Airport Ground Transportation

Learning to travel with a wheelchair the last few years has been daunting. You assume ADA has you covered. It's... sub-optimal... in most cases. Let's talk ground transportation options, pros/cons, and my recommendations.

My Gear

Context matters! Keep in mind as you read through this, I am a powered wheelchair user. I have a Fold & Go MagSHOCK compact chair that is has a super long battery life, tight turning radius, folds down to fit in the back of my Mazda3, and is only 60 pounds.

For being a powered chair, this is as portable as you can get.

Buses, Trains, Etc

I've actually been pretty fortunate here with few complaints outside of people not looking down so they run into you or won't move from the designated handicap spot. If you're traveling to a place where this is prevalent (like NYC), you're going to want to look through the apps to find which stations are going to be accessible and where. It's doable, just requires research and time. If you have favorite apps for this - drop it in the comments please!

Taxis & Ride Share

Leaving the airport is stressful if you are abled and trying to find taxis and ride share pickup areas is getting increasingly difficult as airports seem to be pushing them further and further out.

In LA, there's a fair amount of construction going on and the ADA ramp was busted up so I actually had to go around and off the curb into the shoulder of traffic and asked for help to block my way for me to safely make it back to the crosswalk. Unfortunately it's a lot of kindness of strangers you have to rely on here.

Know Your Rights

There are ADA accessible taxis and some areas have Uber WAV if you have a mobility device that cannot be folded down and you need to remain in the chair during your ride.

If you have a device that can be folded, by law a driver must:

• accept your fare
• assist in storing your mobile device
• not charge you extra

This applies to taxi companies and ride share drivers alike!

The Reality Of Things

At Paradies Lagardère Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) , the gentleman directing taxi traffic asked me if I needed an ADA taxi because that could take a while. I said no it wasn't necessary as I could walk a small bit. He asked me if I could lift my chair and how much it weighed because he would have a hard time finding me a driver to accept me.

It doesn't matter that his boss overheard him and admonished him. It doesn't matter that I got a driver and it was no issue with him. I was embarrassed and felt like a burden. The truth is my chair is about as heavy as a large suitcase. It's not really that different and shouldn't be treated as such.

Later that week in LA, an Uber driver slowed down to pull over but saw me stand up so I could get help folding my chair and he cancelled my ride and took off. Doubly insulting, because I wasn't the person who called for the ride (though I had all the details), I have no standing in giving them details and having them address the issue with me. Their driver broke the law (and their terms of employment) but it doesn't matter because I'm not the one who paid the bill.

Renting A Car

Renting a car seems like the preferred option in light of this, but there are some big considerations.

Traveling with help?

If you aren't traveling with someone (colleagues or a partner) you'll be back to relying on others and asking for help which you may not be able to get depending on the time of day and location. The hotel can assist to a degree but you'd be relying on valet for that and paying more. If it's a business trip and the company will cover it, this could be a good option, but make sure you have coverage for all of the situations including getting into the and returning the rental.

Possible Damage

Even if you ARE getting help, chairs are heavy and if people aren't careful they can scruff up the trunk area loading and unloading. Either spring for the damage insurance or bring a blanket or something to protect the vehicle.

Parking

Parking is probably the bane of my existence when it comes to hotels. I often need help which they're glad to provide at the valet rate. I have tried many times to park in handicap spot only to have valet have used them for cars that are not parked legally.

Now I'm a stickler about it and I'll pull up and insist they move the vehicles so that I can use a space. They offer to park for me and charge the self-charge rate. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS. Every time this has been promised, they somehow "lose" the note. Additionally, valet is often provided by a separate company from the hotel and getting charges sorted is a lot harder to take care of.

Bottom Line

If you are traveling for business and renting a car, go over the possible incidentals for issues like this with your boss or budget manager ahead of time so they understand these are not indulgences.

My Recommendations

• Rent a car if traveling with someone who can assist. The autonomy and time savings it provides is worth the additional costs.
• If you don't have the budget to rent or don't have a travel partner, stick with taxi companies. Is it less convenient, sure - but drivers are far more likely to understand what is required of them than a freelance gig worker who may also be disabled (I've had that happen before too and we had a standoff over who was going to get my chair!). If anything does happen, it's far more easy to escalate issues and get a proper resolution. The peace of mind is worth it for me.

Your milage may vary! What tips have you picked up along the way?!