METROLift Helps Family Reunite with Stolen Handicapped Van
Monday, September 24, 2007 5:33 PM
It started out as a nightmare for the Bess family who lives in northeast Houston.
On Monday night they went to bed. The next morning, their van was missing from their driveway.
It was no ordinary van. It was customized to transport their 17-year-old daughter, Cynessa, who has cerebral palsy, arthritis and is mentally retarded. KPRC Channel 2 reported on the theft and included a photo of the Bess family on its Web site.
Unknown to the family when they discovered their 2003 Chrysler Town & Country van had been stolen, the police had already recovered it and had it towed to Miller's Auto and Body Repair in the Heights. It was sitting there at 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, said Gordon Taylor, manager of Miller's.
"It was dirty, the jack was taken it out of it, the ignition was busted and the steering column was torn up," recalled Taylor, who speculated the thieves wanted to use the van to transport and store auto parts from other stripped cars.
By Thursday, Taylor and his staff had repaired the van and waived the $900 bill for the family. "They needed some help," he said.
He called METROLift, asking if we could give the family a ride to the auto shop so the family could pick up their van.
"I talked with a real nice lady. They were two miles out of your service area, and she talked to the manager," said Taylor.
Last Thursday, METROLift brought the family to their recovered van.
"When we're called to do these things, we try to help out the community," said Art Jackson, (in photo on right) manager of METROLift Services, which gives about 6,000 rides per day. ""They were not (registered) riders of METROLift. We were called upon to help out a family in need, and we responded."
To be a qualified METROLift rider, you must call the Customer Service department for an application, fill it out - then see your healthcare provider or physician who will certify that you have a disability that prevents you from using METRO's fixed routes.
The next step is a personal interview with METRO staff, which will assess your situation and explain the other services METRO has for the disabled, such as kneeling buses with ramps, buses with wheelchair lifts, an enunciator system which calls out stops for the visually impaired and scrolling signs that let the hearing-impaired know their stop.
Many times a person will think he needs METROLift because he is not familiar with other ways METRO is accessible to the disabled.
For example, a person without an arm is clearly disabled but does not need METROLift, while someone who cannot independently navigate our route system, would need the service. This might be someone who is mentally disabled or with Alzheimer's Disease, congestive heart failure or someone undergoing chemotherapy.
"Most of the people who apply for the services receive it," said Jackson.
Once registered, riders can make reservations the next day by talking to an operator or by using an automated phone system. Learn more here. METROLift is moving to our RideStore at 1900 Main to be more accessible to the public and is expected to be open for customers next Monday.
We provide transportation to at least 200 people a day who go back and forth to the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation on West Dallas, and to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the center recognized METROLift today for its services.
Jackson said passengers often complain about late vans or rude people. But he explained METROLIft is a very difficult service to run.
"For every reason we're running late, I can list a reason why. A dialysis person gets on and then gets sick. A mentally retarded person gets on, and there's no one to greet him. The driver will stand by until the working mom gets there. Or we pick up a little old lady who can't remember if she turned the stove off," explained Jackson.
"Our customers need more services than just simple transportation. They need care, and the fact that we do that every day - and provide over 5,000 trips a day - shows we do have a good service in place," said Jackson.