NYC vs. The Disabled

I worked my first full day today, a 10:30-6:30 shift, and I even ran an errand on my lunch break.  Unfortunately, the errand involved a lot of walking and by the end of the day I was having some bad shin pains.  I was also up with a bad knee pain last night in my left leg, but icing it helped significantly.  So, on my way home the subway was really, really crowded (never move to Astoria, NY- because I'm a misanthrope who likes her space and I'm sick of people moving here) and I actually contemplated asking for the "priority seating" for the disabled.  People can be such a-holes that I usually don't even get into my IBD when I'm having an IBD issue because I don't have it in me to argue the whole "not all disabilities are visible" thing, and besides I'm not THAT disabled- I just really need to sit down sometimes.  A friend suggested claiming pregnancy, which is exactly what I do if I ever have to poop and I think I'll be denied bathroom access-I feign early pregnancy and claim to need to puke.  So I was contemplating what to say, and then I realized, oh, there is no priority seat on this end of the train, it's just a spot for someone to park a wheelchair.  Sucked for me, but sounds fair, right?  I mean people in wheelchairs need the subway, too...except not a single stop in my neighborhood, which is in all elevated line, has access for anyone physically handicapped in any way.  No escalators, elevators (not that you should EVER ride in a NY subway elevator), nada.  And there are a LOT of elderly people in this community who might like to get out more but could do without the three-story climb to the platform.  So riddle me this- how the hell is a wheelchair going to get on that train in the first place? I know, I know, there are probably a scarce few accessible stops along the rest of the line in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but really, I mean it when I say scarce few. 

Pardon me for getting a tad off-topic IBD-wise, but I'd like to mention another huge dis to the "differently abled" as good ol' Timmy (above, right) says.  Recently the Metropolitan Tranportation Authority (MTA) made some cuts that have a lot of people riled up.  The W line in my area is being cut (sucky but not that bad), and there will no longer be free fares for students (aww boo hoo, get school buses like the rest of the country so the rest of us don't have to share space with those disrespectful punks Commuting with NY kids has made me the oldest 28 year-old in America). What really cheeses me beyond belief are the changes they'll be making to Access-a-Ride.  Access-a-Ride is 24/7 shared transporation service meant to pick physically limited persons up at their door.  Well the MTA is changing the service so that Access-a-Ride users will instead have to meet AAR at the bus stop.  OK- the buses are actually the MOST accessible of all NY public transit- they have lifts and ramps for wheelchairs, they have priority seating, they don't involve stairs or elevated lines.  If you are using Access-a-Ride as a door-to-door service, I'm guessing it's because you CAN'T make it to the bus stop.  See what I'm so riled up about? New York disappoints me more and more the longer I live here. Oh, I loved you when...

Anyway, I just needed to get a good rant blog out there.  I've got some updates on my dosing and diet and all that jazz, but I'll save it for tomorrow.  Til then...
xoxo
Li'l Crohnsie