CALGARY – A troubled trip for a Calgary senior has left him and his family frustrated with a trusted mode of transportation.
Still nursing his injuries, Albert Medland is in disbelief, wondering why a routine trip to his bank turned into such an ordeal.
Albert relies on his scooter to get around and uses Access Calgary Transportation to get him around the city.
The agency contracts out their services to different providers, including Associated Cab.
While on his way to the bank, Albert says the driver stopped a mile and a half away from his intended location and told him to get out. When Albert questioned him, the driver said he was at the address he was given and refused to take him anywhere else.
Albert got out of the cab and was left to navigate his own way to the bank, rolling up Shaganappi Trail with no sidewalk and speeding traffic behind him.
In his rush to get to his bank before closing, he took a hard fall.
“I was laying there upside down. This young fellow saw me, came over and said, hey do you need help. I said I sure do,” says Albert.
Associated Cabs says the driver was following orders; because of the varied clientele, drivers count on their records for the drop-offs even when the rider says differently.
In this incident, the company says the driver contacted Access Calgary for clarification and was told by them to leave the client there.
“I don’t think the elderly are treated properly,” says Albert’s wife Vivian.
“They’re not crazy, they’re crippled. They should be treated kindly.”
The Medlands say they will continue to use Access Calgary – it’s their only choice – but hope their story will force drivers to be more sensitive when it comes to its vulnerable passengers.
The Medlands have received an apology from Access Calgary. The driver is also looking into his cell phone records to verify he did make a call about what to do with the clients.
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