On 17th July 2010, we had our 1st boccia training in Spastic Centre, two months after the tournament which held Kuala Lumpur in May. We started our training from 9.30am until 12pm. Because my parents took me Julie (my youngest sister) for exercises earlier and we home around 10.30am. I had to find my way home.
Because I didn’t want to take my usual cab which charged me RM12 per trip, I asked Joyce, my coach who could drop me home. But there was no one heading the direction to my home, Pit Chong, a volunteer (who is helping in Boccia) was willing to take me on the rapid bus and company me home. I was relief there was someone to help me.
We finished our training around 12pm, because there was a heavy traffic on the main road and the bus stop was across the road. Two staffs were kind enough to stop the traffic for Pit Chong to wheel me across. In the middle of the road there was a divider, Pit Chong and another staff had to carry me over and he wheeled me very fast as the cars keep rushing by.
When we reached the bus stop, there were few school boys waiting the bus too. We waited for nearly half an hour before it arrived. When the bus came, the door opened. The driver saw us and came to assistants us, he opened the ramp (from inside and place onto the ground). Though the ramp is not steep, it must take a person who good in handling a wheelchair to pushed me up the bus. If not I will surely fall.
I heard there was an incident when the bus assistant wanted to push a man in the wheelchair up the ramp, but the bus assistant didn’t see there was a small hole in front. So he pushed the man quite fast, but the man toppled down, luckily his body was strong enough to support himself. Luckily nothing happened to the disabled man.
So, Pit Chong wheeled me up into the bus. There is only one place for a wheelchair user. He turned me round facing the back people and tied a seat bell round my waist. I saw Pit Chong went to pay the bus driver. For disabled they charged RM1.00 and able body RM2.00 or more. Since I couldn’t face the front, I heard there was a lot of noise in front and the back seats were full with people.
Because I didn’t want to take my usual cab which charged me RM12 per trip, I asked Joyce, my coach who could drop me home. But there was no one heading the direction to my home, Pit Chong, a volunteer (who is helping in Boccia) was willing to take me on the rapid bus and company me home. I was relief there was someone to help me.
We finished our training around 12pm, because there was a heavy traffic on the main road and the bus stop was across the road. Two staffs were kind enough to stop the traffic for Pit Chong to wheel me across. In the middle of the road there was a divider, Pit Chong and another staff had to carry me over and he wheeled me very fast as the cars keep rushing by.
When we reached the bus stop, there were few school boys waiting the bus too. We waited for nearly half an hour before it arrived. When the bus came, the door opened. The driver saw us and came to assistants us, he opened the ramp (from inside and place onto the ground). Though the ramp is not steep, it must take a person who good in handling a wheelchair to pushed me up the bus. If not I will surely fall.
I heard there was an incident when the bus assistant wanted to push a man in the wheelchair up the ramp, but the bus assistant didn’t see there was a small hole in front. So he pushed the man quite fast, but the man toppled down, luckily his body was strong enough to support himself. Luckily nothing happened to the disabled man.
So, Pit Chong wheeled me up into the bus. There is only one place for a wheelchair user. He turned me round facing the back people and tied a seat bell round my waist. I saw Pit Chong went to pay the bus driver. For disabled they charged RM1.00 and able body RM2.00 or more. Since I couldn’t face the front, I heard there was a lot of noise in front and the back seats were full with people.
The bus driver stopped at many places for passengers to get down. He went round the town before coming to Pulau Tikus where I stay. Most of them were Malay passengers’ who went down in Komtar.
There is a bell at every side of every seat. It’s convenient for passengers to press and stop at their destination. I couldn’t see much of where the bus was heading because I had to close my eyes as I had headache. It was uncomfortable sitting facing the back . I couldn’t wait to get down at the Adventist Hospital bus stop as it was outside my house.
At last the bus stopped in front of Adventist Hospital, Pit Chong wheeled me down the ramp. He wheeled me all the way to my house which took around 20 minutes walk.
It was interesting as I went round the town for just only RM1.00. This is a very new experience for me as my first time in the Rapid Bus.
