[nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar afterbeingleftontrain in Brussels

Mon Feb 21 21:18:26 UTC 2011

Hello everyone,

You asked for the inside scoop on Tom Pey. You got it.

Peter Donahue

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at neb.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2011 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar 
afterbeingleftontrain in Brussels

Wow!  That's harsh.

I'm not asking that you agree with his opinions or actions, but please do
refrain from the personal insults.

Julie
NAGDU list moderator

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 9:23 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after
beingleftontrain in Brussels

> Hello Everyone,
>
>    Given his track record This is classic Tom Pey. He fought against us
> when Mike Osborn and others worked with the UK Government to put
> procedures
> in place to permit guide dogs entering the UK accompanied by their blind
> handler to do so under the Pet Travel Scheme so the dogs wouldn't need to
> go
> in to quarantine. He also sang the song probably trumpped up by the Guide
> Dogs for the Blind Association that a guide dog should not travel in an
> aircraft cabin for no more than five hours flying time; something many of
> us
> worked hard to debunk and were successful doing so. And so he still feels
> that taking one's guide dog out of the UK and reentering under PETS is too
> much of a bother? If you asked me he got what he deserved. He's nothing
> but
> a big old blind Uncle tom Pey!
>
> Peter Donahue
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Julie McGinnity" <kaybaycar at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 6:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after being
> leftontrain in Brussels
>
>
> I am wondering why these articles never seem to be the whole story.
> Yes, I know that we will never know the details of any of these kinds
> of incidents, but in these articles, there always seems to be
> something that doesn't quite add up.  Does the reporter need to do
> more research?  Are the facts incorrect?  We don't know.  We are only
> given what we are given.  My first thought after reading was exactly
> the same as many of you:  Did he have a cane?  Why did they say
> stumbling?  Didn't he have proper mobility training?
>
> Although I still believe that suing may not be the answer, I cannot
> say about this particular incident.  It is true that in Europe there
> are different expectations.  If something like that happened in the
> US, they would be like, too bad too sad, you just get out of there on
> your own, which is both good and bad.  However, in Europe it is
> expected that if you are blind you will receive assistance.  Hmmmm.  I
> have mixed feelings on this one.
>
> I have to say that I like having the option of getting assistance,
> especially in airports.  I really don't like crowds.  They freak me
> out, and I usually am pleased to have someone help me to the gate.  I
> always laugh when they bring wheelchairs though.  What drives me crazy
> is how they think I can't follow them.  Then, the airport assist
> person tries to grab my arm without asking, or even worse tries to
> grab the dog's leash.  Under no circumstances is this ok in my book.
> That just makes me feel much jumpier in an environment where I'm not
> really comfortable in the first place.
>
> Really don't know about the article though.  I just remember having a
> similar discussion about the last one that was posted.  I just wish
> these articles sounded better or something.  I'm not sure what I'm
> looking for.  Sorry for the rant, that may in fact be pointless.
>
> On 2/20/11, Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net> wrote:
>> Hm...  Getting off a train and past all the obstacles and to the right
>> place
>> to leave the station and find a human to talk to is kind of an impressive
>> feat to be described as 'stumbling."  I would not want to try this
>> myself,
>> and I am certain that I would indeed stumble now and then if I somehow
>> arranged to find myself in such a situation.
>>
>> In my own context, I am apparently so neurotically paranoid about finding
>> myself in that kind of situation that, in addition to my guide dog, I
>> carry
>> a back pack of emergency supplies, the stuff I actually plan to use, and
>> 3
>> to 5 spare canes -- if not more canes than I actually own.  /lol/  This
>> will
>> surprise me when I have to dig through all the canes and other emergency
>> supplies to find something I need to actually use because I will remember
>> slipping one cane into my backpack, just in case I need it.
>>
>> Waiting for someone to come to my rescue?  Again, not my style.  /smile/
>>
>> Still, as others have pointed out, the information in the article doesn't
>> give us enough to really evaluate the ins and outs of this man's reasons
>> for
>> taking the actions he did.  It all seems pretty foreign, frankly, but
>> when
>> I
>> remember that it was in what I consider a foreign land, it almost
>> certainly
>> is.  /smile/
>>
>> It will be interesting to see what happens here.
>>
>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of Lisa Irving
>> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 3:07 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue Eurostar after being
>> leftontrain in Brussels
>>
>> Wow. I'm trying to put myself in this fellow's shoes. The critical side
>> of
>> me contends he has a voice, and perhaps a cell phone. I also can't help
>> but
>> to wonder if he manipulated circumstances to slam the point home about
>> guide
>>
>> dog discrimination in Europe. I don't know. Obviously, we're not getting
>> all
>>
>> the facts.
>>
>> I have a problem with this educated man describing his exodus from the
>> train
>>
>> as, "stumbling off". I can't imagine traveling without a cane as a back
>> up.
>> I understand his concern about the possibility of being denied a cab
>> ride.
>> Denial of Cab access is still an issue in San Diego. We have a large
>> Muslim
>> population and some of these folks drive cabs. Fortunately for those of
>> us
>> who live in a large metropolitan city, we have options; other cab
>> companies
>> we can call. My final thought is this. Do you suppose there are
>> quarantine
>> issues this man had to work around.
>> ----- 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 3:35 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."
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lirving1234%40cox.net
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Julie McG
> Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
> Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
> Eyes for the Blind
>
> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
> life."
> John 3:16
>
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