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

Tue Feb 22 02:51:28 UTC 2011

Peter and all my other unfans, assuming that all information I have read on 
this issue to be accurate, including that offered up by peter, I find this 
so-called doctor's complaint ridiculously spurious and would be totally 
embarrassed to have him speaking and/or representing me on any level.

Harsh, judgmental, damn right!

Doug: Nobody's slave, and nobody's master.

----- 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: Monday, February 21, 2011 3:18 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man Dr Tom Pey may sue 
Eurostarafterbeingleftontrain in Brussels

> 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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>>>
>>>
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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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