Amtrak locks wheelchair bound passenger in train
Follows dangerous security protocol
He was trapped on a darkened train all because the conductor was in a rush to get to a party. The lights and the engine were shut off. Amtrak's rules are straight forward-if your are disabled you are the first to de-train and Red Caps assist you with your belongings.
You are not locked on the train with the lights turned off left to fend for your disabled self unable to get your wheelchair off.
He was trapped and held against his will. Period.
What if he had collapsed as has a seizure condition that leaves him highly susceptible to falling? Worse he had just suffered a series of seizures and his eyesight had left him.
And security? What if this were a passenger that was intent on doing harm—he could have easily pulled off a massive disaster due to Amtrak's lackadaisical excuse for security.
We as travelers are harassed to no end, strip searched, body scanned, x-rayed, all except when the conductor or pilot has another arbitrary concern or company party to attend.
Fortunately, he was not the “T” word and was ONLY a disabled man being tortured and kidnapped by the railroad.
The man's disabled children, a girl 6 and a boy 8, both suffering from limb girdle muscular dystrophy were waiting for him outside. The father only agreeing to what was suppose to be a momentary separation as he was promised that help was “—seconds away.”
The ailing family was now becoming increasingly distressed over the others disappearance. What sort of thing was this to do to 3 disabled people? What would have happened if the children were abducted from the Chicago Station platform while the father was locked helpless on a darkened train? “By The Grace of God Go I” is not an appropriate standard of security for one of the world's largest traveling institutions.
Ms. Marty Martin 73, was one of the many witnesses to Mr. Xoss disparaging and reprehensible treatment. These were—multiple punishments—that occurred over a several day trip. Mrs. Martin suffering from sleep apnea and congestive heart failure found herself in similar situation with Amtrak-as she was also left alone and abandoned.
All facts that will not shine brightly upon Amtrak's organization. Perhaps her conductor was on his way to a party too?
The disabled man did state to an Amtrak that “— it is difficult to imagine that The DOJ would look at such instances as anything other than a serious breach in the chain of proper security protocols and the rampant and institutionalized abuse of disabled people.”
After he complained about another inordinate wait, the red caps finally showed up. They dragged his luggage on the ground and acted incredibly irritated at the disabled family's existence. He denounced Amtrak's behavior; that he was locked in the train, being the last off, separated from his children and having his bags scrapped along the ground—it was only then that the uniformed personnel demanded the disabled mans ID, a Disability Badge which was hanging conspicuously around his neck. When he inquired as to why they would '–be asking for his ID when he got OFF the train as opposed to getting ON the train - #039; he was referred to 6 other employee’s who also repeatedly demanded he identify himself.
He went to file a discrimination complaint, with the Chicago Supervisor Kathy Baker, he was told he “—had enough time to file a complaint or board the train—but not both — rdquo;. Yet the train to Los Angles was over 3 hour away-he was then forced to move his own luggage-again sighting his own early arrival “—you have to go get your own cart and move your own luggage because you are so early — rdquo; Mrs. Baker proudly proclaimed. She seemed upset that her allegation that the luggage weighed over the limit of 50lbs failed to materialize-after each and every article that the family had was weighed. He warned her that she was abusing every single Amtrak rule simply as a mechanism of harassment. Additionally “—what did weighing the bags have to do with being locked on the train? Is Amtrak really allowed to lock you on the train if your bags weigh too much—and weren't you suppose to weigh the bags when you were getting ON the train and not OFF the train? ”
She sighted the fact that unruly passengers can be thrown off the train and forfeit the cost of their fare.
The disabled father responded that he now “—understood the rules and that if he filed a complaint his family would be stuck in Chicago with no way of getting home.”
That would be the second time that Amtrak would kidnap and hold the family hostage.
After being habitually harnessed by Amtrak on their journey back to Los Angles the family discovered that both of the 6 month old wheelchairs that had been shipped by Amtrak appeared as if they were thrown off of the train. Both were smashed and unusable. The father's wheelchair was worth over $27,000 and now was nothing more than an expensive paperweight. The other chair now only operated in reverse.
Amtrak was now using the story that the wheelchair was delivered broken as the disabled father “—had admitted to them — rdquo; as much. They failed to mention that the father was referring to a previous pediatric wheelchair that was delivered to the him and that he was forced to return as such a chair was useless to a grown man of nearly 6 ft and over 200 lbs. All of which is clearly documented in the family’s medical records.
Demonstration Amtrak willing to what ever they need to do to get out their obligations. Apparently the railroad has to fix some way to explain how metal parts were TWISTED off the wheelchair.
Amtrak would have you believe that every event that took placed against the disabled man and his family were separate and individual events rather then a pattern of force, discrimination and intimidation.
Who on God's green Earth is going to believe that you better start looking for the OJ jury and see if their available their your one and only hope he have no fear of security tapes the transit officers held his hand, his arm and hugged him how bad he have been?
It makes much more sense that the disabled man was wrongfully taken last off the train, locked aboard the train, improperly separated from his children, had their bags dragged across the ground, were threatened that they couldn’t get on the train if they filed a discrimination complaint, that Mrs. Bakers cohort (s) intimidate and harassed the family all the way back to Los Angles and finally in the utter act of malicious conduct had both of their wheelchairs destroyed appearing as if not ONE but BOTH were smashed by having them thrown off the train.
Anything to not fix the wheelchairs you broke!
I lost 2 jobs because of you as I have no way of getting to work or doing a job as I can not stand for long periods of time. You have helped to make me and my 2 disabled children homeless—I am living off of vouchers. Amtrak your are just bad people~!
Anderson, Mark" [email protected] as the administrator of this case you have become the evil enforcer of power gone wrong! Do the right thing refund my round trip fare and fix my wheelchairs! Yeah how did they both break anyway Adam?
Your Malicious defamatory and slanderous position will not be tolerated. His witnesses extend from transit police officers to Ms. Martin, Paul, Beth, Shanana, Mrs. Lopez, Mr. Brown ET AL.
PS The other very important thing he informed Amtrak of; Not negligence but maliciousness.
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