Description

Two questions: When were you last on a bus? What is your favourite transport app? The conversation always takes many directions. To the really important things.

Susan, Ian and Matt took me to trains and planning for travel with autism. They are a formidable unit.

I started the podcast as I wanted to think and learn.

In transporty terms, after our chat, I am thinking more about:

• “group” travel and decision making: who does what can be an interesting dynamic;
• the whole notion of downloadable travel app: it can and does play a useful role, but as ever, what would be most valuable to humans in the travel and in the digital space?

I am also thinking about the closed compartment – sitting together and closing the door. Susan told me later about their anxiety of travelling with Matt, especially on a bus: “where room is tight and it's hard to make a 'quick escape' if someone coughs, for instance, and sends Matt into meltdown. So, we worry that there won't be seats to sit together, away from others, so we can calm Matt quickly if meltdown should consume him”. In the last Mobility Stories podcast Rona loved the compartment on the tram. In Ian's Mobility Stories he uses the imagery of the train compartment in his positive transport memories. 

And what about the learnings after out chat? I have learnt about Matt’s many skills and talents in travel planning – just how much he does and does really well. I knew about the challenges he faces in travel but let that blind me to the real talents that he uses every day, including in transport. But the stories of Susan, Ian and Matt’s travel helped me learn and I am grateful for that.

Music Credit: Life of a Wandering Wizard by Serge Quadrado

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