[Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!

Sun Oct 24 12:14:21 UTC 2010

And I think sometimes that's what it takes, a little educating and calling 
the right people.  Carrying a telescoping or collapsible cane has much to be 
said for it when flying, I always put mine in the front seat pocket of the 
seat in front of me.

Mark Tardif
Welcome to my planet
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "TaraPrakash" <taraprakash at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 23, 2010 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!

Dear Mark and all. Thanks for your perspective. I was doing quite a bit of
traveling of late. I too had many problems caused by the ignorance or
arrogance of the crew. But when it comes to cane, I never had a trouble. The
reason for that perhaps is that I keep my folding cane in my backpack which
has to go under your front seat at the time of take off and landing. These
are the times you are not supposed to move around in the plane. So I never
tried using my cane on those ocasions. I could use my cane when the seat
belt sign was taken off.

Boycotting does help, but I don't think there is any flight on which some of
us faced no problem at all. If we boycott all the flights, we will be
helping those arrogant, insensitive ignorant folks who don't want to see us
on their flights.

Interestingly, while using Airtran between Orlando and Atlanta frequently, I
always was having trouble with Atlanta based crew but never with Orlando
based crew. Some calls to customer care relations, ensured noticeable
improvement in the service of Atlanta based crew.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Tardif" <markspark at bellsouth.net>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!

Unfortunately, I am one of those you so quickly categorize as "liberals" who
will also snub my nose at it, saying that we probably don't have the full
story.  I use a telescoping cane and have never been told I cannot use it on
the flight.  Now, unfortunately, I have been told, on occasions when I had a
nonfolding cane, that I could not have it in the seat with me, and it is
true that on rare occasions when that happened, the crew didn't seem to know
what they were talking about when they talked about FAA regulations
prohibiting it and in one instance the captain rather arrogantly past word
back to me that he did not have a requirement of having all the regulations
on board with him, which I took as a cryptic way of not acknowledging that
he really didn't know what he was talking about.  But I was never told I
could not use my cane to do things like go to the men's room while in
flight.  What I think Mr. Diamond should do is contact our governmental
affairs office for accurate information about just what is required
regarding storage and use of canes on airline flights.  That's what I did
after a flight I took with Airtran about 12 years ago.  That way he might
come armed with information he can use if this happens again.  Also, I think
to stereotype a whole airline as not respecting people with disabilities
based on one incident isn't the answer.  And we also don't know whether he
made any effort not to have to use a wheelchair on the way to the gate.  I
simply tell agents that I don't need it, that I could use the exercise, and
that's usually enough.  It sounds like he may be trying to have his cake and
eat it too.  And incidentally, finding the men's room on a plane really
isn't that difficult, with or without a cane.  I assume he has a voice, so
rather than saying "poor me" I couldn't get to the bathroom, he might have
used it and asked a fellow passenger to verbally direct him.  I'm sorry for
this rather long rant and for showing such little sympathy, but really, take
some of your own responsibility for yourself.

Mark Tardif
Welcome to my planet
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "john schwery" <jschwery at embarqmail.com>
To: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 7:52 AM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!

I sent this to the blind-x list and the liberals
on that list snubbed noses at it, saying in
effect, maybe, we don't have the full story.

text of forwarded message follows:
>Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:11:42 -0400
>
>How stupid is this?
>
>text of forwarded message follows:
>
>
>>
>>
>>American Airlines just shot themselves in the foot with this incident!
>>~~~
>>Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>PITTSBURGH (KDKA)
>>
>>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.
>>
>>(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
>>
>> From Our Neck Of The World, our current weather is:  Silver Springs, 
>> Florida Partly Cloudy, 60°F Wind:Calm
>>Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down.
>>Anna
>text of forwarded message ends:
>
>John
>Currently in Ocala, Florida Mostly Clear, 62°F Wind:Calm
>"Wink, I'll do the rest!"
>Created by Weather Signature v1.31 . http://www.weathersig.com
text of forwarded message ends:

John
Currently in Ocala, Florida Clear, 51°F Wind:Calm
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in
their shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot.
Created by Weather Signature v1.31 . http://www.weathersig.com
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