[nabs-l] canes and water park rides

Kirt Manwaring kirt.crazydude at gmail.com
Tue Apr 2 02:18:14 UTC 2013 

Sarah,
  I know you're going to get a lot of flack for what you just said, so
I'll do my best to be gentle.  I know each person's situation is
different, so I'm not judging every blind person who chooses to take
that extra perk and cut through line; for all I know, there really is
some other disability or legitimate need for that accommodation with
some of us, so farbeit from me to condemn everyone wholesale for
making that choice.  Still, and I feel very strongly about this, if
you are capable of waiting in line with everybody else, you should.
Period.  In the past, there have been a few times where I've caved in
to family pressure and broken my own rule; I'm not proud of it, I
don't always measure up to my own standards here, but I nevertheless
believe very passionately that we should not take "accommodation"
where we do not need it.  If you had no real need to cut in line, and
it sounds like you didn't if you've been able to wait in long lines
before (if I'm wrong please forgive me), you shouldn't have.  That's
my opinion, I'm not trying to be harsh because I've certainly skipped
in line a few times before (and invariably felt ashamed afterwords),
but accommodation is only real accommodation if it serves a real need.
 We have enough real needs already to go around taking advantage of
things that just aren't necessary.  Not only is it a waste but it can,
if we aren't careful, send totally the wrong message about blindness.
Our reputation as people who take and take, without giving back, isn't
entirely unjustified.  If we want to be treated equally, we _have_ to
have it both ways.  If we want equal treatment, we have equal
responsibility.  Much as this might seem menial, or irrelevant to the
larger problems we face, waiting in lines is a drudgery that we ought
to accept cheerfully (or at least grudgingly) if we really want equal
access to amusement parks.  I think, for many blind people, the
attitude which says it's okay to cut in line even though we could wait
like everyone else is indicative of a far, far larger problem.  I am,
of course, referring to the idea that we are entitled to special
treatment and superior, not equal access.  We wouldn't phrase it that
way...but when we're asking for unnecessary extended time for
assignments (I'm not implying that all extended time is unnecessary),
demanding the right to a dedicated person to take our notes for us,
begging rehab for every piece of the newest and greatest technology
and, yes, cutting in lines at amusement parks...isn't that what we're
really saying?  Just my humble opinion, take it for what it's worth.
  Best,
Kirt

On 4/1/13, Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
> So they let you cut through the line with a dog, but not with a cane?
> Interesting.
>
> Chris
>
> Chris Nusbaum, Co-Chair
> Public Relations Committee
> Maryland Association of Blind Students
> Phone: (443) 547-2409
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sarah
> Sent: Monday, April 01, 2013 9:40 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>
> Because with my dog, they let me right on, and they watch the dog very
> carefully even when someone else is holding it so nobody pets it while
> you're on the ride.  With a cane, they will just say "Wait 4 hours like
> everyone else."
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 21:26:25 -0400
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>
> Sarah,
>
> Just curious: how is Six Flags more accommodating to a guide dog user than
> to a cane user?
>
> Chris
>
> Chris Nusbaum, Co-Chair
> Public Relations Committee
> Maryland Association of Blind Students
> Phone: (443) 547-2409
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sarah Meeks
> Sent: Monday, April 01, 2013 7:56 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Cc: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>
> My best amusement park experience has always been Six Flags.
> They are very
> accommodating.  There you are more accommodating now that I have a dog.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Apr 1, 2013, at 11:22 AM, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com
> wrote:
>
>  Hi,
>
>  Yay for Disney!  they were by far my best park experience.  I went  twice
> as a little kid.  The first time I went I was five or six and my  parents
> also had a baby in a stroller, so the practice for both me and  my sister
> was to hold onto our brother's stroller to keep with our  parents and not
> get lost.  My parents just gave me verbal direction  and were with me the
> entire time, so there really wasn't a major need  for a cane.  When I went
> again as an older kid though, I did have a  folding cane and the Disney
> staff was very good about either showing  me tricks to keep it with me or
> holding it and then giving it back to  me when I got off, even on water
> rides like Splash Mountain and the  Pirates of the Caribbean rides which
> start in one place and end at  another.  If you have a folding cane you can
> secure it folded with the  loop and then put your wrist through the cane
> and
> the strap and just  let it hang as you hold onto something.  It won't flop
> around as much  as the telescopic cane.  Also, the holster idea sounds
> good,
> although  some park personelle at other amusement parks get worried  about
> it  coming lose.  Either way, you shouldn't have any problems with getting
> the ride people to bring you your cane at the ride exit.
>
>  By the way, Universal Studios was excellent about working with the  cane
> too.  I went there in the same vacation that I went to Disney for  the
> second time and they were very accomodating.
>
>  On 4/1/13, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
>  Sophie,
>   I'm one of those random oddballs who would probably go alone if I  was
> traveling, and there was a really cool theme park near by.
> I
>  know it's not for everyone, but occasionally doing those kinds of "social"
>  things by myself is fun for me; both to keep my confidence up and to  meet
> people that I otherwise wouldn't get to know.
>   Anyways, I've taken my straight cane to theme parks no problem, but  I'll
> confess I haven't tried a water park with it yet.  A collapsible  or
> folding
> cane seems more reasonable to me there.  On rollercoasters  or big rides
> like that, I've almost always just given my straight  cane to the ride
> attendant and picked it up when the ride is done,  but those rides usually
> start and end at the same place.
> Waterslides
>  and things are different though, obviously.
>   Basically, I've been reading this thread to see what useful bits I  could
> glean from it, as I'll probably be going to a few water parks  myself over
> the summer.  Maybe this will finally give me the  motivation I need to buy
> another collapsible or NFB folding cane.  (I  actually liked mine for the
> year or so it lasted, but I used it  sparingly and certainly not as my
> primary cane.)  Thanks, all, for  the help and suggewstions.
>   Best,
>  Kirt
>
>  On 3/31/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>  I would where a belt around my bathing suit, and Use a folding cane  with
> a
> holster.
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy
> Bennett
>  Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2013 4:25 PM
>  To: National Asociation of Blind Students
>  Subject: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>
>  Hi everyone,
>
>  This summer, I am going to a water park.  When I go to theme parks, I
> typically store my cane somewhere outside the ride area or on the  exit
> side
> of a roller coaster platform.  However, many water rides  are such that you
> get on the ride in a different location, often  quite a walk away, from the
> place where you get off of the ride.
> My
>  cane is too long to fit in many inner tubes, and I doubt that it  would be
> a safe thing to bring along especially if it came loose.
>
>  I am wondering if a telescoping cane would be the best for this,  because
> I
> know that many water rides have shoe holders.  It would  just be annoying,
> because I would have to rely on someone to guide  me back to these shoe
> holders that are often at the entrance of the ride.
>
>  So what are your suggestions for storing a cane during water rides?
>
>  Thanks.
>
>
>
>  --
>  Cindy Bennett
>  Secretary: National Association of Blind Students Legislative
>  Coordinator: National Federation of the Blind of Washington
>
>  B.A.  Psychology, UNC Wilmington
>  clb5590 at gmail.com
>
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>  --
>  Kaiti
>
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