[Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

Sun Oct 10 02:00:17 UTC 2010

Kerri,

I'm sure, as long as you're willing to pay the fare, a cab would take you 
through a drive-through for food.

Cindy

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2010 9:15 PM
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

> Hi:
>
> Well, unfortunately it turns out we don't have paratransit or dial a
> ride service here so that's out for me even if I wanted it.
>
> I'm fine with money lol...I just don't want to overspend on
> transportation while everyone else gets to use buses, public
> transportation, or paratransit...that's all! I asked these questions
> because I want to make sure I'm not having to over-spend or spend tons
> more than other people who live in small towns.
>
> I do have another question though I just thought of. Is it possible to
> take a cab, go through a drive-through, then go back home and of
> course pay the fare? What do you do when you want something real
> quick...like something from say McDonalds or Sonic or Starbucks? A
> sighted person just gets into their car, goes, then goes right back
> home...as long as the fare is paid is it possible to do this with a
> cab?
>
> Also...just out of pure boredom and curiosity I looked up the cost of
> owning a car...obviously it varies depending on the type of car and
> how much gas/insurance costs but from what I found it said a car can
> cost anywhere from $8,000 a year to $15,000 a year. It also said
> monthly it costs about $612...so it seems to me we get off cheap in
> terms of transportation. The site also said that according to the
> Department of Labor survey and statistics vehicles are the second
> biggest expense for most households...I forget what the first was...so
> it seems like to me we get off cheap when it comes to
> transportation...even if you have to pay $5 a cab to get anywhere like
> I do.
>
> Kerri
>
> On 10/9/10, Bryan Schulz <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> the reality of 70% unemployed is that money saved versus extra time spent 
>> is
>> acceptable.
>> lets see you send Kerri significant cab bucks and see if your opinion
>> changes.
>>
>>
>> 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 5:54 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions
>>
>>
>>> 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
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>
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