[img]1379|right|Mehaul O’Leary||no_popup[/img]Vice Mayor Mehaul O’Leary this morning said he was concerned that his City Council colleagues will be seen as uncompassionate if they vote this evening to charge blind passengers who ride Culver City busses.
Far from deciding how he will vote, Mr. O’Leary said he wants to learn and weigh the comments of the other four Council members before choosing his path.
He presumes the Council will be counseled to certify that blind passengers pay the same 35 cents that others with disabilities are obliged to pay.
The case grew out of a complaint from an anonymous person who was regarded as a threat to file against City Hall.
“There are those out there, unfortunately, who will take legal action based on fairness,” the vice mayor said.
“Not much room for wiggling here.”
“We can all get passionate about various disabilities. But…”
What does “various disabilities” mean?
Mr. O’Leary wonders.
“Is it possible to differentiate them?
“We already have a similar issue in the restaurant business,” said the entrepreneur. “People come in with a dog and say they have a disability. I am not allowed to ask what the disability is.”
The vice mayor conceded that “it would be a lovely situation if we could all people with disabilities ride for free.”
Mr. O’Leary asks a question that could both haunt and anger: What constitutes a disability?
