[Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

Mon Oct 11 15:27:05 UTC 2010

Good morning everyone,

    One idea is being over-looked in this discussion. Why not do some of 
your grocery shopping online? If you like Starbuck's Coffee why not order it 
via their Web site and learn to make it yourself. You could take that cab 
fare you're paying and pay the shipping to order items in bulk. Since we no 
longer have a large grocery store within walking distance we're examining 
our shopping habits to decide which items we can order online and which 
items require a trip to the store to help save time and money.

Peter Donahue

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Poire" <rpoire at comcast.net>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 9:16 AM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

It seems rather a waste of money for a $3 late.
Ron
----- 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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>>
>>
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>
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