[nabs-l] Independent Travel At Crowded Major College Sporting Events

Tue Nov 9 07:33:35 UTC 2010

Hello,
Well, it seems like the basketball game went pretty well, right? It really depends on the person, but generally if you firmly tell a sighted person that you only need to know a section number and nothing else, they will not try to help you even if you don't need any help. And you can always be firm and polite at the same time. Just try to look confident, and they will probably imagine that you're fine.
The football game is a different story though. There are lots of people in large universities and it's true that there are many cars and many people around the stadium before and after the game. I don't know, I think you will have a lot more fun in the game if you go with friends anyway. If there isn't anyone that can go with you this weekend, maybe you can wait and go to the next game with a friend. This would allow you to know the stadium a little better and just to see how things feel, and I'm sure you'll have a much better idea of how possible it is for you to go to future games by yourself.
I think it's a great idea to try to be independent and to show yourself that you can do things. But in my very personal opinion, sometimes we also need to be practical and see what makes sense and what doesn't. I personally wouldn't go to a football game by myself with a cane unless I know the area really well, just because it's very hard to listen for things and because a football game is not worth that much effort to me. Of course this might bee completely different for anyone else. If I have attended games before and I know what I'm doing and where I'm going, then I would probably do it. I'm not particularly afraid of huge crowds if I know the area well enough. I use a guide dog though, so navigating feels a lot easier to me than it felt when I used a cane.
An other option is for you to walk to the stadium sometime this week whenever there aren't so many people and familiarize yourself with the places you are going to have to walk through. Or maybe you can just call the box office at the stadium and tell them that you are blind, and someone can meet you and help you to get to your seat. Again, this would be a practical solution and I personally don't see anything wrong with it.
I play in large concert halls pretty frequently and usually after the concert I'm supposed to come out to the lobby and sign programs or whatever. Here in the US people always do that for some reason. In Europe you really don't have to. But anyway, I could come out with the dog and try to figure out where people are and put myself in the right place and try to talk to people in the right order and make everything awkward etc etc. But normally I just come out with my girlfriend, a stage person or whoever, just because it's practical for me to do it that way. It makes things faster, easier and just more natural. For me, this is a situation where I have no problem accepting help from someone else, even though if I really want to I can handle it by myself. But at that point, that's really not what it's about. It's about being efficient.
Just my opinion...!

IC
On Nov 8, 2010, at 10:14 PM, Kerri Kosten wrote:

> Hi All!
> 
> I have some more travel questions, this time about navigating sporting events.
> 
> I am a huge sports fan. My team is the West Virginia University
> Mountaineers, we made it to the Final Four last year in Basketball and
> are a major Division I school.
> 
> I am trying to do what I want when I want and keep a positive attitude.
> 
> This coming weekend is my birthday. All I really want is to practice
> independent travel and feel the confidence that comes from doing what
> you want when you want independently and knowing you used your cane
> and for the most part did it yourself. There is a basketball game this
> Friday, and a football game this Saturday.
> 
> First I'll start with the questions about the basketball game, then
> move to football. I attended a basketball game last week and things
> went well for the most part but I do have a few questions.
> 
> First, how do you explain to sighted people that you appreciate their
> help but you need to explore on your own? At the basketball game
> Friday, I want to try to find my seat on my own...I want to pass each
> section (not go into each section but walk past it) and every once in
> a while randomly ask someone "Excuse me what section is this?" Oh,
> this is section 45...I need section 60...I need to keep going...kind
> of like the way everyone finds their delegations at national
> convention or the way you find your gate for a flight at an airport. I
> need to explore, not be guided! Of course though the sighted people
> just want to guide...how do I let them know their help is appreciated
> but I need to explore on my own and that all I need is some directions
> towards say the ticket window or the concession stand?
> 
> Also, because I haven't had much practice using my cane I don't walk
> as fast as I should. Because of this when I am lost...I look lost.
> Another thing I do is when I am unsure of where to go I tend to doubt
> myself and turn around thinking I am going in the wrong direction when
> in fact I am usually going the right way! How do you gain more
> confidence when lost? Does it just come with time? When your unsure do
> you just keep going even if you doubt yourself until you find someone
> who can give you directions or tell you if you are going the right
> way?
> 
> On Saturday is a football game. About 60,000 people attend our games
> and they are a big deal. Being that next week is my birthday, I really
> want to go to the game. At the moment I don't have anyone to go with
> and thought it would be fun and a big boost of confidence to try going
> by myself.
> 
> For the football game should I call ahead and let someone know I am
> coming so I can be watched out for? (I'm more scared of the drunks
> being a female not because of blindness)
> 
> My concern is not so much getting to the game; my concern is after the
> game. After the games you have 60,000 people all trying to get home at
> the same time and traffic is horrible. There is no way I could get
> home after the game; a cab couldn't get near the stadium. I know
> several people who are tailgating. Would it be safe as a female to try
> navigating the parking lots with all the drunk tailgaters with my cane
> and just asking random directions? Do police or other emergency
> officials patrol the tailgating areas after the games or is it just
> the fans?
> 
> Is it even possible or safe for a blind person, particularly a female
> to go to a major college football game by themselves? Has anyone on
> this list done it or know of anyone who has? Or, am I just crazy?
> 
> Heres the thing. Almost all of the people around here feel sorry for
> me and see me as the poor blind girl. Many people also know my
> mother...and so not only do they see me as the little blind girl but
> if I call them to ask for help with anything they immediately want to
> know why my mother isn't doing it for me, or helping me or whatever.
> If I call someone such as my aunt and go to the game with her and her
> friends and they guide me everywhere (as sighted people seem to want
> to always do) what does that say to them? And, what does it tell them
> about my new NFB philosophy of cane travel and independence?
> 
> Is there any way of going to the game with someone but them letting me
> be in charge of the traveling? Would that be too much to ask a sighted
> person? So, someone is with me, and I am holding their arm so we can
> stay together but I am in charge...asking for directions, telling them
> which way to go, trying to get us un-lost when we get lost...that sort
> of thing. So, that way I'm with someone but get to practice travel at
> the same time.
> 
> The thing is if I'm just guided I never get the practice and confidence...
> 
> Help! I'm torn...it's my birthday...I really want to  practice
> independent travel but also be safe...I love love love the idea of a
> person coming with me but me being in charge of the travel. I don't
> care how I do this football game but one way or the other I want to
> have some independent travel and feel that confidence whether with
> someone or not!
> Help!
> 
> Wouldn't it be so cool to go to my aunt's tailgate aftr the game? I
> can hear her now..."Kerri! How did you get here? What are you doing
> here?" Me:"Oh I just got back from the game. I'm here with my cane...I
> just asked a bunch of directions." She'd probably scream lol!
> 
> Thanks for all help and ideas!
> 
> Kerri
> 
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