[Blindtlk] Navigating Cafeteria Lines

Mon Aug 8 20:52:46 UTC 2011

Thank you all for your very helpful suggestions.  I may be around 
to ask for other ideas on different things, but this was my 
biggest concern.  Many of your suggestions sound very practical.  
Thanks especially to David
Evans with his tray suggestions.  Though I hadn't really been 
thinking about that, those should really help me make sureI can 
get my tray around securely.

With regards to NFB and generalizations.  Though I'm not an NFB 
member myself, I have been extremely impressed with the acumen of 
people on this list and am very grateful that an organization 
like the NFB is around.  This is a little off topic (anyone 
replying feel free to change the subject line) but is there an 
NFB chapter anywhere in Nashville, Tennessee?
 ----- Original Message -----
From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com
To: nimerjaber1 at gmail.com,Blind Talk Mailing List 
<blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:09:22 -0500
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Navigating Cafeteria Lines

I understand why you might think this -- but it doesn't seem fair 
to
the NFB, or productive.  People do adopt this attitude but it 
isn't
necessarily because they are NFB members.  If they mis-apply or
mis-interpret NFB philosophy, it is them, not the organization.

I would say in general that we do urge people to be as 
independent as
possible, but have never said you shouldn't ever ask for help, no 
matter what.

Dave

At 02:38 PM 8/8/2011, you wrote:
Dave, Gary and all,

My comments stemmed from my experience with a few NFB members who
believe that asking for assistance when it's needed, even though 
not
doing so could result in them doing something foolish or causing 
pain
to someone else, is not something they do.  It wasn't intended to 
be a
negative characterization of the NFB or any other organization, I 
was
just basing my statements from experiences.

Thanks.

On 08.08.2011, David Evans <drevans at bellsouth.net> wrote:
 Dear Kelby,

 Here are some tips I have found useful.
 Ask someone to give you a description of the layout of the area 
and maybe
 walk you around the first time so you can get an idea of the 
arrangement of
 the room, the lanes and the locations of such things as the soda 
machines,
 the salad bar, the entrees and so on.
 Use a tray if you can and you can likely slide it along the food 
serving
 tables as you find what you want and place it on the tray.
 I always lead the tray with one hand to keep from running the 
tray into
 other people's trays and so I do not push the tray off the end 
of the slide
 and on to the floor.
 If I can, I try to follow another person and I may even engage 
them in
 conversation and use this to give me clues as to when to move up 
or which
 way to turn and when.
   I might even ask them for some help if I need it.  Never be to 
proud to
 ask for help if you need it.
 When I carry a tray, I place the heaviest objects closest to my
 hand nearest
 me.  This lets me balance the tray and the load on it better and 
keep it
 under control.
 I generally hold my cane in my right hand and also one side of 
the tray.  I
 can still swing my cane to help me find my way and keep a 
balance on the
 tray.
 Finding a place to sit can sometimes be a challenge, but I ask 
other people
 if there is an open seat in the area and generally do okay.  I
 sometimes ask
 the casher if there is a seat nearby and to give me some rough 
directions.
 I always carry my own food, but I ask for help when I feel I 
need it and
 conditions warnt it.
 I am sure that there are many other tips out there.  I never had
 anyone show
 me how to do it and just had to figure it out for myself.
 Use caps or covers on drinks when ever you can to cut down on 
spills.  I
 usually place my drink next to my left hand, at the corner of 
the
 tray, so I
 can place a finger on it to help keep it from sliding and 
spilling.
   I hope others have some tips that help you out also.

 David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
 Nuclear/Aerospace Materials Engineer
 Builder of the Lunar Rovers and the F-117 Stealth Fighter

 ----- Original Message -----
 From: "Gary Wunder" <GWunder at earthlink.net
 To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
 Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 12:39 PM
 Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Navigating Cafeteria Lines

 Hi Kelby.  You may get some answers here, but you might also try 
posting to
 the blind student's list.

 -----Original Message-----
 From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
 Behalf Of Kelby Carlson
 Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 9:23 AM
 To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
 Subject: [Blindtlk] Navigating Cafeteria Lines

 Hey, list.

 I'll be starting college mobility soon, and one of the things I
 am wondering about is navigating cafeteria lines.  I haven't 
done
 this much in high school (I brought my own lunch.) Have any of
 you worked out ways of navigating the lines in the cafeteria 
that
 don't require a ton of sighted guide? How do you get information
 on items away from the main buffet line?

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--
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