[nabs-l] Independent Travel At CrowdedMajorCollegeSportingEvents

Fri Nov 12 00:52:25 UTC 2010

Hi Kerri,
Yep! You got it! You just ask someone if you think you've had enough 
challenge and want to find your seat. Probably a person sitting at the 
end of a row by the walk-way is the best choice, because they have 
found their seat and have buddies to guard their stuff. A walking 
person is likely still looking for their own seat. The sitting person, 
on the other hand,  will probably be happy to use up a few minutes of 
waiting time assisting you to find your seat. More than once when I 
have asked for assistance finding my seat at concerts or at festivals, 
people have said, yeh, I'll be happy to help you find your seat. But, 
you know, we have a spare seat with us if you'd like to stay, we had 
one for our friend who canceled at the last minute, so you're welcome 
to have it and stay with us. It wasn't a, pity the blind person, 
offer, it was just a friendly offer to a person alone at the party, so 
to speak. I've met some great folks that way, and even made a couple 
of friends.
It's up to you how you handle that one.
Just my thoughts.

Regards,

Heather

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 6:32 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Independent Travel At 
CrowdedMajorCollegeSportingEvents

Hi Heather and all!!

Ww, thanks for the reminder...you are absolutely right...it would
certainly be easier to have someone escort me...but you are so
right...if I do that then there is no challenge for me...I'm dropped
off, guided to my seat, guided right out of the stadium, picked right
back up...there is no challenge for me.

One question though...if it is indeed close to game time and I haven't
found my seat or do get extremely extremely lost/turned around and
need to get to the proper seat quickly do I just ask someone to guide
me?

The reason I am asking this is because if I go for this finding my
seat with my cane asking directions there of course will be noone
official waiting to help me...it'll be me, and the crowd...so if I do
find I am extremely lost and need to find my seat quickly...do I just
ask someone random to guide me?

I don't want to overplan this out but I also want to know what to do
if something happens or I get too lost...

Again thanks so much Heather for the good reminder of independent
travel and challenging yourself!

Kerri

On 11/11/10, H. Field <missheather at comcast.net> wrote:
> Hi Kerri,
> If you go early, there's no reason why you need someone to meet you
> and escort you. Assuming, that is, that the stadium is willing to
> provide you with such assistance. If the game starts at twelve, you
> could be dropped off at eleven. Or even ten thirty. That way you 
> would
> have plenty of time to find your seat. As there would be thousands 
> of
> other people finding their seats as well, I'm sure you wouldn't have
> any problem locating yours. If the stadium has multiple entrances,
> they probably can tell you what entrance would be closest to your
> seating section. In the end, only you will know what level of
> challenge you enjoy and what level of adventure suits your
> personality. Some people build up to big events. I myself would 
> never
> do anything challenging if I had to build up to it. I jump in at the
> deep end and do whatever I want and take life and the adventure as 
> it
> comes. Neither way is right or wrong, as such. But, my way is right
> for me, and the building up method is not right for me. However, the
> build-up method might be perfect and the absolute best way for 
> another
> person. So, in the end, having established that you've nothing to 
> fear
> from the drunks, and that you have strategies for getting help if 
> you
> need it, you must decide what level of challenge you want, and which
> approach is most motivating and confidence-building for you. If you
> manage to get some stadium staff to guide you to and from your seat,
> what other challenges do you envisage that your solo visit to the
> stadium will give you. Apart from a trip to get some food, or to 
> visit
> the rest-room, it all sounds fairly unchallenging to me. Finding 
> your
> seat seems to be the major challenge and, from all that you've
> written, it sounds to me that this is what you'd like to do. I don't
> see why you shouldn't give it a try. Pack a lunch, or at least some
> healthy snacks, arrive as early as you think is good for you, and 
> see
> what you can accomplish with random requests for directions. if you
> haven't found your seat within 20 minutes of game start time, you 
> can
> always just ask a kind fellow spectator to assist you. In all my 
> years
> of wandering about the world as a blind person I have found that 
> just
> about every person you meet is happy to help. Take a close look at
> what you want to get out of the experience and plan for that. You
> won't be in personal danger.
> So, now all you need to decide is, what do you want to accomplish 
> out
> of the experience.
> Just my thoughts.
>
> Best,
>
> Heather
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 2:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Independent Travel At Crowded
> MajorCollegeSportingEvents
>
>
> Hi Kimberly and All:
>
> Okay let me clear a few things up.
>
> Kimberly I appreciate your concern so very much.
>
> I am not going to go wandering through the parking lots; I want to 
> go
> to this game for the game and do not plan to tailgate either before 
> or
> after the game. So, I will be nowhere near the parking lots...they 
> are
> a perfect recipe to be raped...you have a bunch of rowdy crazy 
> drunks
> all in one area...I'm not gonna get lost in that mess.
>
> I dont want to go to this game alone to prove I am independent or to
> practice my self-defense/screaming techniques with a drunk...I want 
> to
> do this alone to prove that I can in fact go to crowded events and 
> do
> not need to wait around for feel-sorry-for-the-blind-girl sighted
> people.
>
> I have to disagree Kimberly about the couch burning...we only do 
> that
> for big major wins and I do not agree with that at all...it makes 
> our
> school and the state of West Virginia look very bad.
>
> I will have my cell phone and a whistle; I have also made 
> arrangements
> to be dropped off and picked up at the stadium entrance and have two
> arrangements to get home. Like I said I do not plan to wander around
> the parking lot at all; I want to go to the game to enjoy the game.
>
> I know I will need assistance to my seat...I don't plan to just do
> this entire thing without asking a single person for help...what I
> haven't decided is whether I will call the stadium ahead and have
> someone who works at the stadium escort me to my seat (similarly to
> asking for assistance at airports) or whether I will use my cane and
> ask random people along the way "excuse me what section is this?"
> "Section 102" Okay...I need to keep going; I need section 145...
>
> Since this is my first game I am leaning toward just having someone
> who works at the stadium help me...but the adventurous side of me 
> who
> loves loves loves structured discovery cane travel wants to do
> otherwise...
>
> Thanks everyone again!
> Kerri
>
> On 11/11/10, Ashley  Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Joe,
>> That's right.  That's why I haven't gone to huge events like the 
>> one
>> Kerry
>> spoke of alone.  Instead I started small by going to school plays
>> and
>> concerts and out to eat.  Later I may attempt large things with
>> thousands of
>> people.  I think you need to build up confidence.  Otherwise as you
>> say you
>> might have a rotten time and get so frustrated in the process.  So
>> its fine
>> to build up to independence with no guides.  Maybe a few times use
>> assistance.  Then you'll be familiar with the layout and next time
>> do it
>> alone.
>> Someday I'd like to attend a concert or play with thousands such as
>> at the
>> Verizon center but I'm going to work up to that goal.  Even when I
>> do go, I
>> might go with a blind friend and we can figure out things together.
>>
>> Ashley
>>
>>
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