That Access-A-Ride to nowhere

Manhattan: Regarding your important and impressive editorial (“Excess-A-Ride,” May 27): As an unsatisfied Access-ARide customer, I cannot understand why the MTA still doesn’t get it after all of these unsuccessful wasted years. The easiest course of direction for the MTA to take is simply to send out to its membership two-way cards that can be used for a taxi ride and the other half returned to the MTA as proof of use. It would become a very large and certainly needed boost to our cab industry. It’s exactly what Access-A-Ride customers have been looking and waiting for all these many years. Just ditch the MTA’s unusable system and their vans altogether. Dan Singer Bronx: As a member of the disabled community, I am in total agreement with your editorial. Using accessible taxicabs would reduce the program's exorbitant costs, and provide much better services to individuals with disabilities. Bring on accessible cabs! Barbara Bobbi Linn

Uber’s no answer

Brooklyn: As a person with a mobility disability, it is a complete mystery to me that after all these years and all the money that has been plowed into Access-A-Ride, service is still so poor. People with disabilities have been fighting for accessible taxis for over 20 years. Now that the government and taxi industry have agreed and created vehicles that can accommodate wheelchairs, let’s use them! Instead, the MTA and Access-A-Ride are looking to collaborate with Uber, a company that bends over backward to avoid accommodating wheelchair users. In addition, Uber exploits and steals from its drivers and cheats its customers by using a sliding fee scale. Yellow, and now green, taxis are an institution in this city and should be supported against the onslaught of unfair business practices of the online rideshare services. Phil Beder

Dissing the disabled

Brooklyn: I’ve been using AccessA-Ride since 1994 — when I wasn’t promised a ride when I called. Now I’m promised but don’t know when or if I’ll actually be picked up or dropped off. If they send me a sedan, I am counted as a no-show because my motorized chair won’t fit. If a driver doesn’t want to let me in my scheduled vehicle, she or he drives off. My husband is ill. If he gets rushed to a hospital after 5 p.m., I can’t visit him by AccessA-Ride until two days later! There are no accessible subways near me. The express buses stop running in the evening, and most times I have to train the bus drivers how to use the lift before I can get on. Why is it OK for transportation for the disabled to be outsourced when it isn’t outsourced for the rest of the population? Because we’re thought of less. You want us to stay home. We won’t stay home. Jean Ryan, VP for Public Affairs,

Disabled In Action

The dangerous Sarsour

Bronx: This Thursday, June 1, Linda Sarsour will be delivering the commencement address at CUNY’s Graduate School of Public Health. At an April 2 Jewish Voice for Peace Conference, Sarsour embraced Rasmea Odeh, found guilty of participating in the 1969 attacks that killed two Hebrew University students, publicly proclaiming that she is “honored and privileged to be on this stage with Rasmea.” While a word is a word and a deed is a deed, words can lead to deeds. Sarsour’s holding Odeh in high esteem could inspire other acts of terror. It is beyond belief that just a few miles from Ground Zero, Sarsour, who outwardly supports a convicted terrorist, is presented as a role model to graduates. Some have argued that Sarsour is a worthy speaker because of all the good that she has done. The truth is that when terrorists or supporters of terrorists preach a positive agenda, they become more dangerous. The good they espouse lends credibility to their horrific message. Sarsour speaking on Thursday is a tremendous blot on CUNY. As the prophet proclaims: “My eyes, my eyes are spent with weeping,” weeping for the victims of 9/11, for victims of terror throughout the world. For shame. Rabbi Avi Weiss

National President of AMCHA the Coalition for Jewish Concerns

Cuomo off track

Bronx: Now our famous governor is asking President Trump for money to fix a problem that he and Chris Christie oversaw for years — the deterioration of transit (Amtrak. LIRR, NJ Transit). During the presidential campaign, Andrew Cuomo didn’t have a decent word to say about Trump. When asked by a reporter if Cuomo intended to return the money Trump had given him for his reelection campaign, with no hesitation he said “No.” Cuomo is as phony as a $3 bill. Nothing against the commuters of these mass transit systems but I hope Trump turns Cuomo down.

Jack Polidoro

Dodger Donald

Manhattan: My husband was a Marine and would be horrified that a five-time draft dodger is now commander-in-chief. It’s a ridiculous argument to bring up Barack Obama, who was a small child during Vietnam and compare him to Donald Trump, whose daddy gave him a doctor’s note about his “bone spurs,” along with his millions, as he continued to play baseball, etc. I have had bone spurs and ran around with kids, fed my family, went to work and so on. There is no need for a commander-inchief to have served in our military, but to have actively dodged it is disgraceful. As for Bill Clinton, I didn’t vote for him either, but at least he had the excuse of being opposed to the war and utilizing his Rhodes scholarship instead.

Kathleen Peet

A papal first

Waretown, N.J.: In my lifetime there have been seven Popes. All through the years, I have seen many photos of these different Popes, with all sorts of people. Dignitaries, common folks, even with a person who tried to assassinate him. Yet, as I look at the Daily News’ picture, I can never recall a Pope with such a dour look, which makes me pose the question. What does it take to make The Pope not like you?

Matthew Giuliano

Low-caliber gun laws

Clearwater, Fla.: Re Another shooting rampage should come as no surprise (“Mississippi man confesses to killing 8 people,” May 28). Due to our watereddown gun control laws, most anyone can buy a gun. All “Thank yous” can be addressed to our elected legislators. Just remember to tell them what a fine job they are doing. But please don’t forget to mention the National Rifle Association. Because it’s the NRA, to whom our legislators pledge their allegiance – helping to keep America “safe.”

JoAnn Lee Frank

Parade two-step

New Haven, Conn.: What hypocrisy from the Daily News, writer Linda Stasi and Gov. Cuomo, among others. Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, had no problem attending the 1983 St. Patrick’s Day Parade honoring the IRA’s Michael Flannery because he said they were supporting Irish pride, not the IRA, a terrorist organization. So did then-Mayor Ed Koch. No NYPD, no FDNY, no sponsors backed out. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was the only one who stated he would not march with an organization supporting the IRA. Can you say, “hypocritical double standards”?

Roberto Caicedo

No fan of Oscar

Hartford, Conn.: I am Puerto Rican, and I would like to give my opinion about this issue of Oscar SABRINA CASERTA López Rivera and the Puerto Rican Day Parade. I totally disagreed with the acts of López Rivera and the FALN. I also disagreed with the people who made that decision to honor López Rivera at the parade this year. In Puerto Rico, the people who support independence are between 3% to 5%.

Antonio Sanchez

Odell getting bad advice

Staten Island: Let me get this right: Cris Carter, the overrated NFL Hall of Famer, is Odell Beckham Jr.’s trusted adviser on doing the right thing? Isn’t Carter the same guy who told a group of NFL rookies a few years ago to always have a fall guy for when you get into any kind of trouble so that he will take the blame for you? Hey, Odell, with Carter as your mentor, he will turn you into Terrell Owens instead of Jerry Rice. Anthony Liverano

Tom’s still terrific

Flushing: I really enjoyed Bill Madden’s piece catching up with Tom Seaver (“Seaver crushes power pitchers,” May 26). The Mets aren’t doing too great this season, and it’s interesting to hear a perspective about the situation from a former player. I’m not sure if I agree with everything he says (after all, we are in a different era of baseball than the one Seaver was in), but it was insightful. Hopefully, some of the players read this article and digest some of his advice. Also, I’m glad he’s enjoying making wine in the West! Alexandra Lu