[Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

Sun Oct 10 11:46:36 UTC 2010

Kerri,

I haven't taken a cab through a drive through, but I know people who have. 
I don't see why it would be a problem.  I do think it would be quite an 
expensive coffee though.  If it were me, I'd combine the drive through with 
another trip in the area.

HTH
Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2010 9:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

> Hi Cindy and All:
>
> I was thinking more along the lines of Starbucks...I used to never
> drink coffee but last week I took the plunge and tried a pumpkin spice
> latte...mmmmm...now I'm addicted...I really want to get another one
> soon but don't really have anyone to take me and I have no idea
> whether the bus goes to Starbucks...I doubt it...so the only thing I
> could think to do was to take a cab, have them drive me through
> Starbucks, I get the pumpkin spice coffee, then they takeme home...and
> of course I pay the fare...has anyone ever done this?
>
> Does Starbucks sell food or just coffee?
>
> Mmmmmm...pumpkin spice coffee...mmm lol...if you haven't tried it yet
> you should lol
>
> Kerri!
>
> On 10/9/10, Cindy Handel <cindy425 at verizon.net> wrote:
>> 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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>>>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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