[nabs-l] more transportation, and travel questions

Wed Oct 13 00:26:38 UTC 2010

Hi Ashley, Anita, and All:

First, Anita, I can't just call them and say "I'm waiting at this
stop" as I don't know where the stop is from my apartment complex. I
want to say it's at the light but not for certain. The website is
inaccessible so I can't check there. So, I kind of have to call them
and explain the situation and where I live.

Also Anita, Morgantown is a college town and since the majority of the
students can drive the bus caters to the freshman students. I do not
live in the student area so I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to
transfer or take two buses to get anywhere. I don't think  I can just
take just one bus to one location as it's weird here and you have to
connect.

I think I'd like to go to the Morgantown Mall in Westover for my first
trip. I am on the same side of town as the mall so maybe just maybe I
may be able to go on one bus but I'll have to check.

Ashley, I live in a gated apartment complex...Don't I need to let them
know what complex it is and where it is so they can tell me where the
stop is?

Also, our buses do not have directions like westbound...they are
colored lines...the orange line, the blue and gold connector, the
purple line, the brown line...they have no directional names what so
ever.

Since they are on Facebook...would it be okay if I messaged them since
I'm better at writing than talking and can think out my questions
better when writing? Or do I have to call? If I message them then I
can copy/make notes on the time, any transfers, and location of stops
as needed.

Also, I'll ask if my friend could come down but you have to
understand...it's my state president and her significant other and
they are middle-aged so...I'll ask them but I don't know?

I tried to talk to my mother to see if she could help me look at the
schedule and map but she said I could just call...I don't know where
else to get help from. Many of the sighted people I know have the
typical feel sorry for the blind girl attitude so I don't know if
asking a sighted friend to help me would be effective but I will try.

Also since I shouldn't need to use the deviated route service to go to
the mall I guess to keep things simple I'll leave the deviated route
out for now.

I don't currently have a reader nor know how to hire one though I've
read about it.

Thanks.
Kerri

On 10/12/10, Ashley  Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Kerri,
> Sometimes I believe as blind people we need to do what is realistic and
> safe.  If this venue is not pedestrian friendly with few or no sidewalks and
> built for cars, then I'd really advise not going there especially since you
> say you're a beginning traveler.  My views of independence may be a little
> different here.  But I say independence means going where you want to go and
> when but not inconveiencing yourself too much and it means asking for
> assistant when needed.
> Why not make some friends and go with them who have cars if you really want
> to go to this town center?
>
> I can't answer your depot question as I have not done that.  Generally
> though with buses, yes ask the driver to announce your stop.  Sit near the
> driver and you might have to remind him/her.  If you need to transfer most
> bus companies have a bus
> transfer pass.  So get one before leaving your first bus.  Be sure to ask
> what bus it is and where its going
> when you board your second bus.  You don't want to board the wrong bus!
>
> As to the bus company and questions, its up to you.  But no I would not
> recommend stating where you live.  Just explain you want to get from point A
> to B and give the addresses.  Then yes you could explain you're blind and
> ask about the deviated route if you wanted.
> Its not necessary for the representative to know where you live although if
> they see the address is an apartment complex they'll probably
> figure its your home.  But its not the company's business to know where you
> live.
> I have hardly traveled either because my mother is protective like yours is.
> But when I ask about public transit, I take down the information and repeat
> it back to the customer service representative to ensure I understood it.
> Another option is to record the information while on the phone.  I get this
> info:
> 1. the time the bus leaves my stop and the full name of it like the 38B
> westbound.
> Each bus has two directions so the direction is important.
> 2. The arrival time of the bus to the next destination.
> 3. At my destination any landmarks or where the stop is if they'll tell me.
> Does it let me off mid block? Near a 711? Is there a bus shelter at my end
> stop?
> 4. If I need a transfer ticket how long is the transfer pass valid for?
>
> Finally, if you use readers I'd say they could look at the map for you and
> describe major landmarks.
> Sometimes you need sighted assistance and independence is knowing when to
> get it.  Independence is being in control of your choices.
> So print out the map and go over it with someone.
>
> Ashley
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 4:54 PM
> Subject: [nabs-l] more transportation, and travel questions
>
>
>> Hi All:
>>
>> I have a few more travel and transportation questions. Again, I hope
>> these don't jump around too much but I figured I'd make them all one
>> post.
>>
>> First, I think I would like to try sometime in the future taking the
>> bus to somewhere simple such as maybe the mall. The problem Iam having
>> is that this being a college town the bus caters to the nondriving
>> students, who are the freshman. The freshman for the most part live
>> downtown on the downtown campus (the college has two campuses.) I do
>> not live in the downtown area so to go anywhere from my house on the
>> bus I'd have to make a transfer at most likely one of the two bus
>> depots.
>>
>> When I've tried to contact the bus in the past, they tell me that the
>> bus comes to the light at the six-lane highway that is the first
>> street you come to after you exit the gate of my apartment complex. My
>> apartment complex isn't very accessible...when I moved here I didn't
>> know about the NFB so accessability wasnt one of the priorities. On
>> top of that my mother who is very overprotective really liked this
>> complex because it is gated and has security after 6 o'clock.
>>
>> Anyway, from what a friend in the NFB who doesn't live here but lives
>> in another town about half an hour away who has taken our bus before
>> tells me, the bus supposedly has a deviated route system where they
>> will go out of the way of the route one-fourth of a mile and pick you
>> up, almost like paratransit. I'd like to try to take the bus somewhere
>> simple.
>>
>> However, I feel a little overwhelmed. Do I call and begin by telling
>> them I am blind, and would like to try taking their bus for the first
>> time and ask them what accomodations they have for people with
>> disabilities and ask them about the deviated route system?
>>
>> Then from there, do I explain where I live which is at the Suncrest
>> Village
>> Apartment Complex on Maple Drive and that I would like to go to the
>> Morgantown Mall in Westover and ask them which lines I would need to
>> take, and what times the lines run?
>>
>> I understand that in order to use the deviated route service I need to
>> apply and fill out paperwork...but I figured I'd start by just asking
>> general questions and see where I get from there.
>>
>> Since I'll most likely have a transfer at one of the depots, is there
>> anything I should know about bus depots? From what my friend who has
>> taken the bus before says all the buses line up along the curb...but
>> I've also been told bus depots are where a lot of homeless hang out so
>> is there anything I should know about them? Should I not carry certain
>> items? From what my friend said, he and his wife took three buses here
>> and everyone was very friendly and nice and the bus drivers even get
>> out of the bus and announce what line the bus is when they approach.
>> HHowever, he says they do not announce stops as they come to them or
>> announce intersections as they come to them which they are supposed to
>> do. I figure when I get on the bus I will ask the driver to please let
>> me know when we get to the line I need to get off at.
>>
>> Yes, the bus company does have a website but their routes are laid out
>> in a map which is inaccessible to screenreaders...you can get a
>> description of which line goes where but you can't access the times or
>> location of each stop.
>>
>> Our bus which is called Mountain Line is also on both Twitter and
>> Facebook and they update frequently with updates if a route has to
>> deviate for construction or something like that.
>>
>>
>>
>> My next questions bring up an issue that I just found out about, that
>> I wanted to get your opinions on.
>>
>> We have an area with
>> sevral stores, restaurants, and a movie theater called University Town
>> Center. I initially was under
>> the assumption it was a strip mall and everything could be walked to.
>> So, I thought I could just simply take the bus there and make that my
>> first bus trip.
>>
>> However, it turns out it is very inaccessible and not pedestrian
>> friendly at all. The buildings are very spread out along a mile-long
>> hill
>> and to get from one to the other you have to go across a four-lane
>> highway-like street and through the store's parking lots. I did some
>> research and apparently these are popping up in several areas and they
>> are called "metroplex shopping centers." I asked whether maybe I could
>> have someone from Customer Service walk me from one place to another
>> such as from one of the restaurants to the movie theater but I've been
>> told it's not possible as the area wasn't built for pedestrians. This
>> shopping center contains stores such as Starbucks, Target, Sams Club,
>> Macys, Walmart, T.J. Macs, Barnes and Noble, Giant Eagle, a shoe
>> store, a dress store, and Bestbuy. Some of the restaurants are Cicis
>> Pizza, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Cheddars, Cracker Barrel, Golden
>> Karrowe, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Chillis just to name a few.
>>
>> Obviously, it would be very very convient to be able to be dropped off
>> at this University Town Center, and get everything done in one
>> place...maybe get a coffee from Starbucks, go to Walmart to get
>> groceries, then maybe go to one of the restaurants or to catch a movie
>> at the movie theater.
>>
>> There are other places I could go in town and get the same things done
>> but they wouldn't be as efficient.
>>
>> Obviously, the people who built this town center did not consider
>> pedestrians at all and just assumed everyone would be able to drive.
>>
>> Does anyone else have these types of shopping centers in their area
>> and can anything be done to make it more pedestrian friendly or maybe
>> have a shuttle that would go from store to store? Considering this
>> area has already been completed and built, I've been told there is no
>> point in battling it because it would cost too much to fix it and it'd
>> be too much work/reconstruction.
>>
>> Do I just find other ways to get the same things done and quit my
>> griping or does action need to be taken?
>>
>> Like I said, I could go to the mall to get something to eat and see a
>> movie, then maybe drive through Starbucks afterwords on my way home. I
>> could do my grocery shopping at Kroger which is right near me...but
>> for a beginning traveler I thought it'd be neat to go to this one area
>> and get evrything done in one convient location and not only that but
>> get to practice cane travel as well.
>>
>> And, yes from what I've read on their website, the bus does go to this
>> University Towncenter several times a day. But, since it isn't
>> pedestrian friendly, I don't know if it would drop me off at one
>> store, then pick me up and take me to another store, one of the
>> restaurants, or the movie theater? As I said, I am very upset about
>> this because that'd be a simple place to start out with and practice
>> travel/get some things done all at the same time in one location.
>>
>> Thoughts? Are these "metroplex shopping centers" common where you live
>> and if so can most of you who are better travelers than I navigate
>> them with ease?
>>
>> Thanks so much and I know my posts jump around a lot but I really want
>> to try taking the bus somewhere simple, and I thought this University
>> town center would be simple...but I guess I could just take the bus to
>> the mall instead.
>>
>> Kerri
>>
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