[nfb-db] Communication Options and Technology

[John Lee Clark]

Haben:

For example, on flights, I try to avoid using the SBC at all until the very
end.  But once the flight attendant discovers I have the SBC, she's liable
to ask to use it and then ask if I need anything, if I'd like some, if I
needed help, to please let her know if I need to use the bathroom, and she
may go on to ask more personal questions or to express her admiration or
amazement.  So what I do is not even use the SBC and force the FA to keep
things at a minimum.  I already know where everything is in all the airplane
models.  When drinks come, I just gesture for water or draw the letter W (I
am not a soft drink person).  That way, I am left alone to my knitting or
reading or napping.  Tthen upon landing, I ask the person next to me if he's
going to the baggage claims, that is, if I have luggage not with me.  If he
or she says yes, I ask if I can tag along.  This helps me to get out of
there right away and get straight to my luggage before I catch a cab.

Oh, yes, I never ask for assistance when buying tickets.  The problem with
assistance is that it's too much and a total waste of time.  If you ask for
assistance, the FA will make you stay seated until you're the last one to
deplane, and when you get out you'll be met by a wheelchair or maybe you'll
be made to wait for the wheelchair to arrive.  After you successfully
convince the attendant to let you walk, he's going to walk slow and he's
going to take you to the elevators instead of the escalators, and in many
airports the elevators are out of the way and will eat up more of your time.
The worst of all is when they get a cart for you.  The driver, upon parking
near where people need to go to get out of the security line down to
baggage, but he's not going down with you.  He's going to call for someone.
This means more waiting.

But if you get to tag along with a fellow passenger, and the FA sees you
following him or her, she's going to let you off the hook.  Trust me, this
is going to save you many years of your life.

At restaurants, though, waiters are good with leaving you alone.  They are
trained to respect patrons' privacy while they're eating.

Cashiers are no problem.  They have to stay behind the counter, so you just
go in and out.  Not much opportunity for them to start fawning on you.

But some of the conversations that somehow happen are absolutely great.  But
some are annoying.  Others are weird.  One time a man noticed that I was
obviously waiting for my paratransit ride.  This was a café way out of the
bus system, and my friends had already left.  He asked to type and typed
asking if I needed a ride.  I thanked him but said my ride would be along.
He then said he'd give me a ride if, he typed "youll dome".  What did a dome
have to do with this, Ii wondered.  He saw my puzzled expression and typed
"b j bjbjbj."  Oh boy, did it hit my head like a ton of bricks.  Ii decided
to mess with him and typed "its illegal to make a proposition to a disabled
person."  That worked because he disappeared almost instantly.  

So once you get your SBC, you'll have all sorts of adventures with it, some
good and fun, some bizarre ones, and some annoying.  That's life, I guess.

John



 

Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG. 
Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database: 270.12.11/2089 - Release Date: 4/30/2009
5:53 PM