Anyone encounter this problem with a bike on the bus?
Last night I got on a MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority) bus at 8:30pm, paid and put my folding Dahon in the folded position between the seats and sat in the same seat. The bus was less than a quarter full. The driver said he had to radio his supervisor to ask him about my bike. After some time, he said his supervisor said I have to take the bus off the bike. I pulled up the MBTA website and the bicycle rules which has a welcoming headline: "BRING YOUR BIKE ON THE BUS" - "You can bring your bike on the bus if:
The bus is equipped with an external rack Check here for bike rack-equipped bus routes.
You have a folded folding bike.
The bus is not a shuttle bus substituting for Commuter Rail or Subway service."
I showed him this and an official MBTA printed leaflet too with the same. He was rude and blanked me off and went in his truck and said he was on the phone and put up his window. Then three local town Police cars arrived and they came on the bus and marched me off the bus with my bike and backpack full of shopping and a shopping bag. I was surrounded by at least six local town police officers on the sidewalk and the MBTA Transit Police drove up with one MBTA police officer. Whenever I tried to show any of them the rules on my phone or the printed version, they said they did not care and did not want to see it or hear about it. The Transit Police officer was the most sarcastic of all of them. So it is 80 degrees, humid and I have perishable food. I was very embarrassed, as I used to live in Arlington. It has taken me all morning to gt through to the MBTA and I talked to a supervisor (who was amazed by all this) and a claims administrator in their legal department. I told them that I want their assurance in the future about their policies and I want a letter from the MBTA that I am authorized to take my bike on he bus in a fold up position and that I have the right to remain on the bus. Otherwise how can I plan anything. How can I be sure that I can be somewhere for my 4 year old son, to feed him or pick him up from school, for example?
It appears that there is a huge disconnect between the office staff and the staff in the field. It is interesting to not that their claims form request hotline is full and is not accepting any more messages.
Update: I have been on the phone to their customer relations and their legal dept. I wrote to the the chief of police of the MBTA and I have written letters to their link "write to the Top'