Woman recounts ‘nightmare’ TTC bus ride with mother who uses wheelchair

Emily Miller and her mother (left) and a TTC bus (right). (Emily Miller, THE CANADIAN PRESS/Hannah Yoon)

Emily Miller is considering taking another method of transportation after she says that an erratic TTC bus ride with her wheelchair-bound mother caused her to strain her shoulders and back.

Miller lives at home with her 58-year-old mother, who was diagnosed with stage 3C ovarian cancer last November, which caused her to start using a wheelchair. The 23-year-old says she has taken leave from her retail management job so she can provide full-time care to her mother.

On Oct. 1, Miller says they were heading over to Scarborough Town Centre to grab some dinner together. Their trip to the mall turned into Miller’s “worst nightmare” from the moment they boarded the bus at McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue shortly before 5 p.m., she says.

“Usually when we board the TTC, the driver offers to secure my mother (inside of the bus), asks which stop we’re going to—this driver did none of those things,” Miller said. “He was only concerned about how long I was taking to board the bus with my mom.”

Miller says the driver berated them, shouted at them to hurry up as they paid their fares, then accelerated the crowded bus before they could safely make it to the accessible seating area. She says the driving caused her and her mother to “jolt forward” towards the middle of the bus.

“It felt like we flew, I could barely hold on. My mom’s wheelchair was on like two wheels, it was tipping,” Miller said.

Miller said she did all that she could to ensure her mother didn’t topple over and, in the process, strained her shoulders and back. Her mother also sustained some bruising to her foot, Miller said, as she had extended her leg to prevent herself from bumping into anything.

“I yelled out, ‘Hey, stop, stop immediately,’ and my mom also shouted for him to stop,” Miller said, noting the driver did pull the bus to a halt so she could secure her mom in the accessible seating area.

Miller approached the driver after and asked him to immediately call a supervisor, but she says he ignored her and continued driving toward the Scarborough mall.

They arrived at the Scarborough Town Centre four stops later and Miller said she demanded to speak with a supervisor again, but the driver again refused.

“When we requested the supervisor, he says he doesn’t care, over and over again, telling us he does not care, he’s been driving the bus for 14 years (without incident), he does not care,” Miller said. “It was really upsetting.”

Miller said they were backed up by another woman who stepped in, offering to wait for the supervisor with them. Miller said the woman who helped them was partly standing on the ramp, calling for help, when the driver decided to pull the ramp, causing it to slam down and crush her foot.

In a video reviewed by CTV News Toronto, the driver can be heard repeatedly telling Miller and the other woman he does not care as he sits behind the paneled door in his driver’s seat.

“You are already out,” the driver said.

Miller said a supervisor eventually came and was “very apologetic,” but says the whole incident has them reconsidering whether to take the TTC in the future.

“My mom has cancer, it’s heartbreaking because we’re going through so much as it is, just trying to board the bus to know the TTC does not take our safely seriously, it’s devastating,” Miller said. “I’m worried about individuals with disabilities who are travelling alone—(is) their safety in jeopardy now?”

Gabriel Reznick, a staff lawyer at ARCH Disability Law Centre, tells CTV News Toronto the TTC should be fully accessible on its public transit.

“All users should be able to ride conventional transportation and there are these safety measures in place for a reason,” Reznick said.

Reznick says ARCH has had clients who got stuck on the subway or being unable to get off the bus, so transit system is still not fully accessible.

“The other issue is ensuring that the drivers have that knowledge and training,” Reznick said. “They should have ensured, offered assistance, to help lock down the wheelchair and put in those protections in place.”

‘Safety is paramount to all we do’

A spokesperson for the TTC confirmed to CTV News Toronto it has reviewed both Miller’s videos and the internal bus footage, but it could not comment directly on specific personnel matters.The transit network did say that corrective measures are currently being taken and management is handling the matter.

“First, let me say the TTC takes this matter seriously and we do apologize to the customers for their experience,” spokesperson Stuart Green said in a statement.

“As safety is paramount to all we do, we have specific training protocols in place when it comes to ensuring all customers are safe on their travels, particularly those with mobility or other assistive devices.”

Drivers are trained on customer safety and accommodation for mobility devices, the TTC adds, and anyone found violating that training or proper protocols is subjected to discipline.

While it has been over a week since the incident, Miller says she has been slowly able to start caring for her mom again, though she still has some limitations due to pain and discomfort.

“I’m feeling a bit better physically, just still very shaken up and upset by the whole thing,” Miller said. The 23-year-old says she is currently in the process of obtaining legal representation.