[nfb-db] Communication Options and Technology

[Haben Girma]

John, when you travel around do you usually have the SBC hidden, or is 
it visible? For instance, how did the guy know you had an SBC when you 
were waiting for your paratransit ride?

And hey, thanks for sahring the strategy of asking a seatmate if they're 
going to the baggage carousel. My strategy has been mainly to speed by 
FAs even as they protest that I should wait for them to call assistance, 
then when I'm safe and sound in the airport I ask the first staff member 
I can find for directions. It had never occurred to me just ask the 
person sitting next to me on the plane if they're going where I"m going. 
That's a much easier solution. What do you do if it turns out they're 
actually going somewhere else?

Haben

John Lee Clark wrote:
> 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
>
>
>
>  
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