[nagdu] An altercation on the bus yesterday

Thu Jun 7 20:40:47 UTC 2012

I use a big backpack for that!  I also don't like having a lot of stuff on 
one side and a dog on the other.  so, I have a backpack for shopping, one 
for bowling and a small one for everyday use.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 4:08 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] An altercation on the bus yesterday


>I agree about the stroller thing.  I, however am going to need to bring a 
>cart that holds about four shopping bags on the bus as my arms are too 
>short to rap around a paper bag, and I don't like the plastic ones because 
>they always seem to twist and cut off circulation in my hands.  also, if 
>I'm going to take the time to take the bus to go grocery shopping, which 
>would probably take half the day, I want to get a fair amount of stuff so I 
>don't have to do it every day, as I have various other obligations during 
>the week that can't be changed.
>
> I've never had to bring one of those carts on a bus and feel kind of 
> uncomfortable doing so, but I don't know any other way, and I hate 
> paratransit because sometimes, it takes longer than others at the store, 
> especially if you're trying to compare prices or have to wait longer for a 
> person to help me shop, or even just learn about new products that are out 
> there that I didn't know about before.  Paratransit buses also have three 
> or four steps going up into them, and since I have knee issues to go along 
> with dragging that cart up those steps, I'd just rather go up one step on 
> a regular bus and control how long I am at the store, even if I have to 
> wait a little longer for the route to come back around if I run a little 
> late.  I'm still in control.
>
> At least that's how I feel.
>
>
> I don't have people to help me shop, well I won't in about a month and a 
> half, so I'm not sure what to do.
>
> There is a grocery store about four to six blocks from us, but it's small 
> and has very little selection and it costs more to shop there than the 
> store we normally shop at, or even Wal Mart.
>
> I'm not sure what to do about this issue, but I hope that I can find a 
> viable option soon as we will have no other choices soon.
>
> Jenny
> On Jun 7, 2012, at 12:41 PM, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
>
>> Yeah, I have no issue with wheelchairs on the bus - their users have just 
>> as much right as I do on the bus and there is only the two places where 
>> the room and tie-downs are located.
>>
>> What I don't like is when these people bring on a mega-sized baby 
>> carriage or stroller on and plop down in the front area and take up space 
>> that a senior or disabled person needs to use.  Our rules say that the 
>> child must be removed from the stroller for the ride.  I don't like 
>> sitting in the back because I can't hear the driver call the stops and 
>> there's no real room for my big, long dog!  I don't know why these people 
>> don't use the smaller umbrella-style strollers for riding the bus. 
>> They're small and fold up very easily unlike the huge ones that aren't 
>> really meant for riding buses with. They're loaded down with other stuff 
>> besides the kid and it all is very awkward.
>>
>> I'm not anti-kid, but I don't like to see the disabled seating taken up 
>> with these huge things.  I need my dog to be protected under the seat and 
>> they don't need to bring giant strollers on.
>>
>> Lyn and Landon
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 7:39 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] An altercation on the bus yesterday
>>
>>
>>> Please don't take offense to what I said about wheelchairs.  I wasn't 
>>> trying to be disrespectful of people who use them.  I have friends who 
>>> use them, and that really wasn't the issue.
>>>
>>> My point only was that the chair, and the dog serve the same purpose.
>>>
>>> If I offended anyone, please except my sincerest apology.
>>>
>>> Jenny
>>> On Jun 6, 2012, at 9:20 PM, Larry D. Keeler wrote:
>>>
>>>> That one is certainly rare!  My wife uses a wheelchair so I know what 
>>>> kind of room they take up.  I also let her get on the bus first so as 
>>>> not to accidentally run over Holly's feet.  I certainly would have 
>>>> opened my mouth and then loged a complaint with the bus company.  And, 
>>>> it is certainly public transportation!
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List" 
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 10:02 PM
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] An altercation on the bus yesterday
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I just had to tell you all about what happened on the bus here in 
>>>>> Rockford yesterday.
>>>>> A guy I knew with a guide dog got on the bus.  There were two 
>>>>> wheelchairs on the bus as well, so he had to walk in between them. 
>>>>> One of the people in a wheelchair told the guy that he needed to get 
>>>>> that dog off the bus because she had allergies.  the guy told her that 
>>>>> his dog was a guide dog and continued to walk by her.  I was sitting 
>>>>> behind her and could feel my temper rising as she continued to argue 
>>>>> with him.
>>>>>
>>>>> He continued to argue with her too and the bus driver had to tell them 
>>>>> both to quiet down and drop it.
>>>>>
>>>>> It took all I could to do not blurt out that the dog had as much right 
>>>>> on the bus as her wheelchair did, but I kept my mouth shut because it 
>>>>> wouldn't have come out in a nice and respectful tone of voice.  I kind 
>>>>> of felt like pot, meet kettle, if you know what I mean, as her 
>>>>> wheelchair took up so much space on the bus.  It angered me so much 
>>>>> that someone with a disability that caused her to use an aid that also 
>>>>> causes inconvenience, by taking up three regular seats on a bus, would 
>>>>> make such a huge and loud scene about someone else with a disability 
>>>>> with a dog that he needed to get around with.  You would think that 
>>>>> both people would respect the others needs and ways of travel and just 
>>>>> get along.
>>>>>
>>>>> that's why I kept my mouth shut, I knew I wouldn't have handled it 
>>>>> properly.  I was beginning to feel a little militant and quite 
>>>>> insulted myself as having been a dog user.
>>>>>
>>>>> I told the gentleman to go ahead of me as we exited the bus however, 
>>>>> because I was going to make my statement known if she had said one 
>>>>> more word to him.  I had enough of that kind of attitude.
>>>>>
>>>>> Maybe I should've said something after all, but I felt my temper 
>>>>> flaring and knew that it would be in a militant and combative tone, so 
>>>>> again, I kept my mouth shut.  Making sure however, that she said 
>>>>> nothing to him as he passed her to exit the bus.  It would have been a 
>>>>> mistake on her part to utter one more word on the subject at that 
>>>>> time, cause I was about to let if fly.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway, just thought I'd relay the experience.  In my opinion, that 
>>>>> dog was no different than that chair.  Plain and simple.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jenny
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
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>>
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>
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