[nabs-l] Need more help...Navigating The Football Game Saturday

Thu Nov 11 03:50:35 UTC 2010

I've never been to this type of game, so forgive if my observations are off 
the mark. I wouldn't think the game would be overrun by intoxicated people 
so early in the day. You might have a few hard-core partiers, but security 
would have a riot in their hands if the stadium was filled with rowdy 
drinkers.
Fear is not a bad thing; we just have to keep it in check. I was once told 
fear is: false evidence appearing real.
I hope you attempt to go to the game. You may gain a bit more confidents, 
and it's your birthday. You deserve to enjoy yourself.

Anjelina
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
Albert Einstein
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 9:00 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Need more help...Navigating The Football Game Saturday

> Hi All!
>
> Mark, there aren't any blind people around here...so that's not an
> option sadly or I would love to use it.
>
> Taking a self-defense class is a good idea...I will definitely look
> into it for the future.
>
> If this is not a good idea I won't do it but just to be safe would it
> be a good idea to call the stadium ahead like tomorrow or Friday and
> explain the situation so they can have someone help me?
>
> Ashley I don't mean have an escort like that following me
> everywhere...I just thought to be extra safe to avoid all the drunks
> have someone who works at the stadium walk with me to my seat...
>
> But, you guys are right...what is the worst a drunk will do?
>
> If they grab me I can scream, blow my whistle, or something like
> that...and you guys are right there will be thousands of people
> around...it's not like a drunk is going to try to kidnap or rape me or
> something right there in front of everybody and I'll be helpless.
>
> I will definitely have my cell phone. I use the Iphone though which is
> touchscreen so you kind of have to unlock it, and touch the screen to
> make calls...should I get a simple track phone for this ocasion where
> I could literally punch in a number...or is the Iphone which is what I
> usually use okay?
>
> And, I'll definitely make two arrangements of getting home...luckily
> fornow my mother and her fiancee live near the stadium (they are
> moving) and I plan on taking a cab...I would need to walk out of the
> stadium and such but not on any dark streets...if something were to
> happen I could call my mom who lives near there, a cab, and I'll
> definitely ask ahead of time where the cab could drop me off and pick
> me up that would be the closest to the entrance to cut down on
> walking.
>
> The game starts at noon, and should end around 3:30...since I don't
> plan on tailgating afterwords it won't be dark...
>
> I guess when I really think about it...the fear is that I'm  getting
> out of my comfort zone...I've gotten lost before and have gone to
> plenty of restaurants where I'm just dropped off and I just walk in
> before but this is the first time for something major like this...I
> won't be able to turn around and go home and it isn't as simple as
> just walking inside a building...
>
> But hey...I've just gotta keep reminding myself...I took two planes
> one from Pittsburgh to Atlanta then from Atlanta to Dallas to
> convention and back...for this I'm still in Morgantown, in the same
> town...so I don't know exactly why I'm so nervous...I want to get over
> it though...and you guys are right...what is the worst the drunks can
> do?
>
> Kerri
>
> On 11/10/10, Mark J. Cadigan <kramc11 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I don't know if it has been discussed, but what about going with a blind
>> friend?
>>
>> And, don't be scared of drunks and the like. Just stay in crowded areas, 
>> and
>> have a safe way of getting home, a safe way that does not involve walking 
>> on
>> dark streets and the like. Preferably a cab or something. The phone is a
>> grate idea.
>>
>> Just for general self defense purposes, learning a self defense or 
>> strategy
>> is a grate idea. But, self defense is 90% mental and 10% physical. You 
>> can
>> take all the classes you want, but, if you are not prepared to use it, it 
>> is
>> less than useless.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>; "k-r" <k-r at atlanticbb.net>; "Darren Burton"
>> <dburton at afb.net>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 5:24 PM
>> Subject: [nabs-l] Need more help...Navigating The Football Game Saturday
>>
>>
>>> Hey All:
>>>
>>> Sorry to post another message about this but I figured I'd change the
>>> subject line a little.
>>>
>>> As most of you know, yesterday I decided to do the basketball game
>>> independently and just find a friend for the football game Saturday to
>>> be on the safe side with such a massive stadium, parking lot area,
>>> tons of steps everywhere, and all the drunks.
>>>
>>> Well, to make a long story short, I can't find anyone to go with.
>>>
>>> I honestly don't have very many friends around here. The reasons for
>>> this are debatable but I think it comes down to the fact that the
>>> sighted people feel sorry for me, and see me as a child and don't want
>>> to be "responsible" for me. I don't have that forward-thinking sighted
>>> person to go to or that cool friend and there aren't any other blind
>>> people around here.
>>>
>>> I called one of the friends I have Loray...but she is working Saturday.
>>>
>>> I posted on Facebook yesterday that I have an extra ticket to go to
>>> the game on the 50 yard line but noone responded. I posted another
>>> status update earlier today and someone responded asking if I was
>>> selling the ticket and how much and they may be interested...I
>>> explained the situation, that the ticket wasn't for sale but I was
>>> looking for someone to go with because as a female it probably
>>> wouldn't be the best idea to go alone with all the drunks. The person
>>> agreed, and asked how I was but did not say anything about going to
>>> the game with me.
>>>
>>> My aunt may be going but heres the thing...I want to be careful with
>>> who I ask and select to go with. I don't want to just go with someone
>>> as a tag-along or invite myself into a group or worst of all have
>>> someone feel sorry for the poor blind girl and take her to the game
>>> because she doesn't have anyone to go with...and if she doesn't go
>>> with me how will she go to the game? Poor thing...then the whole time
>>> ask me about where my mother is, and how my mother should be taking
>>> me, and so on.
>>>
>>> It's my birthday...I want to do this and have fun and I want to go
>>> with a person who wants to go with me because of me not because they
>>> feel sorry for the poor blind girl or the poor blind girl doesn't have
>>> anyone else to go with, or the poor blind girl's mother is too busy
>>> for her. I try to point out that 'm 23 years old and don't need my
>>> mother and they say "I know," but it infuriates me.
>>>
>>> So, what should I do if I don't end up finding someone to go with?
>>>
>>> This not getting to do things because of not having people to do
>>> things has gone on long enough. As of a couple of months ago I decided
>>> enough was enough, and to stop feeling sorry for myself, and that from
>>> now on I would do what I wanted when I wanted whether I had people to
>>> go with or not.
>>>
>>> So far, until this football game I've been doing pretty well.
>>>
>>> I have already missed out on several festivals here and a concert that
>>> was held here featuring Maroon 5, Ludacris, and Kris Allen (Maroon 5
>>> is one of my favorite artists and I love Ludacris) because of not
>>> having people to go with and being afraid to go because of being a
>>> female with all the rowdy drunks.
>>>
>>> I want to show these feel sorry people that I don't need them, and
>>> that I do what I want when I want whether they want to take me or not,
>>> and that my mother doesn't need to be around...I don't want my
>>> birthday to be ruined too and not get to go to something I want
>>> because of stupid people!
>>>
>>> I don't need these people...I'm determined to show them and overcome
>>> this...but I want to be safe too and keep what Kimberly said in her
>>> message yesterday in mind.
>>>
>>> If I don't end up finding anybody and have to do it alone would it be
>>> best  to do the call ahead, have someone from security help me to my
>>> seat then help me out of the stadium afterwords? Would that be safe
>>> enough?
>>>
>>> I love the idea of gong to the stadium to check things out on a day
>>> when the fans are not there...but this is the last of two home games
>>> so this will most likely be the only football game I go to.
>>>
>>> I have to pick up my ticket for the basketball game so I definitely
>>> will check out that areena but I don't know if I'll get to check out
>>> the football stadium before Saturday.
>>>
>>> What to do?
>>>
>>> Thanks so much,
>>>
>>> Kerri
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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