So Much For Reliable Transportation

[Coworker #1] has a disability. Because of this, she is a part-time employee and a transportation service for disabled people drops her off in the morning and picks her up during the lunch break. 

One day, it is 12:40 pm when [Coworker #2] in the parking lot calls out to me.

Coworker #2: “Did you see [Coworker #1]? Her transport is here.”

Me: “Yes, I just spoke to her. I’ll get her.”

I run to the break room where [Coworker #1] is eating her yogurt. 

Me: “Your transport is here.”

[Coworker #1] starts finishing her yoghurt quickly.

Coworker #1: “They told me they were arriving at 1:10 pm.”

When [Coworker #1] gets outside:

Driver: “Ah, we waited for you!”

Coworker #1: “Uh, yes. I was told you were coming at 1:10 pm and I didn’t get a text message saying you’d be here earlier.”

Driver: “Yes, I forgot to take your number, but if you stay outside, there will be no problem.”

Coworker #1: “I should stay for an hour eating in the rain in case you’re early?”

Driver: “And if you answer me back, we’ll leave you here until 5:00 pm next time.”

The rest of us usually finish at five.

On another occasion, the receptionist receives a phone call from [Coworker #1]. 

Coworker #1: “I can’t come to work today. My transport just called me and they took someone in my place.”

[Coworker #1] is reliable, but the receptionist, with the advice of the executive secretary, decides to call the transportation service for disabled people to be sure.

Transport Employee: “Yes, we had an out-of-time registration, but it was someone important, and then we would have had to find a third driver and a third vehicle just to pick up one person. We had to refuse someone else, instead.”

Because of this, [Coworker #1] lost a day off. 

Unfortunately, that is the only company that offers this service in our city and [Coworker #1] has to make do with it. And having seen the reviews, she is not the only one to have problems with this company.