[nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight

[Judy Jones]

Way to go!!!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 8:26 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight


> LOL, the last time someone told me and my daughter to stay put if we had 
> an evacuation, my response was, "Hell no, we evacuate, my ass is outa this 
> plane."
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Oct 20, 2010, at 10:19 AM, Wm. Ritchhart wrote:
>
>> It is not just American Airlines.  I have encountered issues from time to
>> time on many different airlines.  It is not anything more in most cases 
>> than
>> ignorance on the part of flight crew and/or gate attendants.
>>
>> The last flight I was on was from Charlotte NC to Indianapolis IN.  It 
>> was
>> evening and the flight attendant instructed me and my girl friend to 
>> remain
>> in our seats if there were an emergency.  She said, "someone will try to
>> come back for you after the plane is empty if we can."  I replied, "I am
>> probably the only person on this plane who is used to working without eye
>> sight.  So I am probably the only person who would be able to function in 
>> an
>> emergency.  So I think I'll try to help you if there is an emergency." 
>> She
>> did not like it.
>>
>> I also had a gate attendant start to give me the "I have to take that 
>> cane"
>> line on the out-bound part of that trip.  I always encourage them to go
>> ahead and call security.  I generally also encourage them to review the
>> regulations before they do it, though.  After I point out to them that 
>> they
>> will find that my cane is allowed by the regulations they shut up and 
>> leave
>> me alone.
>>
>> Thanks, William
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Jeanette Fortin
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 10:00 AM
>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight
>>
>> this is aweful, but i fly American Airlines all the time and have never 
>> had
>> any trouble with them at all as a matter of fact i  have found them to be
>> the most comfortable to fly on. jeanette
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "John Heim" <john at johnheim.net>
>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 7:55 AM
>> Subject: [nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight
>>
>>
>> http://kdka.com/local/blind.man.flight.2.1971310.html
>> A blind man was told if he tried to use his cane he'd be removed from a
>> flight and arrested and now he's asking for an apology.
>>
>> Bill Diamond is legally blind and sees nothing from his left eye and 
>> shadows
>> from his right eye. He lost his sight 15 years ago due to diabetes.
>>
>> He's a Navy veteran and spent 13 years in the service. It was on a recent
>> trip to a special veterans school in Chicago to learn how to use a 
>> talking
>> computer where he ran into real trouble on an American Airlines flight.
>>
>> "American Airlines just wants customers who can see - it's not going to 
>> be a
>> burden to them," he said. "Anybody with a disability is going to be a 
>> burden
>> to American Airlines."
>>
>> Diamond caught his flight to Chicago out of Pittsburgh. He was brought to
>> the plane in a wheelchair. He got on board using his cane and was told he
>> had to give it up even though it was folded up.
>>
>> "I says, 'I need my cane.'
>>
>> "She goes, 'Sir, if you refuse to give up your cane, I will have no
>> alternative but to call security,'" Diamond recalled.
>>
>> Faced with possible arrest, Diamond gave up the cane, sat on a nearly
>> two-hour flight unable to get up and move around even though he needed to
>> use the bathroom.
>>
>> "The stewardess acted like, 'Oh no, not another disabled person on my
>> flight,'" he said.
>>
>> On his way back from Chicago, Diamond flew United. They had no problem 
>> with
>> his cane. He used it to get to the men's room. He says it gave him his
>> dignity back and his freedom.
>>
>> "That's my independence, that's my mode of travel, that's how I learned 
>> to
>> travel being visually impaired," Diamond said. "They're taking something
>> from me that I've learned to use."
>>
>> KDKA's Marty Griffin spoke with American Airlines Monday. They said they
>> were investigating the matter and offered no further comment.
>>
>> Griffin could find no evidence indicating the use of a folding cane on a
>> flight is determined to be against the policy of any airline.
>>
>> (C MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
>>
>>
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