it's peak hour then they'll just cut straight
through and yeah, there's a set stop. So as long
as you know that your stop is coming up, then
it's a lot easier to. Yes get them. That's that's
my point of view. But you don't really have that choice,
do you?
S3 (13:44):
No, I have to catch buses. But however, for the
first like four Years of mine and Lacy's, um, working career.
I would say we lived in an area where the
only way to get to the city was to catch
a train. Well, the only quick way to get to
the city was to catch a train. So we got
used to catching trains and it wasn't so bad. I mean,
(14:07):
Adelaide railway station is a bit hard to navigate if
you can't see, but when you have a really smart
dog like Lillee was, it's not too bad. We didn't
fall off any platforms or.
S2 (14:18):
Yes, we have or had a mutual friend who decided
at one stage she wanted to see how far down
the tracks were, and she fell off the platform.
S3 (14:28):
Yeah, I'm just glad she got up on time. How
did she do it? Like, how did she get up?
S2 (14:32):
I never asked her, but I did hear that. I
think everyone's heard that particular story.
S3 (14:37):
Yeah, I think they have.
S2 (14:37):
And, Sylvie, wherever you are, you're missed.
S3 (14:40):
Indeed.
S2 (14:41):
Anyway, who are we hearing from next? Oh, the rather
verbose colleague of ours, Sam Collie.
S7 (14:52):
Well, the thing with, um, trains, I like trains most. Um,
it seems just the most straightforward kind of, um, mode
of transport. Um, you just get on. It takes you
from point A to point B, you know, ideally when
it's not sort of delayed or buses replacing and all
(15:14):
this other palaver that goes with, um, public transport and things.
But um, I think especially um, nowadays when the train
ideally announces, you know, here is the next station, it's
this one, um, and that sort of thing. That's great.
(15:35):
Trams don't do that so much. You sometimes you get
a smart tram and it says this stop is such
and such. That's great. They don't all do that. Um,
most of them do, but the old ones don't. Um,
and the buses are probably my, um, least preferred mode
(15:55):
of transport. Not necessarily the worst ones. I mean, they
serve a purpose when trains, trains and trams aren't available,
but they don't always announce where the stop is and
what the stop is. And you know how far it
is that you have to, you know, go before your
stop arrives and all that sort of thing. And I
(16:18):
understand there's a couple of apps that are coming out
or being developed that are looking to address that issue. So, um, quite, um,
interested to follow the progress, um, there. But yeah, I
think that's probably um, the main things. Um, yeah.
S2 (16:40):
Do you have any interesting stories, uh, that you might
want to share regarding public transport?
S7 (16:45):
Yes. Um, so in terms of the priority seats for
people with disabilities, I, um, if people see me from
far away and don't see that I'm obviously legally blind,
you can get people have a go at you for
sitting in a spot right next to the door that you,
(17:06):
with your, um, blindness or low vision are entitled to
sit on. But, um, you know, people are saying, well, no,
you don't look blind or you're not this, you're not that.
But and that's not really their place to make that
assessment of you without knowing you at all. And that's
the whole thing there. But, um, you know, that that
(17:29):
that can be an issue when you're, um, seen as
quote unquote, not blind enough or don't look blind and
all this stuff, it's just it's something you just don't
really feel like dealing with it on a on an
everyday basis. So you just, you know, you stand up
or you sit somewhere else or that sort of thing,
(17:50):
you just end up avoiding it. Really.
S3 (17:58):
Interesting. He says that because with a guide dog, you'd
never have that problem.
S2 (18:02):
No, not really. And also cane users wouldn't necessarily have
that problem either, which is actually one of the reasons
why I don't carry a well, I don't usually have
a cane when I'm going onto trains or public transport,
because I've had old ladies offer me their seats and
it's like, don't, your need is more than mine.
S3 (18:17):
See, I'm in that same position with you as well, Sam,
in that, like, I would rather a pregnant woman or
an old lady. Take my seat. I am strong, fit
and capable of standing. I am more than happy to
stand as well. But because we have a disability, yeah,
we we get priority. Which in some respects it's great.
And in others it's like, well, it's all right. You
(18:39):
can keep your it's fine.
S2 (18:41):
Having a non-obvious disability is. It really is a double
edged sword as far as that goes.
S3 (18:46):
It's because I can imagine.
S2 (18:47):
Um, yes. Sometimes it's handy to be inconspicuous. Other times
in the case. I mean, what's been a godsend really
has been that the blind pass is now a smartcard.
S3 (18:59):
Yeah, I agree.
S2 (19:00):
So quite often I was at the mercy of bus drivers,
for example, when I was going to work and things
like that, and you'd sort of flash your pass and
they'd nod and you'd sort of walk past and then
they'd say, hey, you need to put your ticket in
the machine. And it's like, I've just shown you a pass.
S3 (19:14):
So yeah, I'm really glad that they've updated to the
Metro because, you know, um, not only do we now
have a smartcard, but we can just scan our tickets
and go on our merry way, just like everybody else.
We don't have to flash the pass at the driver again, though.
I used to, when I first started with Lacey. Forget
my blind pass everywhere I went. And you know what?
(19:34):
Nobody ever asked me for it. And the one time
that the inspector came on the bus. I was like,
oh mate, I'm really sorry. I forgot to bring my
boarding pass. And he's like, I wasn't even gonna ask you.
I can see you've got the dog. I'm like, yes.
S2 (19:49):
It's nice when people are actually sensible, isn't it? Uh,
but I mean, the other thing as well is going
through gates at stations used to be a major pain
in the neck. And I, of course, relived that every
time that we go interstate because our passes don't work
on the gates in, say, places like Sydney or Melbourne
or anything like that. So, um, we have to sort
(20:10):
of flag somebody down and say, can you let us in?
S3 (20:12):
Well, Lacey used to target the gate in Adelaide railway station.
You know, the one right down the end which has
the people manning it. And she was great. She'd go
straight in there and she'd just like, boom, that's the
gate you want to go through, mum? Like, you know what?
Like I'll think about Lacey was really good. I know
she was really bad in her last 12 months of
like of work, but she was a really good dog.
S2 (20:34):
Unfortunately. That's the nature of animals. They don't last forever
as far as their health and everything like that, that goes.
But no, that particular gate you're talking about, it used
to really bug me because, um, during busier times, again,
going to and from work, you'd have to wait in
line as somebody was arguing with the ticket collector about
(20:55):
whether they should have a ticket for their bike or not.
Or you have someone who is new to Adelaide and
doesn't know where things are, asking questions and having a
bit of a chat. In the meantime, I'm sort of
sitting back there going, my bus is in another five minutes.
S3 (21:09):
I need to go.
S2 (21:10):
I do need to go.
S3 (21:11):
I can smell them donuts and I really want one.
S2 (21:14):
So. So yes, the magic card that actually takes us
directly through the gates nowadays. And I think people in
other parts of Australia can sympathise with this is really
is a godsend. It's it's terrific. So that's one of
the big things that has changed that I am really,
really happy with. Anyway, next up we're talking to Sonya.
S8 (21:36):
I do use a support worker to help me do
day to day tasks such as grocery shopping appointments. I
will use public transport if I'm going to the city.
So more as a leisure thing. The city or Tea
Tree Plaza and I don't need to be there on
(21:56):
a specific time. But if time is crucial, such as
an appointment at a physio or a doctor orthodontist, I
would definitely go with a support worker.
S5 (22:07):
As a young mum with kids, how did you find
public transport?
S8 (22:11):
I found public transport quite horrendous with young kids. There
was never a bus that went from home to the
destination I was going. There was always a bit of
a walk. You would never know whether you'd get a
bus with steps or ramps, so you didn't know whether
to fold up the umbrella stroller or whether to leave
it down and getting two kids on and off a bus.
(22:35):
Often the driver doesn't help. Uh, so you just sort
of stuck there. You've got to be able to manage
what you've got. So it's a bit like the airport.
You've got to manage your own baggage. You've got to
manage your own children and, uh, pram on a bus.
S5 (22:50):
And I find that there's one thing that a lot
of people don't take into account is if you're doing
more than one thing, you've got to take everything with
you as well. So if you're going shopping and then
maybe going and see a doctor or something like that,
everything that you need for that day has got to
be with you. You can't just leave it in the car.
S8 (23:05):
I find that a huge disadvantage because you traipse around
a backpack. I've got one client that has been to PT,
then will come to me for a massage and they
have caught a bus to me, and then they've got
their guitar with them because they're going to a music
lesson afterwards. And it's just a massive amount of stuff
(23:26):
that we have to take around. We have to pre-prep. Yeah,
we can't live in our car and say, oh, I
think I've got a spare towel or, oh, spare water
bottle in my boot.
S3 (23:42):
Yeah. I've, um. Yes, I've had this problem too. Uh,
you know, the amount of, and especially because, you know,
you got a dog as well. So I can sort
of relate to Sonia in this respect. Not fully, but
sort of. You have to take stuff for the dog. Yes.
You always have to be prepared if you're going out
for any more than, say, two hours and the place
(24:04):
that you're going to hasn't got water or whatever, you
have to take everything water, bowl, poo bags, a bottle
of water, you know, uh, emergency food. It's all you've
got to pack it all. You've got to have everything because, well,
even vet paperwork. I used to take my vet paperwork everywhere,
just in case, you know, the dog had an accident
(24:26):
or illness while we were out. And. Yeah, it's just
a whole thing. Like if you're going out for a
day and you're going from one place to another, you've
got to carry a massive backpack. It just makes things
so much harder.
S2 (24:37):
Well, when I was in training and studying at the
same time, I had a case where there would be
a tutorial at around about 3:00 and I'd have to
go straight from university to training. So yes, I would
be carrying my books for the tutorial in the same
bag as I was carrying my running shoes and my
sports equipment and stuff like that as well, because there
(24:59):
was no opportunity to go home and drop things off
or anything like that. There was. So it was all
in the same bag or a whopping great bag as well.
And often, yes, I'd be grabbing some stuff at the
shops on the way home as well, so you'd end
up with three lots of stuff in the old sports bag.
S3 (25:13):
Yeah, well, I don't think we are talking to Stephen
next to and I don't think he touched on this,
but we do a lot of our grocery shopping without
the assistance of a support worker, because Stephen doesn't like
people being with him when he shops. Okay. That's he
he doesn't like it. So Steven often has to take
a trolley and then, you know, he takes his cane and, uh,
(25:33):
you know, so coming on the bus, it's not so
bad because the trolleys light, you can just lift it
up on the step if there's a step or whatever,
and you go, but then if you've got like a
trolley full of shopping coming home, it's a disaster. It's
absolutely taxing. And I've been out with him while he's
done it. You know, I've been following with Mackenzie or whatever,
and it's so tiring. I don't blame him for being
absolutely buggered at the end of just a two hour
(25:54):
shopping trip. And that's not even, like a whole day's outing.
S2 (25:57):
So to finish off, we will be talking to. Well,
your husband.
S3 (26:02):
I began by asking him when he started using public
transport and his earliest memories of doing so.
S9 (26:09):
From a very early age. I learnt to travel on
public transport, through school, on the buses and whatnot. I
lived up north at Elizabeth. I used to travel all
the way down to Hove on the bus 2 to
3 times a week. I started off doing it once
a week or once a fortnight when my mobility instructor.
(26:30):
Now this goes back to pre mobile phone days pre
GPS all of that stuff. So we had to do
it the hard way. And we had maps. They used
to take about 2.5 hours for me to get from
one end to the other. That was during peak hour.
There was one incident during a heat wave. It was
about 35, 38 degrees and I got stuck on a bus.
(26:53):
We were just coming out of the city and there
was a train strike, and I was stuck on that
dang bus for three hours, which set in traffic, and
my mother was panicking. I didn't have a phone. We
didn't have phones or anything back then. So yeah, that
was the most memorable thing. That was bloody awful, I
tell you. Very hot, fully packed bus. You couldn't get off,
(27:16):
the bus wouldn't move. Everybody was panicking and sweating and
we were all stuck on that bus for three hours
in the city. Fully.
S3 (27:24):
What do you think of the general public's attitude towards
you when you catch public transport?
S9 (27:29):
Most of the time people are pretty friendly and if
they see me coming, they'll get up out their disabled seats.
But a lot of the, uh, a very, uh, privileged
young people, I should say, they all take up the
seats and I don't really care. They'll make you stand
there and whatever. A lot of the time, the bus
driver would get up and say, hey, he needs to
sit there. And I'm like, no, we actually have an
(27:52):
extremely good bus service in Adelaide and God bless them.
I tell you what, we'd be lost without them. Some,
sometimes they give me the air. It's like everybody else,
I suppose, because you'll be waving them down and they
won't stop. But it's all an adventure, you know. I
love the bus system. I can ride buses for hours.
I hate travelling around the cars. I feel claustrophobic, but
(28:13):
it's always nice to sit on a bus and get
to know people. Sometimes you get to talk to people
and sometimes new Australians. They want to talk to you.
Sometimes there's other people with dogs or other people with disabilities,
and you strike up a conversation with a stranger. It's
all nice and friendly. Uh, yeah. I'd really do love
travelling on the buses. Not the train so much though.
Trains are a bit funny with the doors, automatic doors
(28:35):
closing and opening, and having a set amount of time
to quickly get off and on before they start closing
on you.
S3 (28:42):
So in this day and age of mobile phones and
viral videos, we are seeing an increase in incidents happening
on public transport of assault or confrontation. Do you ever
feel any anxiety about travelling on public transport?
S9 (28:57):
Yes, a lot of people with disabilities and visual impairment,
they carry a certain level of anxiety, PTSD, some of us,
and sometimes it takes a lot of courage just to
step out the door. And with me in particular, at
the moment, I'm having issues with that and having a
huge anxiety. I do love buses and I love getting
(29:17):
out and about. But I gotta tell you, if you
get a bus driver and you start chasing me out,
I really want to snap and have a garden because
it takes all the energy you've got in your soul
to get out and about. Sometimes I've been on the
bus and I've gone to do my ticket, and bus
driver will tell me, oh, don't worry about it. Sit down,
(29:38):
sit down. Go on wasting time. We've got to get moving.
So I've stopped doing that. And then because I've stopped
doing that, I'll get a bus driver that will sit
there and wait and like, after three minutes, you go,
are you going to scan your ticket or not? I'm like,
are you talking to me? Oh, the blind one with
a cane. He's just going to yell random stuff out
so he can't sort of win or lose with that.
S3 (30:00):
Unfortunately, I have heard many a tale of blind people
accidentally sitting in spilt drink or other such fluids. Have
you ever had that experience?
S9 (30:15):
Oh, dear. Here we go. Where are getting into the
dark side of things here. Unfortunately, a lot of elderly
people or kids perhaps can be a little bit incontinent,
and a few times I have sat in someone else's. Um,
let's just say urine on the seat. It's very horrible.
(30:37):
I tell you, because it's not so bad if you're
on your way home and you can, like, quickly get
home and have a shower or whatnot. But if you're
going out and you sit in somebody else's warm piddle,
you're going to have a piddly piss poor day of things. And, uh, yeah,
it happens. I mean, it's one of those things, I suppose,
being vigilant with anything. Fill the seat before you sit
(30:57):
on it. Don't just put it down and plonk your
bum down because you, um. You might regret it as
I have in the past.
S10 (31:05):
Oh, dear.
S2 (31:09):
I've had, I've had quite literally I've had happened to
me as well. I was took a bus to, um,
work when I was working for, um. Hewlett. Hewlett Packard
and I set in. Yes. The, uh, disability seat and
someone had sitting there I think had, uh, yes, it
(31:30):
was dry, but the smell was still there, and the
smell was with me for the whole day was I
was at work because there was no opportunity to just
turn around and go home again.
S3 (31:38):
Yeah. I think I remember a couple of months ago
coming into work and be like, Sam, I'm sorry, but
I've sat in somebody else's pee, so it looks like
I peed myself or it smells like I peed myself.
S2 (31:48):
I haven't well, it's a good story, and you're sticking
with it anyway. That's a wrap for this week. A
big thank you to Tim, Maddie, Sam, Colley, Sonia and Stephen.
S3 (32:01):
And of course, a big thanks to you for listening.
That includes our listeners on the Reading Radio Network. You
can find a podcast of this program, plus some extra
content by going to Apple, Spotify, Google or your favorite
podcast platform Next week.
S2 (32:16):
Once more we tackle the topic of vision loss.
S3 (32:18):
We explore how vision loss shapes our identity, relationships and
everyday life. We ask what adaptations people make to rebuild.
S2 (32:28):
But between now and then, please do get in touch
with the show. Whether you have experience of any of
the issues covered on this week's episode of Studio One,
or if you think there's something we should be talking about,
you never know. Your story and insight may help somebody
else who is dealing with something similar.
S3 (32:42):
You can contact us via email at Studio One, studio
number one at Vision Australia. Org or of course, as usual,
you can find us on Facebook or Instagram by searching
for VA Radio Network.
S1 (32:58):
Studio one was produced in the Adelaide studios of Vision
Australia Radio. This show was made possible with the help
of the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at.
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