I presume there are 65,000 blind persons among Culver City’s 45,000 residents.

City Hall, always willing to give less fortunate types a break, fell face first into a puddle of odiferous mud this time.

In a gesture seething with magnanimity, with one hand in the pocket of unfortunate wretches and the other over their mouths to suppress their giggles, the city plans to raise the bus fare on blind people.

In a blunt announcement late yesterday afternoon, the Wise Men of City Hall told us that the blind – those lucky guys — have ridden free for the last 30 years on Culver City busses.

Lucky them, heh, heh.

Wanna trade places?

The dollar-minded Transportation Dept. says 28 years and 24 months is enough of a break. The boys are recommending a change to the existing fare structure. 

Effective Monday, Aug. 4, the blind will be forced to dig into their vast treasure chests and withdraw 35 cents. 

Still grubbing for pennies but less overtly, the boys in Transportation say  local and inter-agency transfer fees of 10 cents and 20 cents still will apply.

Attached to the press release was the precious line “We welcome your input.”
Anticipating a minimal response an outreach meeting will be held next week, on Wednesday evening at 6, in the ground floor Dan Patacchia Room at City Hall.

The Patacchia Room, small as it is, probably will resemble the Coliseum when the meeting is convened. 
The proposed changes and a summary of the public comments will be presented to the City Council for approval in a month, on Monday, July 14.

Sightless people may not have seen this coming, but hopefully their friends will stand stoutly for them.

What, you ask, of the 65,000 blind residents?

The raise is so small that Transportation must have counted on 65,000 to make the increase worth counting.