DEAR SUN SPOTS: Is there anyone in “Sun Spots Land” who could occasionally take me to either J.C. Penney Co., Kohl’s, or the Dollar Store, as I don’t have a car or access to transportation? Any assistance provided me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. — No Name, Lewiston.
 
ANSWER: Sun Spots hopes that you will be wary of accepting rides from strangers. Although there are many well-intended individuals out there who are sure to want to help you with your situation, the unfortunate reality is that there may also be a bad egg in the bunch who would seek to take advantage of you. Try reaching out to trusted friends, relatives or neighbors before accepting rides from people who you do not know. Other places to check for willing and safe volunteer drivers might be with local churches or a nearby senior center.
 
If you have exhausted those options, fortunately, the Lewiston-Auburn area has several safe options available to help people like yourself travel to and from errands for little to no expense. First, the Lewiston-Auburn Transit Committee offers a public bus system, citylink, that provides low-cost transportation in and around the Twin City area, including to the mall area. Fares top off at $1.50 for a regular priced ticket, but drop as low as 75 cents for seniors and disabled persons. Monthly passes range between $18 and $36 if you are a frequent rider. To find out more about this service, call (207) 777-4563 or visit them online at www.purplebus.org.
 
Western Maine Transportation Services offers “curb-to-curb” rides to places such as pharmacies, shopping, food pantries, health care appointments and even for visiting with families and friends, for as low as $1.50 for seniors age 60 and older, disabled persons and children. Local agencies, such as United Way of Androscoggin County, SeniorsPlus and Maine DHHS may have programs available to help lower the cost even further for certain individuals. The service is available Monday through Friday during daytime hours. Call 1-800-393-9335 for more information, or visit them online at www.wmtsbus.org.
 
Community Concepts also offers transportation options to and from medical appointments, and has a volunteer driver program for both medical and non-medical transportation. They have an escorted transportation service available to the general public for a fee that provides door to door transport for non-medical transportation needs. For more information on this service, call 1-800-866-5588, or visit them online at http://www.community-concepts.org/transportation/non-medical-transportation/.
 

Use the QR code to go to Sun Spots online for additional information and links. This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com, tweeted @SJ_SunSpots or posted on the Sun Spots Facebook page at facebook.com/SunJournalSunSpots. This column can also be read online at sunjournal.com/sunspots. We’ve joined Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/sj_sunspots.


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