[Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

Sat Oct 9 22:37:59 UTC 2010

if a place is at least a 20 minute drive and by cab would cost about $25 
each way and the dor-door or para trans bus is $4, why throw away the extra 
money?

Bryan Schulz

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve P. Deeley" <stevep.deeley at insightbb.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2010 5:02 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

> Get a cab!
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>; "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 6:43 PM
> Subject: [Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions
>
>
>> Hi All:
>>
>> I have some more questions about grocery shopping and transportation.
>> Instead of making two separate posts, I figured I'd just put all my
>> questions in one post...they are somewhat related to each other.
>>
>> I'll start with the grocery shopping questions.
>>
>> In the apartment building I live in, there is no elevator.
>> Unfortunately I live on the third floor, which is up four flights of
>> steps. What is the best way to carry lots of groceries up the steps?
>> Would it be okay, when having lots of groceries to set some of the
>> bags on the floor in the hallway by the door, go up with as much as I
>> can carry, then come back for the rest? Is there any better way to
>> carry groceries than in the plastic bags the grocery bagger puts them
>> in? I've been told about burlap sacks that you can carry on your
>> shoulder...does this reduce the load much? I want to make this as easy
>> as possible.
>>
>> How often do you usually go grocery shopping? When you go, do you just
>> get the things you absolutely need, and keep the load as little as
>> possible or do you usually take advantage of the fact you are at the
>> store and get lots of stuff?
>>
>> My next questions are about transportation. I live in a college town.
>> I guess it's your typical college town. It's big enough to be
>> considered a small city or large town...we have five Krogers, four or
>> more Walmarts...tons of restaurants and bars, two malls...two movie
>> theaters. It isn't a major city though.
>>
>> We do have a bus system but I've never been encouraged to use it. I've
>> just been expected to take cabs everywhere.
>>
>> One of the problems though is that the town is not really a walking
>> town...there are parts of it you can walk in but not very many. When
>> things/places are built, often pedestrian accessibility is left out.
>>
>> There doesn't seem to be any blind people; there is no NFB chapter.
>> So, naturally the majority of the people, including most of the
>> students drive. From what I've read on their website, the bus covers
>> many areas, but usually until only 6 o'clock, unless it's downtown
>> where the students are. I don't live downtown though. Because of this,
>> I find myself having to take cabs almost everywhere. Cabs here are
>> about $5-6 each way. Is this normal for a college town? Is this
>> expensive for a cab?
>>
>> Are my only options to either take the bus when it is available or take
>> cabs?
>>
>> Should I just not worry about the expense and take cabs when and 
>> wherever?
>>
>> Is learning to use the bus hard or is it as simple as calling and
>> asking the right questions?
>>
>>>From what I can tell, from where I live, in order to take the bus
>> again since I'm not in the downtown student area I will have to take
>> two buses to get anywhere and it usually takes about two hours. Is
>> this normal for a large town/small city?
>>
>> The closest major city to me is Pittsburgh. There is a bus that goes
>> there twice. In order to take a grayhound bus, or AM track train you
>> have to somehow get to Pittsburgh. Is the bus going twice daily
>> reasonable?
>>
>> For those of you who live in college towns similar to this how do you
>> find a balance between taking cabs, using family and friends, and
>> taking the bus?
>>
>> What is the cost monthly of owning a vehicle compared to taking cabs
>> all the time? I'm sorry to ask this...I've never been told.
>>
>> I guess I am just asking these questions because I want to make sure
>> I'm not getting screwed so to speak. I don't mind taking cabs, but
>> sometimes I feel like I'm just automatically expected to spend the
>> money just because...if you know what I mean by that! I've been told
>> owning a vehicle is several hundreds of dollars a month when the cost
>> of maintaenance, car payments, insurance, and gas is added up but
>> again these have just been from sighted people who don't take cabs. It
>> seems like most other blind people I know don't take cabs unless they
>> absolutely have to and I hate having to do it all the time. In one
>> sense I feel like I'm being told to go ahead, don't worry about it,
>> owning a vehicle is expensive too...but then on the other hand so many
>> blind people don't seem to like doing it. I know each town is
>> different...but if I want to go somewhere and it's after 6 and the bus
>> doesn't go are cabs or family/friends my only options? I've never gone
>> completely broke or run out of money by taking cabs but again...I feel
>> as if I'm getting mixed messages and I want to make sure I'm doing the
>> right/best thing. From where I live you can't walk anywhere as there
>> are several things across the street but it's not actually a street
>> but a major six-lane highway...so walking is out. I'm not married and
>> live alone. Do those of you who live in towns like this find
>> yourselves having to also take cabs more frequently than other blind
>> people? I know my questions seem a little crazy but I thought I'd ask
>> them all in one post.
>>
>> Thanks so much!
>>
>> Kerri
>>
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>
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