[NFBMO] rude delta staff

Tue Jul 17 22:15:29 UTC 2018

O this problem is so the story of my life!

I usually try to be nice at first and reassure the unnecessarily
helpful person that I am fine and know my way.  SometimesI really do
want to get food and walk around a bit before my flight, and I have
told them that I want to be on my own for all that.  If they are very
insistant, I have never been good at this, but I have told them that
there must be a mistake because I didn't request the help.  So, yeah,
maybe I'm not forceful enough, but I'm working on it.  I will not move
if someone is pushing or pulling me.  I will tell the person either
that I am fine, and then I will walk quickly away.  Or if I did ask
for directions, I tell the helper that I will follow them and refuse
to budge until they understand.

Going to airports used to give me lots of anxiety.  It is scary when a
stranger touches me, particularly when it's a large man I don't know.
In Colorado I used to tell the airport staff that I was required to do
it on my own.  I whipped out my sleep shades and told them proudly
with a smile that I couldn't and wouldn't accept help.  :)  Best,
trick, ever!  Of course, my instructors were totally on board with it.
When I first joined the NFB, I wondered why our affiliate didn't do
more to educate airport staff.  It's understandable that there is high
turn-over.  I also understand that they hire the least qualified
people for these assist roles, the ones who don't speak any English,
for example.  But gosh, I wish there was something we could do.  I
have been looking for solutions to this problem for seven years now
since I joined.  So, any ideas for educating/stopping this, even on a
small scale?  I am listening with open ears.

Julie

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On 7/17/18, David Andrews via NFBMO <nfbmo at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> If I had the time, I would just stop and say, "I appreciate your
> assistance, but I don't require it. I am just going to stand here
> until you move on and help someone else who needs it more than I."
>
> Dave
>
> At 10:12 AM 7/16/2018, you wrote:
>>Hi,
>>
>>I did enjoy using/testing the aira program over the last week and don't
>> know
>>if it will continue in my budget for now.
>>I'd like to hear thoughts of how to dismiss the help of a person who
>> refuses
>>to leave your side.
>>I was doing great navigating the airports with skill plus aira in one ear
>>and a man in the other ear only increased stress.
>>Bryan
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: NFBMO <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Gary Wunder via NFBMO
>>Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 8:37 AM
>>To: 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List' <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>Cc: Gary Wunder <GWunder at earthlink.net>
>>Subject: Re: [NFBMO] rude delta staff
>>
>>Lately when I travel, I have a backpack, a CPAP machine, and a laptop. If
>> I
>>ask for an assistant and get somebody with a wheelchair who seems
>> insistent
>>on keeping it, I say that I would prefer to walk and at the same time that
>>I'm saying this I place the CPAP and the laptop in the wheelchair. If they
>>seem willing to ditch the chair, I asked them to carry one of the devices.
>>After all, that's one of the reasons I'm tipping them.
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: NFBMO [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bryan Schulz
>> via
>>NFBMO
>>Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2018 6:22 PM
>>To: 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'
>>Cc: Bryan Schulz
>>Subject: Re: [NFBMO] rude delta staff
>>
>>Hi,
>>
>>Thanks for clarifying.
>>Regardless of the employer, the passenger should have the opportunity to
>> say
>>no thank you and that did happen on the outbound trip with no problems.
>>Bryan
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: NFBMO <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Gene Coulter via NFBMO
>>Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2018 6:12 PM
>>To: 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List' <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>Cc: GeneCoulter at Charter.net
>>Subject: Re: [NFBMO] rude delta staff
>>
>>Indeed those attendants at most airports are employed by the airport not
>> the
>>airline for the most part. My cousin worked as a wheelchair attendant for
>> 25
>>years in Minneapolis and was paid by the airport authority.
>>.
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: NFBMO <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Cheryl Meister via
>> NFBMO
>>Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2018 3:11 PM
>>To: 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List' <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>Cc: 1961clm at gmail.com
>>Subject: Re: [NFBMO] rude delta staff
>>
>>Yes, it's unfortunately  something that happens from time to time.
>>However, I don't think it's any one particular airline that is
>> responsible,
>>but the airport staff.
>>Cheryl
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: NFBMO <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Daniel Garcia via
>> NFBMO
>>Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2018 2:19 PM
>>To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>Cc: Daniel Garcia <dangarcia3 at hotmail.com>
>>Subject: Re: [NFBMO] rude delta staff
>>
>>The same thing happens to me when I travel to Detroit to visit family.
>>
>>Regards
>>
>>Daniel
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: NFBMO [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bryan Schulz
>> via
>>NFBMO
>>Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2018 10:51 PM
>>To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>>Cc: Bryan Schulz; 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'
>>Subject: [NFBMO] rude delta staff
>>
>>Hi,
>>
>>
>>
>>Travelling from Orlando to atlanta, did anyone else endure rude staff
>> while
>>switching planes in atlanta?
>>
>>I walked off of the plane in atlanta and a woman with a wheelchair was
>>waiting for me.
>>
>>She grabbed my arm and dragged me closer to the wheelchair and attempted
>> to
>>push me down in the wheelchair.
>>
>>I gave a laser stare and said you need to learn not to push people down in
>> a
>>wheelchair!
>>
>>Way to go nfb, I thought the blind had it better than this now days.
>>
>>Bryan Schulz
>
>
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-- 
Julie A. McGinnity
MM Vocal Performance, 2015; President, National Federation of the
Blind Performing Arts Division; First Vice President, National
Federation of the Blind of Missouri