[Nfbsf] May Minutes

[Jim Barbour]

Role			Favorite Restaurant
-------------------------------------------
Christina Daniels	el faro (Mexican in Concord)
Lisa Irving Pardini	Sicilian Thing (Pizza in San Diego)
Peter Pardini		Piazza's (Pizza/Italian in West Portal SF)
Cindy Fassler		(Parada in Concord, Peruvian)
Susan Kitizawa		(Ankor Borei, Cambodean in SF)
Marco			(San tung Chinese in SF)
Adam Rodenbeck		(Scoma's Seafood in SF)
Sarah Hadsell		(The Benchmark, Fried Chicken in Oakland)
Tim Elder		(Ananda Fuara, Veg Indian food near the lighthouse)
John Denton		(Brenda's French Soul Food, Creole in SF)
Serena Olsen		(anywhere where I'm sharing food with people I care about)
Pam Atillo		(Chipotle)
Jaime Tomasello 	(Rocco's in Concord)
Jim Barbour		(Rusty's Southern, southern cooking in SF)
Larissa Dupree		(Southern Comfort in Castro Valley)

1.  The presidential Release was played.

2.  Please contribute to the food budget if you feel able to do so.

3.  April Minutes were approved with an amendment.

4.  $5.00 less than last month.

5.  Discussed how to use our treasury to help blind San Francisco chapter folks.

     * Maybe wait for state convention
     * Tim pointed out that some chapters are doing one or two grants for national convention
     * Jim moves that we allocate $500.00 to help one or more chapter members go to national convention.
     * Motion passes

6.  Chili Cook off.

     * Richie is apparently very busy and so when do we want to have the cook off.
     * Who is planning this event? Lisa, Adam and Cindy have volunteered to help Richie with the planning.

     * We have voted for the tentative date of August 24th.

7.  Jim Started an discussion about Uber.

     * Lyft is saying that since they are a logistics company, they are not bound by the ADA.
     * As blind people, what should our expectations be of rideshare companies?

     * Adam: 
     * Cindy: We want transportation that is safe, both to find and to ride in.
     * Jim: What are some alternative techniques for making sure you've found the right car?
     * Serena: Hi, what's your name and who are you waiting for?
     * Peter:  Ask the driver to identify themselves.
     * Jim:    Is these techniques as safe as identifying the care type, reading the license plate, and looking at the driver's photo?
     * Susan:  Not as safe, still have to tap on windows, etc.
     * Serena: Mostly as safe
     * Cindy:  Opened the door to a car that was not an Uber.  Was very concerned.
     * Christina: Who are you, who am i handshake works.  I also like asking the driver to honk their horn to identify their car.
     * Tim: 10% success rate in getting a driver to honk their horns.  We wish they were better about this.
     * Marco: Call the driver and explaining that I'm blind.  If driver doesn't answer, send a text.
     * Jim: It should be a big deal if a rider can't get a hold of the driver.  Should get the driver kicked off the system.
     * Lisa: You can have an Aira agent identify the Uber/Lyft ride for you.
     * Jim; Cindy's other point was not feeling safe if you have to walk somewhere to catch your ride.  Sighted folks can see where the potential pickup points are before they order a shared ride. This is missing information for blind people.
     * Serena: I only use shared rides in neighborhoods that I know well.
     * Lisa: I'm not going to use shared rides if I question safety.
     * Cindy: I am more comfortable calling a yellow cab because I can visually identify them.  Not fair that yellow cab is more expensive.
     * Susan: Makes lots of decisions based on safety.  Which bus routes do I feel safe on, etc.  Gender and disability inform those decisions.
     * John: Trusting our gut is important when navigating.  Read in the news that an Uber driver had locked women in his cab.  
     * Jim; There has been some talk about negotiating with rideshare companies that if they can't make their mappings accessible, they should allow blind people to take the shared ride offer that doesn't require walking at the same price as shared rides that does require walking.  I (Jim) am skeptical.
     * Lisa: As a federationist, I am conflicted.  As a woman traveling around Oakland at night, I don't have the time to use all my alternative techniques.  So, I want the rideshare companies to get better, until then I want the cheaper price and I want it to hurt them a little in the pocketbook.
     * Adam: Marco, what changed about 2 years ago that made it harder to non-visually explore the maps?
     * Marco: I can't speak for Lyft, only me.
     * Sarah: My biggest problem with Lyft is that they will show up someplace other than where I told them I'm at.  They don't call me.  then, they charge me $5.
     * Jim: I've also seen where the driver goes where he's supposed to go, and then the passenger is demanding that the driver come get them.
     * Jim: there is a social contract that both the driver and the passenger are supposed to meet at a particular point.  We need to make the technology such that both parties can non-visually know where that is.
     * Tim: I think express pool is an incredibly valuable service, because it's so affordable.  The game changer for ride share is lower prices.  Some folks will prioritize cost of convenience, luxury, and even safety.
     * Jim: Keep in mind that rates for rideshare services are artificially low.
     * Tim: Enjoy it while it lasts.
     * Jim: Thank you Madam President.
     * Lisa: The case in Mass where the woman's Fiance was dragged by an Uber is going to federal court.

8.  Lisa Irving talking about a new project

    Lisa would like to do a scavenger hunt. Pulling together teams, using blindness skills and GPS skills to look for stuff.

    Go off and have a good time, grow our blindness skills, mentor blind people, and have a lot of fun!

    Lisa will send out an email to the listserv and collect names.

8.  Lisa would like to send money to Ruston for tornado work.

    Christina moves and Lisa seconds that we send $100 to the Ruston fund.

9.  Cindy Fassler would like to start reaching out to legislators.

    Cindy, Lisa, Jim are interested.

    We have national priorities already defined and we are slowly ramping up state priorities.

    Lisa asks if the state affiliate is involved in procuring funding to get services back to blind seniors.

    Jim believes that we should start with initiatives that came from Washington Seminar.

    Jim will send an email of Washington Seminar initiatives.

10. Next meeting is June 11th!