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Ataxia and I: adapted transport

Hello everyone!

I know, its been a few months away, it’s shameful … But hey, my book is now launched, published – it can be ordered in all bookstores in Quebec and, if you live in another country, write me at manu.poirier.stgeorges@gmail.com if you want.  The madness of the Montreal Book Fair is over  – and the holidays too! Nevertheless, I am always short for  time and I have many projects ahead, including: put my books in e-book, have them translated into English and write a third book, a fiction this time, a love story ! : D

For this week, I was supposed to talk in this article about the fatigue inherent in Ataxia but, during the Book Fair, I had glitches with my adapted transport making me want to talk about this service on which we, people with reduced mobility, are completely dependent! So here it is, here I come !!

I had had signing sessions on the program – I had a stamp with a little message made at Bureau En Gros (https://www.staplescopyandprint.ca/PrintOnlineInfo/CustomStampsInfo.aspx) for that – at the Salon du Book of Montreal (at Place Bonaventure). So on Wednesday November 20, 2019, Thursday May 21, Friday May 22, Saturday May 23 and Monday May 25, for a total of eleven hours, I was there doing the hours at the kiosk of my publishing house (Zyeudor Éditions) ! … No bad for a girl who suffers from chronic fatigue, right?

Anyway, Wednesday and Thursday had been good; my transport had been relatively on time. It was Friday that everything was spoiled!

That day, an adapted mini-van / taxi was to pick me up between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. When I called at 3:30 p.m., still at home, to report the delay, the driver supposed to transport me was at the other end from the city. At 4:30 pm, he was even further… At 5:30 pm, the driver who had taken charge of my transportation canceled my reservation; the transport company was actively looking for another car. … Yeah, actively… I preferred to cancel my trip, it was not worth it anymore  and I was on the verge of crying… Because it was not the first time, nor the last certainly, where I was confronted with the inconstancy of these inconsistent taxi drivers – after that, it’s hard not to want to replace them  with autonomous cars…

Then, for my presence on Saturday, when I had called two days before to book my transport and I had requested a return at 7:30 p.m., the computer had scheduled me for … 10:30 p.m! They could not do better according to the operator. … Well, I will be in a book fair, I will read a book, and, at the end, I will go get myself a coffee to wait for my transport I told myself.

That was the plan and, those who read my second book know it, these never work for me …

The problem was revealed to me by my editor during my signing session on Saturday: Place Bonaventure closed its doors at 9:30 p.m.… My editor had called my adapted transport for me – the place was too noisy for my sick little ears – to explain the situation to them. … They couldn’t come and get me earlier; to hear them, I should wait for my transport outside, in the cold.I would call a friend, but I am in a motorized wheelchair …

After discussion with the management of Place Bonaventure, it had been agreed that a security guard would escort me, at 9:30 p.m., to the Bonaventure Hotel next door where I would wait for my transportation with safety and warm. I waited until quarter past midnight!!

Several things can be learned from my misadventures, but essentially that adapted transportation companies in big cities in Quebec (like mine) have been relatively reliable since the implementation of a computerized system. In fact, they are reliable only when these transportations are served by minibuses with their own driver, paid by the hour, but as soon as they delegate to taxis for lack of manpower, it’s is a gamble! And, with our aging population, it will get worse and worse….

Anyway, it was a small slice of my life, I hope you liked it!

Until next time for other adventures!

Manu xxx

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