It is more than just getting from Point A to Point B......

The transportation services provided by Ride Connection and our network of partners is more than getting someone from Point A to Point B....it is what that individual trip means to that individual.

When asked what the transportation service Jean receives from Ride Connection means to her, she responded, “It’s the highlight of the week.” The 84-year-old widow still has her home and shares it with two dogs and cats and admits to feeding the neighborhood and stray cats as well so her shopping includes buying for them every week too. The yard work though she says is getting “a bit difficult for me.”

“It gives me freedom” and allows me to “get out”, she says. Retired from Fred Meyer after 25 years, she knows the store well, so despite vision problems she can get around and fill her needs. And she “just loved” a recent trip to the Good Will “Bin Store” and came home with bags full of “new” clothes. “It was such fun,” she said.

Not only does Ride Connection provide individuals life sustaining transportation, we also provide transportation for life enriching activities that allow individuals the ability to remain independent and healthy members of their communities.

Thank you Jean for sharing you experience with us! Also many thanks to the volunteers, staff, and our partner agencies, because without you there would not be any stories to tell.....

Volunteer with a Heart!!

Charlie Morris said he needed something to do. When he retired, he didn’t have a grand plan to go RVing in the Redwoods or fishing in the nearby rivers. He wanted to help. And help he has.

For the last 19 years, Charlie has been a volunteer driver with the Ride Connection and the American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter’s transportation service for older adults and people with disabilities. He always looks forward to Tuesdays when he takes his riders all over the city to the grocery store, doctor appointments, social visits, and more. They all tell him, “I’m sure glad you could do this. I don’t know what I would do without these rides.”

Charlie smiles at the thought of the comments he gets from his riders, but it’s clear to see the pleasure is his. He extols the value of knowing the city as only a routine driver could, cherishes meeting new people, and plainly sees the significance of the service he’s providing. “It’s really something [for my riders] to be able to get out and see the world…even if it’s merely a trip to the grocery store,” says Charlie. He was once laid up because of a surgery that kept him housebound for eight weeks. He says, “There’s nothing more discouraging than being confined in your own four walls.”

Charlie understands the value and importance of Ride Connection’s transportation services. Offering transportation to those who need it enables those riders to maintain independence and to enjoy some of the little pleasures in life, like special holidays such as the upcoming St. Valentine’s Day.
Charlie will enjoy the day for another reason: it’s the day he celebrates 57 wonderful years with his wife. Commitment, dedication and longevity are words Charlie Morris demonstrates very well.

Those Special Connections

At the end of the day it is about the people we work with and those we help. Whatever our roles are at Ride Connection or with our partner organizations, it is all about the customer and getting them to where they need to go. In doing so, we often develop a special connection with our customers, whether it is the gentleman we take to see his wife, the group of ladies we take to their weekly bingo game, or that "tenacious" woman, who's motivation to learn how to use public transportation was getting a good cup of coffee.

Below is a moving story about that "tenacious" woman from one of our Travel Trainers. Thanks Lisa for sharing!

Annaballe, is one of the tenacious cast members of The Rider's Voice and one who started her journey using public transit not knowing if she could even walk to the bus stop when I first met her. She moved from New York to be closer to her daughter living in Portland. She didn't know a thing about TriMet or the area she was living. Through her own determination to get out of the assisted living facility and driven to get a good cup of coffee, she increased her endurance so she could independently use the fixed-route bus system not only for that cup of coffee, but to expand her trips for shopping and medical appointments.

She was good to call and check in with me once a month to let me know how she was doing and ask for other trip plans to new destinations. She eventually was able to leave the assisted living facility and move into her own apartment and learned new bus lines. All this, with her oxygen tanks and walker to help her along the way.

Annabelle called to let me know she had a set back with a spell of pneumonia last month and later on experienced heart failure. She said she called 911 herself for a trip to the emergency room after waking up on the floor of her apartment. I recently visited with her in rehabilitation taking her one of those good cups of coffee and a copy of The Rider's Voice (so she could show off). We talked about current events and her hopes of getting back to riding the bus again.

Annabelle passed away Saturday, 12/18/10. She was 82.

Her daughter called to let me know and to tell us how important public transportation was to her while living in the Portland area. Without the freedom of independent travel the past three years her life experience would have been very different. Annabelle was a very independent person, proud of her accomplishments, and for being able to share her story in The Rider's Voice. Her daughter told me that she shared the book, specifically her story, with family members around the country and with others in the rehabilitation facility. There will be a memorial for Annabelle in New York this Spring, and her daughter intends on taking the book with her and sharing her story with her people back home.

Annabelle is a great spirit and I am a better person for knowing her.

NHTSA Proposes Rule to Reduce Back-Over Crashes

According to National Highway Transportation (NHTSA) estimates, on average 292 fatalities and 18,000 injuries occur each year as a result of back-over crashes involving all vehicles. Of these, most of the fatalities involve light vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less.

Two particularly vulnerable populations – children and older adults – are affected most. Approximately 44% of fatalities involving light vehicles are children under five (an unusually high percentage for any particular type of crash). In addition, 33% of fatalities involving light vehicles are people 70 years of age or older.

To address this issue, The U.S. Department of Transportation proposed a new safety regulation to help significantly reduce the blind zones behind vehicles that can block pedestrians from view. The proposed rule was required by Congress as part of the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007. (The act is named after two-year old Cameron Gulbransen, who was killed when his father accidentally backed over him in the family’s driveway.)

The proposal, issued by NHTSA, would expand the required field of view for all passenger cars, pickup trucks, minivans, buses and low-speed vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of up to 10,000 pounds so that drivers can see directly behind the vehicle when the vehicle’s transmission is in reverse. NHTSA believes automobile manufacturers will install rear mounted video cameras and in-vehicle displays to meet the proposed standards. To meet the requirements of the proposed rule, 10% of new vehicles must comply by Sept. 2012, 40% by Sept. 2013 and 100% by September 2014.

While technology can help reduce back-over crashes, there are many things a driver can and should do to avoid such tragedies. This information sheet from NHTSA provides good information. In addition, here are some basic tips from AAA Exchange:
*Always assume children could be present, and carefully check the street, driveway, and area around your vehicle before backing out.
*When backing up, always know where all children are and have them stay in your full view and well away from your vehicle.
*Always look behind as you back out S-L-O-W-L-Y with your windows rolled down to listen for children who may have dashed behind your vehicle suddenly - and be prepared to stop!
*Use extreme care whenever you back up. If you're driving an SUV or truck, remember that the blind spot behind your vehicle can be especially large.

These simple tips take only an extra few seconds but could save a life.

Another story from the road.....

A couple of weeks ago, my favorite rider, Jack, no longer needed rides to see his wife in a nursing home. They were going to try having her back at home. This was great news, though I knew that I would miss my time with Jack. However, I figured it would allow me to take a couple of Fridays off from volunteering and get to my neglected holiday shopping. I planned to start back up volunteering again in the new year.

This Tuesday, I got a call from one of our great partner agencies, MFS Project Linkage, saying that Jack and his wife were going in for an evaluation at a different hospital. Apparently Jack’s wife would still require around-the-clock care after all. I picked up Jack and we drove home from the hospital.

The new facility was farther away than the old one so we had more time to talk. He told me that he was sad that his wife had to go back in, but he had no choice. Jack let me know that he goes to dialysis three days a week and with his low vision it was almost impossible to give his wife the proper care on his own.

On the way home, he asked me if I could take him to Safeway to go grocery shopping. Without a doubt I could. While helping shop for his groceries (two crabs and two turkey sandwiches), it reminded me of helping my own grandparents and how much I missed them, especially around the holiday season. Just when I had that thought, (right on cue, as if I was shopping with my grandmother rather than Jack), he tried to slip some money into my pocket. I politely declined, which frustrated him. I told him I would bring a donation envelope next time. He grudgingly accepted my compromise and then asked if he could buy me a sandwich or crab, I think jokingly. Again, I politely declined and we made our way back to the car.

In the car we continued our language lessons that I had missed for the past few weeks. I am fluent in English with some fading French skills and Jack speaks Vietnamese and French fluently and is building his English skills. It seems that crab in French is crabe, who knew? Well, I do now because of Jack.

During this holiday season please considering donating your time or making a charitable contribution to Ride Connection, so individuals like Jack can not only see their loved ones, but also enjoy a little bit of the holidays as well….

A letter from a Rider's Family

Below is an email that we received from a family whose mother used the transportation services provided by Ride Connection. Thank you Diane for letting us share this.

James - we just met at the Portland Nursery fund raiser and after hearing what an important contribution Ride Connection provided my family, you asked me to e-mail you with my quote you can use. "Ride Connection was a Godsend for our family."

Somehow that does not seem nearly enough of an endorsement. I trust I will not bore you with additional information, but there is a very personal story that accompanies that quote. I located information about Ride Connection from an agency providing information to people such as our family searching for assistance and alternatives for my elderly mother. (It no longer exists.) Mom lived with us when she began to decline until we were forced to have her cared for in a facility providing 24-hour care. I was still working.

My mother had multiple problems, multiple appointments and kidney dialysis three times each week. My employer was incredibly flexible, but still, it was impossible for us to cover all the appointments and maintain employment. Our lives turned into constant coordination with no relief.

When the elderly are as ill as my mother, their daily lives center around their healthcare and providers. It becomes their social life and my mother was a very social person. After utilizing Ride Connection for several weeks, we noticed my mother concerned about her clothes, her hair, her perfume. On Ride Connection days of course. Because we utilized Ride Connection several times a week, mom developed a relationship with her regular drivers. They became her social life and instead of having a "down" day for a medical appointment or procedure, she looked forward to who might be driving her to/from. Those volunteers provided my mother with discussions outside of her medical world. There are many things in this world we cannot place a monetary value on and the ability to provide an elderly person with a sense of dignity, pride, something to look forward to, and yes, a little excitement as well - Ride Connection did this for my mother.

Something this simple gave my mother more joy than all of the social workers, ombudsmen, nurses, physicians, or any staff person.

Dianne

Oregonian editorial calls for "massive therapeutic intervention" in pedestrian safety

It has not been a banner year for pedestrians in Oregon. As of Tuesday, 55 Oregon pedestrians have been killed. That is an 86% increase since last year! An editorial published in Wednesday's Oregonian discusses these facts and pointedly reminds us that we are ALL pedestrians at some point in our day.

I spend at least 20 minutes of every defensive driving class going over pedestrian issues. When you leave my class you know that there is a crosswalk at every intersection, even if it is not marked by painted lines (for a good reminder of that, see the second video below); but what difference does that knowledge make if you let distractions take your focus away from safe driving, or if you don't vigilantly remind yourself to not only look for pedestrians, but to see them?

(Here's a good example of "inattentional blindness" or the "looked but didn't see" phenomenon)



Here is the link to the video.

The editorial reminds us that pedestrians have responsibility as well. Look at the coat hanging on the back of your chair. What color is it? Black? Dark blue? Isn't it kind of counter-intuitive to wear dark outerwear as we go into the darkest part of the year? Tom Vanderbilt, in his fascinating book Traffic: Why we Drive the Way We Do (and What it Says About Us), says this:

"Studies have shown that pedestrians think drivers can see them up to twice as far away as drivers do. According to one expert, if we were to drive at night in a way that ensured we could see every potential hazard in time to stop---what is legally called the 'assured clear distance'---we would have to drive 20 miles per hour."

Of course we all have responsibilities to share the road. However, when you are the one who is hurtling a deadly weapon down the street at 35 miles per hour or more, you have the greater responsibility to ensure you are doing everything you can to protect vulnerable road users. Remind yourself that you can't see what you're not looking for, and then consciously ask yourself over and over if there are any pedestrians (or cyclists) around.

(By the way, here's a crosswalk reminder, in case it's been a while since you brushed up: )