A San Diego man is battling the local transit system after Metropolitan Transit System police confiscated his discount fare card, saying he couldn’t provide sufficient proof he was disabled. He’s a life-long wheelchair user due to a spinal cord injury from a blood transfusion at birth.
Joey Canales, 31, takes MTS to his job at the San Diego YMCA and has ridden for 12 years without a problem until April 10 when an MTS officer approached him. The officer said MTS was cracking down on fraudulent discount fare cards and asked Canales for his transit identification card that would verify his disability. “They were checking everybody on that sidewalk, so we were happy to oblige and show them our passes and I didn’t have sufficient proof for them,” says Canales.
Because Canales couldn’t produce identification, the officer confiscated his bus pass. “I was shocked for a moment and then the spirit just kind of took over and I knew I had to get this on camera,” he says. Canales tried to explain he never purchased identification because he thought being in wheelchair was proof enough. “I understand if you don’t have an obvious disability they need to check but I think for the rest of us there shouldn’t be a separate ID.”
Canales posted the video to his Facebook account and it quickly went viral with over 800,000 views in one week. The outcry over the MTS policy has garnered support for Canales from around the globe.
MTS stands by its policy of requiring wheelchair users to prove they’re disabled. “Rather than have our officers make judgment calls in the field as to who may or may not be disabled, our policy is for people with discounted fares to carry proof of eligibility and supply it if asked,” MTS spokesman Rob Schupp said in a statement.
Canales wants to work with MTS to find a solution but their past track record doesn’t give him much confidence. “Even if there weren’t media attention they don’t have a reputation of weighing people’s options,” he says. “They do have meetings but I’m yet to meet anyone who goes to those meetings who feels that they were actually listened to.” He is considering legal action.
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As an employee of the My hometown transit system as well as a wheelchair user, I felt compelled to comment on the story about San Diego Transit and Joey Canales.
Mr. Canales is upset he is being told he needs to provide proof of his disability in order to travel at the reduced fare rate (typically 1/2 the full fare). Mr. Canales and his supporters do not realize how easy it is for less-than-honest individuals to borrow or acquire wheelchairs in order to travel for a reduced rate. Those of us that work in Transit see this happen all the time. Even in our small system, we often find mobility aids (canes, walkers and an occasional wheelchair) left behind by passengers who have ridden at a reduced rate.
It is the Federal Transit Administration’s (where most Transit agencies receive funding) REQUIREMENT that individuals that travel for half fare to obtain proof of disability. What this amounts to is a short form completed by the rider’s physician. By law we cannot charge for the ID card.
Mr. Canales needs to obtain proof of disability in order to continue riding at the reduced rate. It’s his choice.