[Nfbf-l] Amtrak

Kirk kvharmon54 at gmail.com
Sun Sep 12 21:16:46 UTC 2010 

I have to tell you, I love people with a good sence of Humor about life and 
more! 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: Sunday, September 12, 2010 12:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Amtrak


Well, I'm pleased about that.  The more people like it, the more likely I
will keep that as a signature.  I have a sign in my office at work that
says, "Out of my mind, be back in 5 minutes," and of course I chose to leave
it hanging askew, but for some reason everyone thinks that's appropriate.

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: Sunday, September 12, 2010 11:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Amtrak


> Well Mark, I happen to like your Planet! LOL! 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 9:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Amtrak
>
>
> Some of it is not insight on their part, however.  Some of it is just
> ignorance.  Having said that, I have no problem being given that choice of
> asking for help or not doing so, and let's face it, in big airports, I
> don't
> think I should have to prove myself either, and I will ask for assistance.
> I think that is perfectly acceptable and one should feel no shame about
> that.  But it is the idea that the power of choice can be taken away from
> us
> if we are not careful.  We should be the ones who should make those
> choices,
> not necessarily a well-meaning staff person who thinks they know what's
> best.  Also, as far as taking a wheelchair goes, everyone has different
> needs.  If your legs aren't in the best of shape, then I think it is
> perfectly respectable to take a wheelchair.  I am just saying that I
> personally kind of like to walk for various reasons, and probably ought to
> be doing more of it anyway, so I prefer not to use a wheelchair.
>
> 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 8:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Amtrak
>
>
>> 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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>>
>>
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>
>
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