Do you remember in one of my last posts I talked to you about taxis? I touched on the fact that I also took the train. I took it April 3rd, but I decided to tell you now because I had to clearly explain the details of the service, like how I did other times. I took the Trenitalia train from the Potenza centrale station. But before I tell you how the trip went, I’ll explain the procedure to go through, because it’s different from that of an able-bodied person.
To book assistance for the train, go to the site online or you need to make a number. Since I don’t have a number, I did it all online. You need to go to the site Sala Blu, or to the app. On Sala Blu you must specify the coach, the type of disability you have (if you are in a wheelchair or if you’re blind), and then they ask if you have baggage. You also specify the time of departure from the station you’re taking the train from, and the time of arrival. This is because Sala Blu isn’t at all of the stations (there’s a complete list on the Trenitalia site). I took the train from Potenza going to Rome, and the booking is requested to make sure those assisting you are prepared; they could refuse to take extra bags, for example. After you make the booking, Trenitalia gives you a reference number to call to notify if you’re late. In fact, that day I had to warn them I was arriving 5 minutes late.
I tell you this because I noticed there are people with disabilities that take the train, but I don’t know why we don’t really talk about these good things at our service. We always talk about everything else in the world of disability. And this makes me kind of angry, because we don’t often talk about the few things that are actively for us, both positive or negative. Because if we are silent, we can’t move forward. I, who had never boarded a train in my 33 years of life, for the first time felt that I could. Like a normal person. Like a butterfly with with wings doubly open because before, I took taxis, and since not long ago I’ve taken the train, so I feel reborn. Sometimes it’s a struggle with public transport but we always move forward with a smile and the desire to discover the world even more.
I get on the train, I went to the place dedicated to us, but unfortunately there weren’t belts to block the wheelchair. So, I took the 5-hour train ride with just the breaks of my wheelchair, gripping the grab bar that was next to me on the window side. The first assistant from Sala Blu was nice and blocked me with the suitcases; but let’s say normally there must be a belt that blocks the wheels, especially on these modes of transportation.
So, I took this trip and saw all the small towns. I arrived at Roma Termini at around 10 even though we were supposed to arrive at 9. When we arrived, the conductor called Sala Blu to communicate with us who needed to get off. I say us because there was my sister Sara, my mom, and me. When we arrived, we had to wait for loads of people to get off because in these cases, you either get off right away or you must wait for everyone in the coach to get off. Then Sala Blu arrives with the right platform. It’s a trolley that has a platform with both an opening at the back and an opening in front. They make sure that the platform is level with the train and then move me on. I had an assistant in front of me and one behind that checked the platform and brought me on.
We arrived at the exit of the Termini di Roma station. At first, we had to go to the exit to Via Marsala, so one a little closer (I don’t know if you know, near McDonalds), but then we went to the next exit since we had to take the taxi. We got there and called the taxi. I had already tried to call it from the train, but I was told that I couldn’t book it: We had to call it from that spot. I talked about the inconvenience of that evening here, if you remember. And we are still trying to get Roma Mobilità to send us a good map of the streets that taxis won’t go to because my fear, and my mom’s, is that I’ll call the taxi, it refuses to come pick me up; I don’t have a car and can’t get back home. How does my mom do it? I hope that in one of my next posts I can send you a small interview of a real taxi driver. A hug and we’ll talk again soon, from your free butterfly.
Translation from Italian to English by Sarah Jorgensen on the initiative of the course taught by Nives Valli using the Service-Learning pedagogical approach at John Felice Rome Center della Loyola University Chicago.
