[nagdu] new topic: airport adventures

Lisa Irving lirving1234 at cox.net
Fri Feb 18 22:31:24 UTC 2011 

Hi Gary,

Boy, can I relate to some of your airport adventures. I've had a few of my 
own. here are a few examples.

When I was in my twenties I was quite adamant that I could find the gate by 
myself. I did find the gate.  In retrospect, and with much less to prove, 
these days I request the assistance. This can back fire. A few years ago I 
flew from Cali. to Ohio. I chose to hand my boarding pass to the individual 
that was helping me. He said that he put my boarding pass  in whatever carry 
on I had with me. However, when it came time to board, there was no boarding 
pass. I was not allowed to pass through security. Yes, I missed my flight. 
In hindsight I see it was my responsibility to ask the individual to hand me 
my boarding pass when he was done looking at it.

I'd like to take this airport conversation in a new direction. How many 
people have noticed that bulk head seating space is shrinking? A few months 
back I flew cross country with my new guide dog. Lucky for us the second and 
third seats were empty. I say, lucky because my dog, even out of harness, 
took up most of the extra room. I asked the airline flight attendant what 
happens when some one travels with a guide dog and their is no extra floor 
space. Her response was matter of fact. We do only what we are required to 
do.  I understand where she is coming from.And then there is the human side 
that was missing in her pragmatic response.

Some time ago on another cross country flight I sustained a lower back 
injury that resulted from my former 70 pound Labrador's  body that leaned 
and laid on my legs for hours; six hours to be exact. I was in excruciating 
pain and was crying when I got off the plane. To this day I still have back 
issues. How do you address positioning of your dog guide when you fly on 
long or even on short flights.

I had a very different experience at JFK. It had nothing to do with 
traveling with a guide dog as I was between guide dogs at that point in my 
life. I landed at JFK, at O' dark hundred. I had a four and a half hour lay 
over until the final leg of my journey. I asked a fellow if he would point 
me in the direction of a coffee cart. He offered to walk me to the cart. 
Through our conversation I learned that I was being escorted by a pilot. The 
amiable pilot bought me a cup of coffee. By the way guys, unless things have 
changed in the older section of the JFK airport, there is no decent place to 
get a good cup of coffee.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "GARY STEEVES" <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 8:17 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after being left 
ontrain in Brussels


>
>
> Hi Lisa:
>
> I agree with you that taking assistance doesn't mean you are not 
> independent. On the contrary, for me it means that you are very confident 
> and know when you need assistance  and how to get it.  i often use 
> assistance in airports or train stations. It usually helps me get to the 
> gate on time and rlaxed. an example of being too indepedent once was when 
> I was still using my cane. I got the gal in the cart to drop me off at the 
> pub diagnally across from my gate. I thought I'd have a beer or two and a 
> burger while I waited for my flight. I almost missed my flight because I 
> hadn't noticed that announcements weren't pumped into the pub. I had to 
> ask a gal down the bar from me what time my boarding pass said boarding 
> was. it was ten minutes ago she said. i sprung up and headed across the 
> hallway. "Hello Mr. steeves, we were looking for ou." :)
>
> with bogart, there is no chance that we will calmly sit on the plane while 
> everyone gets off. Bogart is off as soon as he can. We get to the exit ofr 
> the gate and many nice things have happened. on my last trip I had my 
> folks meeting me so once i learned that it was a straight line we just 
> headed off rather than wait for asistance. another time, on bogart's first 
> trip, a nice woman asked if I needed help. i said that someone from the 
> airline would be there soon. she offered to have me follow her to baggage 
> claims and then she helped me find my bags. The only thing that keeps me 
> waiting is just getting my suitcases. I still need a pair of eyes. Hard to 
> get enough time with the luggage and the luggage delivery system to train 
> bogart to identify my bags. :)
>
> Certainly have noticed that in settings like airports bogart and I get 
> around much faster than I did with my cane. something to do with how much 
> bogart doesn't like airports. :)
>
> Gary
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Lisa belville <missktlab1217 at frontier.com>
> Date: Friday, February 18, 2011 6:43 am
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after being 
> left ontrain in Brussels
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>
>> Well, it's easy for all of us to judge and be the proverbial
>> Monday Morning quarterback with situations like this.  The
>> info given is only as accurate as the reporter's research.
>>
>> I do wonder, though, why he chose to leave his dog at
>> home.  Taking the dog and then having a cabby refuse to
>> transport would have been a perfect example of the
>> discrimination he was afraid of.
>>
>> Also, did this person not at least flag down another passenger
>> or a conductor and request help?  I doubt if it was a
>> language barrier, and this would have been the easiest way to
>> obtain the help.
>>
>> Just sitting waiting on a train while it's being emptied out is
>> not a place I'd want to be, especially if I needed to be
>> someplace on time.
>>
>> It's one reason why I hate asking for help when flying; they
>> expect me to wait until someone has come to the gate, and to the
>> flight attendants, this means I need to sit in my seat like a
>> good little girl rather than exiting the plane with everyone
>> else.  I almost missed a connection once due to this
>> attitude, so I just grab my carry-on stuff and head out with
>> everyone else.
>>
>> But, the person in this article didn't have their dog or a cane,
>> they didn't have as much autonomy.
>>
>> And before anyone says I should navigate airports alone. . . I
>> only fly once every three years or so.  I don't do it often
>> enough to be good at it, so I don't learn the layouts of
>> airports and I'd prefer to get assistance when possible so I can
>> get where I need to be on time..
>>
>> IF THE HOUSEWORK IS DONE - THEN THE COMPUTER IS Broken!
>> Lisa Belville
>> missktlab1217 at frontier.com
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ginger Kutsch"
>> <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com>To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National
>> Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 5:35 AM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after
>> being left ontrain in Brussels
>>
>>
>> >Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after being left on train
>> >in Brussels
>> >
>> >LEFT ALONE: Tom Pey, pictured here with his guide dogBy emma
>> >curry reporters at sevenoaks-chronicle.co.uk
>> >http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/news/Blind-man-train-ordeal/article-3
>> >231003-detail/article.html
>> >
>> >A BLIND man is threatening to sue Eurostar after he was abandoned
>> >on a train in Brussels.
>> >
>> >Dr Tom Pey, chief executive of the Royal London Society for the
>> >Blind (RSLB) and Dorton House in Seal, has accused the travel
>> >firm of disability discrimination.
>> >
>> >He was travelling to the European Parliament to press for
>> >improved rights for guide dog owners at a meeting of the European
>> >Guide Dog Federation, of which he is president, on Wednesday,
>> >February 2.
>> >
>> >He had left his guide dog in Seal, worried that Belgian taxi
>> >drivers may not want to take him, and was taken to the station by
>> >his secretary Alison Nield.
>> >
>> >Unable to get through the barriers, she asked a Eurostar employee
>> >to help Dr Pey on to the train and the train conductor to guide
>> >Mr Pey off the train in Brussels.
>> >
>> >But when they arrived, Mr Pey was left alone. He waited for half
>> >an hour before struggling out of the station himself.
>> >
>> >Dr Pey said: "It's really difficult to make your way around in a
>> >foreign country at the best of times, quite apart from being
>> >visually impaired.
>> >
>> >"I was also at a real loss without my guide dog.
>> >
>> >"I eventually managed to stumble off the train and remembered
>> >that the taxi rank was near a pizza restaurant. Only problem is
>> >there are two pizza eateries at Brussels station. It was most
>> >distressing."
>> >
>> >Ms Nield said: "I usually travel with him. Tom's quite brilliant
>> >but this situation was unacceptable.
>> >
>> >"It was luck rather than judgement that got him off that train.
>> >
>> >"At this end, Eurostar knew perfectly well he needed assistance.
>> >It's ridiculous."
>> >
>> >Tim Arnold, communications manager of the RLSB, said: "Eurostar
>> >are re-defining the word 'shameful'. They have a clear
>> >responsibility under the Equalities Act to make a reasonable
>> >adjustment for disabled people.
>> >
>> >"Tom's lawyers say he has a good case for disability
>> >discrimination."
>> >
>> >A Eurostar spokesman said: "This was obviously a distressing
>> >experience for Dr Pey and we have called him to apologise
>> >unreservedly.
>> >
>> >"Situations like these are thankfully rare, but are taken
>> >extremely seriously and therefore, together with our SNCB
>> >colleagues at Brussels Midi, we are investigating why this
>> >happened as a matter of urgency."
>> >
>> >_______________________________________________
>> >nagdu mailing list
>> >nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> >http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> >To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for nagdu:
>> >http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/missktlab1217%40frontier.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for nagdu:
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>>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Lisa belville <missktlab1217 at frontier.com>
> Date: Friday, February 18, 2011 6:43 am
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after being 
> left ontrain in Brussels
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>
>> Well, it's easy for all of us to judge and be the proverbial
>> Monday Morning quarterback with situations like this.  The
>> info given is only as accurate as the reporter's research.
>>
>> I do wonder, though, why he chose to leave his dog at
>> home.  Taking the dog and then having a cabby refuse to
>> transport would have been a perfect example of the
>> discrimination he was afraid of.
>>
>> Also, did this person not at least flag down another passenger
>> or a conductor and request help?  I doubt if it was a
>> language barrier, and this would have been the easiest way to
>> obtain the help.
>>
>> Just sitting waiting on a train while it's being emptied out is
>> not a place I'd want to be, especially if I needed to be
>> someplace on time.
>>
>> It's one reason why I hate asking for help when flying; they
>> expect me to wait until someone has come to the gate, and to the
>> flight attendants, this means I need to sit in my seat like a
>> good little girl rather than exiting the plane with everyone
>> else.  I almost missed a connection once due to this
>> attitude, so I just grab my carry-on stuff and head out with
>> everyone else.
>>
>> But, the person in this article didn't have their dog or a cane,
>> they didn't have as much autonomy.
>>
>> And before anyone says I should navigate airports alone. . . I
>> only fly once every three years or so.  I don't do it often
>> enough to be good at it, so I don't learn the layouts of
>> airports and I'd prefer to get assistance when possible so I can
>> get where I need to be on time..
>>
>> IF THE HOUSEWORK IS DONE - THEN THE COMPUTER IS Broken!
>> Lisa Belville
>> missktlab1217 at frontier.com
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ginger Kutsch"
>> <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com>To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National
>> Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 5:35 AM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after
>> being left ontrain in Brussels
>>
>>
>> >Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after being left on train
>> >in Brussels
>> >
>> >LEFT ALONE: Tom Pey, pictured here with his guide dogBy emma
>> >curry reporters at sevenoaks-chronicle.co.uk
>> >http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/news/Blind-man-train-ordeal/article-3
>> >231003-detail/article.html
>> >
>> >A BLIND man is threatening to sue Eurostar after he was abandoned
>> >on a train in Brussels.
>> >
>> >Dr Tom Pey, chief executive of the Royal London Society for the
>> >Blind (RSLB) and Dorton House in Seal, has accused the travel
>> >firm of disability discrimination.
>> >
>> >He was travelling to the European Parliament to press for
>> >improved rights for guide dog owners at a meeting of the European
>> >Guide Dog Federation, of which he is president, on Wednesday,
>> >February 2.
>> >
>> >He had left his guide dog in Seal, worried that Belgian taxi
>> >drivers may not want to take him, and was taken to the station by
>> >his secretary Alison Nield.
>> >
>> >Unable to get through the barriers, she asked a Eurostar employee
>> >to help Dr Pey on to the train and the train conductor to guide
>> >Mr Pey off the train in Brussels.
>> >
>> >But when they arrived, Mr Pey was left alone. He waited for half
>> >an hour before struggling out of the station himself.
>> >
>> >Dr Pey said: "It's really difficult to make your way around in a
>> >foreign country at the best of times, quite apart from being
>> >visually impaired.
>> >
>> >"I was also at a real loss without my guide dog.
>> >
>> >"I eventually managed to stumble off the train and remembered
>> >that the taxi rank was near a pizza restaurant. Only problem is
>> >there are two pizza eateries at Brussels station. It was most
>> >distressing."
>> >
>> >Ms Nield said: "I usually travel with him. Tom's quite brilliant
>> >but this situation was unacceptable.
>> >
>> >"It was luck rather than judgement that got him off that train.
>> >
>> >"At this end, Eurostar knew perfectly well he needed assistance.
>> >It's ridiculous."
>> >
>> >Tim Arnold, communications manager of the RLSB, said: "Eurostar
>> >are re-defining the word 'shameful'. They have a clear
>> >responsibility under the Equalities Act to make a reasonable
>> >adjustment for disabled people.
>> >
>> >"Tom's lawyers say he has a good case for disability
>> >discrimination."
>> >
>> >A Eurostar spokesman said: "This was obviously a distressing
>> >experience for Dr Pey and we have called him to apologise
>> >unreservedly.
>> >
>> >"Situations like these are thankfully rare, but are taken
>> >extremely seriously and therefore, together with our SNCB
>> >colleagues at Brussels Midi, we are investigating why this
>> >happened as a matter of urgency."
>> >
>> >_______________________________________________
>> >nagdu mailing list
>> >nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> >http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> >To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for nagdu:
>> >http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/missktlab1217%40frontier.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for nagdu:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rainshadowmusic%40shaw.ca
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
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