Ferry Employee Harassed Me Over My Disability – What Can I Do?

I take the the ferry to school every day and use my TAP card to get the reduced fare for disabled riders. I’m a disabled veteran and have never had an issue using it—until today.

At the ticket counter, a woman I had never seen before tried to charge me full price instead of the reduced fare. When I told her I had my TAP card, she took it and started questioning me about why I am disabled.

I told her I’m a disabled veteran, and she responded, “You don’t get it for being a veteran.” I clarified that I am a disabled veteran, and she kept pushing, repeatedly asking what was wrong with me.

I told her I wasn’t going to tell her, but she wouldn’t drop it. She kept pressing for specifics about my disability, which was humiliating.

I started having an anxiety attack and could barely respond at the end. Finally, she processed my reduced fare but said, “Fine, I’ll give it to you, but I’m questioning it.”

That was humiliating—she was basically implying I was lying despite me having official documentation. I was so shaken up that I didn’t even realize she never gave my TAP card back. Now I have no way to get my reduced fare.

I’m mostly just venting, but I also want advice on how to handle this. I already submitted a formal complaint, but I don’t want them to just brush it off. I also need to figure out how to get my TAP card back. If anyone has dealt with something like this, I’d appreciate any input.