[nagdu] Quick-release handles: was Air Charters and the extra seat

[Angie Matney]

Wayne,

This kind of experience is one reason I hope The Seeing Eye will consider
ways to provide us with quick-release handles. If we can simply remove the
harness handle, it will easily fit in the space between a window seat and
the inside wall of the plane. This will allow both the human and dog to
enjoy more room while they fly, while reducing the chances that a flight
attendant would seek to remove the harness from the dog's owner.

Also, some airline policies state that the dog must remain in harness at all
times. If we had a quick-release handle, we could comply with such policies
while gaining a bit more leg/dog room.

I don't know how you feel about quick-release handles, but if you agree with
me, I hope you will consider relating this experience to someone at Seeing
Eye as a reason to consider quick-release handles.

Angie 





-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Wayne Merritt
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 11:15 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Air Charters and the extra seat

I think he's referring to a part of airline history in the eighties
where the airlines tried to take or in some cases took canes away from
blind people, claiming that they were dangerous and could fly up and
hit someone if something were to happen to the plane. Though I missed
this part of airline history in my travels, I've still been asked a
few times by flight attendants to give up my cane. I even explained to
one persont that the cane was securely between my window seat and the
inside wall of the plane; in other words, it wasn't going anywhere.
I'm sad to say that I have been pushed into giving up my cane, with
the flight attendant in question assuring me that she would put my
cane in the closet at the front of the plane during the flight, but
this has happened a very few times, thankfully.

I did have one similar experience in my recent Florida travels, when
they were trying to acccommodate my seating arrangement on one of
those smaller express jets, where I had to give up my dog's harness. I
chose not to make an issue of it since I was able to get a seat with
potentially more room in the first class area, though we are still
talking of those smaller jets. I was reminded of of the incidents of
giving up canes though and wondered if giving up a harness was
similar. Sadly, it does sound familiar to me. I was able to get the
harness back when leaving the plane, but I still felt like something
was violated by having to give up the harness. I tried to show the
flight attendant that it was secure against the wall of the plane, but
no dice. Thoughts?

Hth,
Wayne