[Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

Sat Oct 9 22:54:49 UTC 2010

Because you spend a great deal more time on parra-transit.  Time is money!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bryan Schulz" <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2010 6:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions


> 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
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blindtlk mailing list
>>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> blindtlk:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com
>>
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> No virus found in this incoming message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 9.0.862 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3183 - Release Date: 10/07/10
>> 14:34:00
>>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 9.0.862 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3186 - Release Date: 10/09/10
> 02:34:00
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindtlk mailing list
>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindtlk:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglobal.net
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindtlk mailing list
> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blindtlk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.862 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3186 - Release Date: 10/09/10 
02:34:00
-------------- next part --------------

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
Version: 9.0.862 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3186 - Release Date: 10/09/10 02:34:00