Another one rides the bus.

[NellieBly]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

My son is 27 years old and is high functioning autistic. He has problems with body management and kinesthetics (oh my that sounds new age-y). He trips a lot and twists his ankles and talks too loud. Well, not too loud, he just really projects. I don't know how he does it, but he projects. He does this at home too.

He rides the bus. The bus company has issued him a reduced fare bus pass, for handicapped and disabled people. This has a magnetic strip which indicates on the fare box what kind of pass he has.

Today he was riding the bus and called me on his cell phone to make arrangements for me to meet him at the bus stop with an umbrella, as it was pouring rain.

In the midst of this I heard the bus driver yelling at someone.

It turned out she was yelling at him to move to the back of the bus if he was going to talk on the phone.

Can she legally do that? Other people talk loud, with no repercussions.

Now he doesn't want to ride the bus.

 

[cbg]

What evidence do you have that (1) other people who talk on the phone are never asked to move to the back of the bus and (2) the SOLE reason your son was asked to move to the back of the bus while he was talking on the phone is due to his disability? I mean evidence that will stand up in court.

 

[NellieBly]

Talking loud is a manifestation of his disability.

I've never seen anyone asked to move.

 

[Hot Topic]

I've heard a woman talking to her about to be ex on a cell phone at FedEx Office so loudly that a customer leaving the place told her off. I've heard plenty of people talking so loudly on cell phones while riding buses that they gave a new meaning to the term "private conversation."

I think you need more to claim discrimination.

 

[Proserpina]

Talking loud is a manifestation of his disability.

I've never seen anyone asked to move.

Just because you've never seen anyone asked to move doesn't mean that it has never happened.

How often do you ride with your son?

How often do you ride the bus, period?

Are you riding several routes per day with the same driver?

 

[NellieBly]

We ride the bus all the time, together and separately (a drunk driver hit our car, totaling it).

We have ridden numerous times with the same driver. She's nice to other passengers.

Other drivers are nice to my son. We always greet them when boarding the bus and thank them when we disembark.

 

[cyjeff]

I can see him speaking so loud as to cause a distraction to the driver and said distraction being a safety issue.

If that is the case, I don't see a problem.

 

[justalayman]

I can see him speaking so loud as to cause a distraction to the driver and said distraction being a safety issue.

If that is the case, I don't see a problem.

Ya took the words out of my mouth.


Nelliebly:

I presume your son, when speaking, does not speak in the same manner as others. If so, there is no comparison between him and others in this issue. While it may actually be discrimination, it would be because he is talking louder and being more of a distraction than others.

Make sure you are comparing apples to apples.

 

[stealth2]

In the midst of this I heard the bus driver yelling at someone.

It turned out she was yelling at him to move to the back of the bus if he was going to talk on the phone.

It's reasonable to assume that, if HE was speaking loudly, then SHE would need to speak louder to make herself heard by your son.

As the others said, your son's volume may well have been a distraction to the driver. I'm sure most parents can understand how distracting noise can be while driving.

For those commenting on "oversharing" by loud conversations on cells? I could tell you stories for days about things I hear my customers talking about on their cells.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Can she legally do that? Other people talk loud, with no repercussions.

You should discuss this with a higher-up at the bus company. They are pretty well versed with the Americans with Disabilities act. As others have pointed out, this may have been done as a safety precaution. On the other hand, it's also possible this was done by some jerk on a power trip.

You can speak with a lawyer and file a lawsuit, but I don't believe that is in the best interest of your son. I think it is in the best interest of your son to find out if there is a good reason why he can't/shouldn't talk while near the front of the bus and go on from there.

 

[cbg]

I understand that talking loudly is a manifestation of the disability.

I am asking for your evidence that the SOLE reason he was asked to step to the back is BECAUSE of his disability.

 

[swalsh411]

The driver has a duty to operate the bus in safe manner. This includes annoying distractions. Apparently the driver felt your son talking on his phone was interferring with that.