[Blindtlk] cleaning up the snow within bus stops

[Ron Poire]

Hi Homberto, some students carpool.
Instead of having your dad take you round trip, see if you can find a friend 
to pick you up.
That would make more sense for you, because the student would be going to 
campus anyway.
Put a notice on a bulletin board or find some e-way to do it.
You might also call the DS office to see if they can make a temperary 
arrangement.
You won't loose your travel skills before the snow and ice melt off the 
sidewalks.
Some educating of city leaders is in order.

Ron


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Humberto Avila" <avila.bert.humberto2 at gmail.com>
To: <blindtlk at nfbNet.org>; <nabs-l at nfbNet.org>
Cc: <blackburn.minkina at yakimaschools.org>; <tarinkendrick at msn.com>
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 8:24 PM
Subject: [Blindtlk] cleaning up the snow within bus stops


> Hello all,
>
> I am running into a problem that has been bothering me to a point where I
> want to try out my advocacy skills, and I would like to share it with you.
>
> Well. here is the story.  a couple of weeks ago a major winter storm was
> upon us here in Central Washington State, and it really affected my city,
> Yakima. We had a snowfall that left about up to 5 inches of snow 
> throughout
> the city, and the first two days that happened it went nonstop for more 
> than
> 24 hours. this left people unable to go to work and school for about two
> days, and public as well as school routes for buses were reduced or 
> limited
> those days. this storm left me unable to ride the city bus to and from
> school, making my Dad take me to and from school for the rest of next 
> week.
> today that still continued; My dad still drove me to school and back home.
>
> While the roads and all highways are clean, many sidewalks including
> sidewalks where there are bus stops and benches are still soaked into so
> much snow and ice from two weeks ago. And you know what is worse? the 
> people
> or machines who clean the snow in the mornings or nights deposit all that
> snow there, leaving the piles and trails of snow into those very places I
> mentioned, especially at the bus stops. Now in fact, that snow has turned
> into ice, and the sidewalks with bus stops are even more slippery and hard
> to walk or step on.
>
> With all this mess, how is a blind person going to walk to take their
> desired public transportation? How am I supposed to step on all those
> mountains of slippery ice waiting for the bus?
> for once, this is driving me crazy and is putting my independence at risk 
> of
> going down the drain. Like I said, my parent has to drive me to and from,
> every day, and if this continues to happen, I fear that I will lose 
> practice
> of traveling on the city bus.
>
> what it's making things more bothersome is that, quite frankly, I feel
> embarrassed by my Dad to pick me up at the college, right in front of the
> main class building, and take me there because, well, about 99.2% of all 
> the
> college students can DRIVE and do DRIVE their own cars, and I don't know
> what they think of me when my Dad has to do that. I am very disappointed
> with them not being able to also clean up the snow and ice from the bus
> stops and their sidewalks. I am also angry because they don't even think
> about people, especially blind or disabled, depending on buses to take 
> them
> everywhere since they have to use those bus stops.
>
> What should I do? Where should I start from in trying to put someone to
> clear up those paths and sidewalks where there are bus stop so that I can
> travel safely and independently once again? who should I tell about this?
> which authority should know this?
>
> I wonder how sighted people are getting off and on those buses with all 
> this
> sleek. I'm sure Ice can try out on those sidewalks and stops, however, it 
> is
> very cold and I doubt this will happen soon enough for me to ride the bus.
> do you have any recommendations for me on this situation? Any ideas?
> suggestions? tips?
>
> your help and advice is welcome please. I'm tired of my dad having to 
> drive
> here and there every morning and spend his gas, and embarrassed that I am
> one of those very few, or the only one, whose parents take them to 
> college.
> I'm sure no college student wants that since we are now adults.
>
> Sincerely,
> Humberto
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