(The following story by Brian Caldwell of Torstar News Service appeared on the Toronto Star website on November 22.)
TORONTO — A disabled Kitchener woman’s complaint about a “disastrous” train trip home from Toronto has sparked an investigation by VIA Rail.
Laura Fiorilla, 53, said she was shuffled from seat to seat, climbed over and jostled on the busy Thanksgiving weekend after too many wheelchair passengers were packed into a crowded car.
“It was totally unsafe,” she said. “That’s why I’m making such a big thing about it.”
Fiorilla, who uses a large scooter to get around, booked ahead to reserve the train’s lone tie-down for her scooter. But she said her Oct. 11 ride home turned into “hell” when two more passengers in wheelchairs were also allowed to board.
If they can’t be folded and stored, safety rules require all wheelchairs to be secured to the floor after their owners transfer to nearby seats.
But on this trip, Fiorilla’s scooter was stuck in a closet and another chair was parked in a washroom because there was only one tie-down available.
Also on board the evening run were two disabled people with foldable wheelchairs and a big crowd of other passengers.
Fiorilla said there was so much congestion that a regular passenger twice climbed over her to get to his seat.
Already sore from a spill out of her scooter a week earlier, Fiorilla said she was in pain when the train finally pulled into Kitchener after a two-hour trip.
In all the confusion, she said, another disabled passenger fell on the floor while trying to get into his chair, eventually crawling to the door to be helped off the train by friends.
Fiorilla made a detailed, written complaint to VIA, then went public with her ordeal because she felt it was being ignored.
But Catherine Kaloutsky, a spokesperson for VIA, said Fiorilla was given an apology and assurances she would be told the results of a full investigation.
She said booking glitches likely led to the “confusing and disruptive” situation and VIA is determined to do whatever is necessary to ensure it never happens again.
“It’s a very serious situation that she’s brought to our attention and we’re committed to making sure that there’s no stone left unturned,” said Kaloutsky.