Written by Valerie Lawson

Women who are obese, have mobility limitations, and use door-to-door public transportation services to get from place to place in Chicago can experience a high level of stress. To use this public transportation service, a woman must arrange her ride with a phone call by 6 a.m. the day before the ride is needed. She is expected to be ready for pick-up during a two-hour window. It is not unusual for drivers to be up to two hours late. If this causes her to miss her appointment, she does not have the option to cancel the ride and receives a red "X" on her record with the transportation service. After three stikes, the woman loses her access to the transportation service and needs to reapply and wait for approval to have it restored.

Though users do pay for the transportation, the driver often does not have change. Consequently, not having the exact fare is another frustration. The women benefit from education on stress reduction. Controlled breathing, meditation, and other stress-reduction skills are needed while the women wait for the transportation service.