I honestly tried to give East County Paratransit a chance but after three tries their service is the worst. It was well worth purchasing a handicap van for my mom's doctors appointments. The few times we had to use it we were the only ones on the bus, but we had to be ready for pick up an hour ahead. The doctors office is ten minutes from our house. The appointment took 30 minutes but we were told our pick-up time wasn't for another hour and a half. After I redialed and explained that my mother was a stroke patient and I had no intentions of standing out in the cold with her because the driver only comes as far as the parking lot driveway, a bus was there within 15 minutes. The final straw was last week when I called on a Monday to schedule a ride for the next day. Correct me if I'm wrong but Tuesday does follow Monday. Our appointment was for 1:30 pm with a return time of 2:30 anyway at 12:50 I called to find out what the delay was, the dispatcher or scheduler what ever they refer to themselves as told me I had scheduled for Wednesday. I said No I called you yesterday which was Monday and said I needed a pick up for 1:30 tomorrow. Instead of just saying there was a miscommunication, she insisted I said Wednesday. I ask was there a bus anywhere near our vicinity that could pick us up because we still had 45 minutes before the appointment. The rude dispatcher never tried to check and see if a bus was in the area she just said no. After a few choice words and letting them know how terrible their service was, I hung up, five minutes later a empty Paratransit Bus passed by. The next day at 12:30 the bus shows up after the fact, I looked at the driver and told him he was 24 hours late. It's really shameful how they abuse the elderly, dropping them off for doctors appointments at 8 in the morning and making them wait until afternoon for a ride home. Shame on you for showing no compassion! read more