[Nfbf-l] Amtrak

Sun Sep 12 00:00:02 UTC 2010

Mark, I am one who  lost his sight at 42 years of age, many years of sight 
prior to my blindness gave me a different perspecctive of many issues that 
after 16 years of observing our blind  community has made me realize the 
major differences between legal blindness and total blindness from birth! I 
believe that if we all respected and better understood the  majority of our 
population which is sighted, we would understand why, in their eyes, we 
stand out   from the majority of people in airports, bus stations, and train 
stations , Etc. The reason I  say this  is that I have no pproblem  about 
asking for assistance when needed as whenever i needed the same as a sighted 
person, it never bothered me either.  When we look at our situations 
differently and as the sighted community would, we can simply say that we 
payed for these employees to take care of us while we are in their hands, so 
why not take full advantage of our money for our fares! I guess my 
sensitivity about waiting for the plane to clear before I disembark is 
normally no problem for me when asked nor is it for using a wheellchair to 
get across these large facilities. I like the wheellchair as I can stack my 
luggage on  my lap and swiftly tote along and with my legs not in the best 
of shape, the chair is a relief. I also feel comfortable asking for ground 
assistance when I need to get to where I need to be next without feeling 
like I'm being  pressured to prove myself or given special attention away 
from the rest of the passengers! I guess it is all in perspecctive, as  I am 
legally blind, not totally blind where I might be more sensitive to these 
encounters by staff!  I hope I haven't offended anyone with my comments, but 
living 42 years from within the 20/20 world of sight, mixing amongst them, 
working as part of them, I can appreciate their insights, attitudes and 
reactions about us still! I sure hope my opinion here hasen't offended any 
of my friends and my fight to change any wrongs from the sighted world on 
our behalf will always be a priority that I will fight till the end of time! 
Your friend, KH

Kirk Harmon
1138 Evening Stroll Lane
Jacksonville, FL. 32221

Florida Disabled Citizens for Progress, Inc.
President & CEO
PH: (904) 783-9896
Cell: (407) 473-2176

" Turning Hope into Reality"!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Tardif" <markspark at bellsouth.net>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 5:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Amtrak

Hello, friends,

I haven't traveled on Amtrak in some time.  However, air transportation gets
mixed reviews from me, I think mostly better than it used to be.  For
example, I've been in situations where airport personnel used to insist that
I get into a wheelchair when I arrived at my destination.  Recently, it
seems, if people have tried to do that, all it has taken is me letting them
know that I prefer to walk, and that's been the end of it.  If I am making
tight, quick connections between flights, I really have no problem receiving
help from personnel in getting from one gate to the next.  In fact,
sometimes I get anxious if I am asked to wait while everyone else is
deplaning, thinking I might miss my next flight.  Sometimes I have even been
known to get off with everyone else and just ask gate personnel inside the
terminal where my next flight leaves from.

Mark Tardif
Welcome to my planet
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kirk" <kvharmon54 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 5:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Amtrak

> Tara and Holly,
> I have traveled with both  travel services and have never had any
> problems.
> I am not saying that you didn't have all of your very frustrating
> experiences Tara, and have a right to be frustrated and contemplating a
> lawsuit, I am just saying that I have never encountered such difficculties
> personally with these companies. Holly, I am a bit surprised by the blue
> and
> white cloths you receive from the staff on Am Trak. I haven''t experienced
> this either as I have traveled Am Trak many times throughout the years
> from
> Orlando to Jax, as well as Orlando to Washington,D.C. sevveral times as
> well. I can imagine how embarrased this treatment must feel to you as it
> would really piss me off! I have always asked for ground assistance evvery
> time I travel, so I am at a point of concern  as to whether this kind of
> treatment is simply a  hit and a miss with the Blind community or what, as
> your situations are real and valid, as are mine never having these
> problems
> on these specific travel companies!  KH
>
>
>
> Kirk Harmon
> 1138 Evening Stroll Lane
> Jacksonville, FL. 32221
>
> Florida Disabled Citizens for Progress, Inc.
> President & CEO
> PH: (904) 783-9896
> Cell: (407) 473-2176
>
> " Turning Hope into Reality"!
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "TaraPrakash" <taraprakash at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 4:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Amtrak
>
>
> Holly, people say we are living in 21st century. I am not sure what
> century
> they are in.
>
> It's not related but I have felt disgustingly helpless on air tran flights
> as I am traveling frequently between Atlanta and Orlando. Interestingly I
> nevver had issues with Air tran staff based in Orlando but the Atlanta
> people take me as a liability. Once I had to wait for 35 minutes before
> somebody managed to come to take me to the baggage claim area from the
> aircraft. The other day one guy boarded me in the train and left saying
> this
> train will leave you there. While leaving he told a passenger to tell me
> when the the train reached baggage claim.
>
> While departing from Atlanta, one evening, the gate agent said she will
> help
> me boarding. She finished boarding and started announcing for my name.
> When
> I reached her and reminded that she herself told me to wait she said we
> are
> fine and the plane is still there.
>
> On my most recent flight, I lost my Victor Reader Stream. When I called
> them
> to report the loss I was told that I didn't actually fly that day. The
> gate
> agent had put a "no show" for me. So before I faxed my boarding pass they
> would not believe I flew that evening. If there was a plane crash, I
> wouldn't have officially died, but wouldn't be living either.
>
>
> It's not funny. I am contemplating a legal action. I wish I had some
> lawyer
> to take care of this this sucking attitude. I so much want to misspell
> 'sucking'.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Holly" <hbeanie at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB of Florida Listserv" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 3:21 PM
> Subject: [Nfbf-l] Amtrak
>
>
>>I am on Amtrak right now. The employees put a white tag over my neighbors
>> seat but a blue on over my seat.  It states where I am getting off the
>> train
>> on one side.  On the other side it states KEEP IN SIGHT,  SEAT CHECK
>> /DEST.
>> The white label states seat check /dest, but does not state keep in
>> sight.
>> This morning I had a white label over my seat. This afternoon, I have a
>> blue
>> on.
>> I feel like a child, being followed to the bathroom, the other cars, etc.
>> I was not given a choice in the color of label that is over my seat. I
>> think
>> I can say discrimination.
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>
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