In anticipation of this evening’s 7 o’clock City Council meeting, Michael Conrad this morning advocated a clean sweep.
“I don’t think blind people should be charged the 35-cents fare,” he said. “I don’t think anyone with a disability should be charged.”
Whereupon Mr. Conrad, 63 years old and blind, segued into a comprehensive philosophy of life, an empathic outlook that hardly any person of goodwill could disagree with.
“My theory of life is – why make it harder for everybody else? Try to make it better for yourself.”
Mr. Conrad of Paramount, a mechanic for 40 years for the Los Angeles Fire Dept., said he did not think it was fair for others with disabilities to be forced to pay 35 cents per ride while the blind travel without charge.
“Instead of putting a hardship on us,” he told the newspaper, “why not make it better for all with disabilities?”
For at least 30 years, says Art Ida, the city’s Transportation Director, blind bus passengers have not been charged the disability fare of 35 cents.
That would not be potentially changing not were it not for an angry anonymous curmudgeon who has sneaked into the shadows and remained out of view.
He contacted Mr. Ida’s office a few weeks ago and accused the city of prejudice.
Mr. Ida consulted the city attorney’s office. Sniffing potential legal hijinks, rather than engage expensively with the hidden accuser, who reportedly has moved in ominously on other transportation agencies, the matter was forwarded to the City Council. This evening’s outcome is not clear.
“I understand why the city doing it this way,” Mr. Conrad said. “But I would like for them to get back to the person who made the complaint. Have a meeting with him. Say ‘Look, we realize the unfairness but let’s bring you people up instead of others down.’”
