LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) --Â A quadriplegic Louisville man says TARC3 stranded him at the movies, but TARC says he didn't follow protocol to get picked up.
Montez Caldwell said he went to the movies Saturday night at Xscape Theaters, but the TARC paratransit driver that was scheduled to pick him up showed up more than an hour early while he was still in the movie.
Caldwell said the driver told him it was OK and that someone else would come pick him up after the movie, but that didn't happen.
A TARC spokesperson said because Caldwell denied the driver who showed up early, he needed to call to reschedule.
Caldwell said he's been riding TARC3 for years, so he thought he could trust the driver on his word.
After waiting for a ride outside the theater for about two hours, he called Bobbie James with the Metro Disability Coalition for help, but at that point it was past midnight into Sunday morning.
James asked police to help and they got him home, but his wheelchair didn't fit — meaning he was without his only form of mobility for about 12 hours before he was able to get his wheelchair brought to him.
"I think people don't understand, who's not, who don't have a disability, what it's like to have a disability," James said.
She said everything that happened to Caldwell could have been avoided.
"I think they need to start thinking about the situation as if it was their own family member. How would they feel if somebody mistreated their own family member," James said.
TARC said it continues to work on its ongoing driver shortage with increased benefits and a wage increase.
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