3 yr old autistic boy banned from public transport. VENT!

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He is my son.

Last week we went to get on the bus to come home from childcare. My son and my daughter were next to the bus stop sign. My son was jumping up and down flapping and waving and shouting big bus over and over. The bus pulled up and my children ran to the back door so could get to "their seats" the bus was packed.

I jumped on at the front so i could validate and then jump on at the back to be with my children. The bus driver proceeded to yell at me. "you control your children. The other day a child got ran over down at Arndale because they fell in front of the bus front mucking around. It is parents like you that can't care about the welfare of their children. ect ect ect." It was very confronting and made me . I responded with, "I hope you realise my child is Autistic and by shouting at me about his behaviour you go against disability act 2004. I plan to report this episode as soon as i get home." He started yelling again and i ran and sat with my children while my son had a full meltdown because of the fact he didn't have his seat and the bus driver was still screaming at me.

I get home and report the incident. Screw you bus driver.

Today I get a phone call back from the bus company. Of course they take the bus drivers word for my son being on the road and him only "giving me a talking to because i am a young girl who needs a wake up call about my child's behaviour." The outcome is that My son is not aloud to catch the companies buses unless he is "suitably restrained." It was also mentioned that my son should be wearing something that identifies him as Autistic.

Yes lets tie up the autistic children of the word so they can't flap and bounce and ban them from public transport. I now need to face my fears and get a licese. Until then i can only walk everywhere. Too bad if my children get tired. If we had camera's with microphones on public transport here, I would be going to Today Tonight Or ACA.

What. The. f**k.

That is so beyond messed up.

Honestly? I would still use the bus. They can't ban your child from riding the bus for being Autistic.

OP:
Try to get that in writing, then take it to a lawyer.

Wow, that is really awful.

Do you have any recourse or appeal?

I have asked them to post it out to me in writing.

I also called up the other bus company that runs the other half of the cities services and apparently they can't ban anyone under the age of 5. I am not sure if i want to push my luck with them though and get yelled at again. It was awful.

First I have to say, yes, bus drivers can be very rude and get away with it, even to those who are disabled about their disability. Public transit is not a hospitality industry and as they have a monopoly in the cities they operate in, and most people who take the bus have no choice, they do not have to win over customers.

I had a conversation with a man in a wheelchair once while on the bus. He had severe CP and asked me to help strap his chair down because the driver didn't do it even though they're supposed to. It was then that he told me how inconvenience most drivers act when he boards the bus.

I routinely run into issues on the bus as I am not always as able bodied as I appear, and I've been screamed at by impatient bus drivers, pushed by people who couldn't give me an opportunity to get out of their way, demanded (by other passengers) to give up my seat when I had a good reason for sitting down (I generally do not sit on buses without good reason).

My point is, don't feel you are being singled out because that driver probably yelled at at least five other people that day, and got yelled at by 30, and got reported by 10.

I should also point out, it really is not acceptable for your son to have a tantrum on a crowded bus and your son wasn't actually banned, as your title declares. He is not allowed on the bus without being suitably restrained, and what they likely mean by that is that you are holding his hand and making sure he is not close enough to the curb when the bus comes in such that he could fall in front of the bus, and that he does not run down the isle possibly causing another person to fall, or act in a way which may endanger another person.

The driver could have been more professional and handled the situation better but he did not violate the ADA. He did not say your son wasn't allowed on the bus because he is autistic.

As for your conversation with the company, they were equally unprofessional and, I think their words were sexist more than anything, saying you are a "young girl who needs a talking to," but most of the people who work for these companies are not the most educated people in the world.

Despite the hostilities I think when you get down to the core of it all, the bus driver had good intentions and valid points which were poorly articulated. Children, whether autistic or not, need to act in a manner in public places which does not potentially endanger themselves or others. You should have your children hold your hand and board the bus with you, and not run ahead of you.

Do not let go of the matter. Do your research into what the law says and make your case against the bus company. Also see if it is possible to report them to a regulatory body.

Go to the local newpaper and see if they will print the story.

The power of the press may well shame the compnay in to doing the right thing.

They both had harness buddies on. So I have no idea what "suitably restrained means.

Also my son's meltdowns are not like a toddler tantrum. they are quiet and involve him trying to rip the skin off his arms, so i have to hold him in a bear hug so he can't.

As someone that used a harness when my children were younger, I can safely say allowing them to run ahead of you is the incorrect usage. They are not to be used so you have a line to your wild kid. They are there to help train your child to stay with you at critical stages of development.

Also, if your children entered in the rear of the bus, I hardly think the harness on their backs matters since you were entering at the front. This means you did not have a hold on the other end and the harness was effectively a decoration and nothing more. Your children were, thus, not restrained at all.

When the bus stopped, i wrapped the leash over the animal head and told them to get a seat. They ran onto the back of the bus and my dd sat down. my son was just standing there like a statue because his seat was taken. They weren't running around or being noisy or loud. His meltdown only happened when the bus driver started yelling louder as i got further from him and when i held my son on my lap because he has to be seated while the bus is in motion.

If i had them strapped into a pram, i would have had to have taken them out, and turned my back on them while folding up the pram and then wrestle with it to get in onto the bus up 6 steps which would have taken 10 times as long.

That is the bottom line here: Safety. Your children might want "their seats", but they must not be allowed to leave your side and run to get them.

It really doesn't matter how well behaved your children were when they ran off to the back of the bus. It's simply not something you should be allowing them to do for a number of reasons. They're too young, plain and simple.

I said nothing about a pram (had to google that BTW lol) being necessary. Your children had harnesses on, yet you didn't use them while boarding the bus. I'm not sure how the buses are laid out where you live, but it seems to me it would be safest for everyone involved if your children got on with you. If you are going to have them wear a harness, then use it. That's what it's for, and likely what was meant by 'properly restrained'.

I would keep using that bus. Those people are ignorant for banning your child. It's a given that Autism Speaks speaks for them.

The buses have metal poles down the middle so if i kept holding the harnesses they get tangled up. They also didn't run down the middle of the bus the ran down to the back door where prams are meant to board. It is a silly system. When i have the pram, i have to fold it all up and get it on at the back door with my kids then get back off the bus walk to the front door, get on to validate, then get back off and then get on at the back again. CRAZY! When they were younger, i would have to carry them to the front to validate and then back because they couldn't walk. The whole bus system is stuffed. I would have had to have let them go to validate or buy the ticket at some stage.

I hate the old buses here. when the disabled friendly buses are on route they rock. Just get on and validate and walk calmly holding my children's hands to a seat. Gah.

it was one of these buses. http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewt ... 10&t=35369

I'm not sure I understand the bus situation. The ones here in Silicon Valley have a door at the front where you enter, pay, and go sit. The back door is for exiting only.