[nabs-l] canes and water park rides

Sarah coastergirl92 at gmail.com
Tue Apr 2 02:32:09 UTC 2013


besides, I have had too many experiences where I waited in line 
for a ride if need be, and waited 2 hours, then I get up there 
and they try to say I can't ride because of my blindness and I 
might get scared
because of the ride's speed and height.  That happened to me at 
Disney and the fair.  Because at fairs I can't get immediate 
boarding passes.
 ----- Original Message -----
From: Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 20:18:14 -0600
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides

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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