[nabs-l] Independent Travel At Crowded Major College SportingEvents
H. Field
missheather at comcast.net
Wed Nov 10 00:43:59 UTC 2010
Hi Kerri,
I'm sure you could visit the stadium ahead of time and spend as much
time as you like learning your way around. It's important to separate
the two tasks involved in what your wanting to do, i.e. independently
travel at a crowded game. Going from place to place in the stadium is
one task, negotiating the crowd and dealing with the environmental and
social challenges the crowd creates is another task completely. I
would work on them separately. A good knowledge of the layout of the
stadium will give you confidence. When you feel confident, you look
confident because you move confidently. This will automatically cut
down on the offers of sighted assistance.
So, as you're obviously going to be a regular attender of games at
this stadium, I'd start by learning the layout of the stadium when
there's no one there. When you can independently travel from anywhere
to anywhere else in the stadium, then you're probably ready to attempt
the next task. Arielle's advice is great. Choose some small challenges
for yourself on the day, when the crowd's there and out to have a good
time. Decide on the challenges you would give yourself on the big day.
For example, you could decide that you'd like sighted assistance
navigating the crowded, rowdy parking lot. However, you could ask your
sighted friend to go ahead of you through the turn-style and wait for
you at the entrance to the walk-way up to the seating, or wait for you
at the rest room, always a good place to visit before the game starts.
If you are reasonably familiar with the stadium then negotiating the
place full of people will be much simpler and you'll be much more
successful in achieving your ultimate goal, which is to travel
independently and build your self-confidence.
Happy travels.
Regards,
Heather
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 12:39 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Independent Travel At Crowded Major College
SportingEvents
Hi Kimberly, Jedi and All:
Wow, Kimberly thank you so much!
I have been to our stadium several times and knew the parking lot was
huge, sprawling, and full of drunks. I guess since I was always guided
I forgot about all the steps!
I'm glad to finally find a fellow sports fan who follows a school in
the Big East conference...we play you guys there next week actually on
Nov. 20...I just wrote a story about the game being televised on the
Big East Network.
Thanks Kimberly for giving me a little wake-up call. I guess I'm kind
of on an independence high from the basketball game last week.
Your right that the basketball games are much calmer and a better
atmosphere...they are inside a building and I don't know of anyone who
drinks there...I don't even think they sell beer there.
Thanks so much...I want to be safe but also find and practice my
independence as well.
Here is what I may do.
Let me know what you guys think about this considering what Kimberly
said.
I have an extra ticket for the football game Saturday. I go to the
game with someone. I go to the basketball game Friday by myself as I
did last week and really try to see if I can practice
independence...try to find my seat by asking for section numbers, and
see if I can get to the concession stand...that sorta thing.
Then I can be somewhat independent on my birthday, I still get to do
all the things I want to, but still be safe.
And Kimberly...thank you so much...you may have just kept me from a
dizasterous and potentially very dangerous and harmful situation!
Hope your stay in Morgantown was a good one; it is a big problem that
there are no blind people around here but I intend to do what I can to
solve it eventually!
Kerri
On 11/9/10, Kimberly thurman <kimthurman at insightbb.com> wrote:
> Kerry and all:
>
> I usually don't give my opinions on this list often, but I have to
> jump in
> here. I live in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the University of
> Louisville,
> a school in The Big East Conference with your school, West Virginia.
> I have
> been to a football game there in Morgantown when the University of
> Louisville played West Virginia.
>
> I don't want to squash your eagerness to be independent, but one of
> these
> football games is not the time to practice it. I don't know too
> many
> sighted women who would go to one of these events alone. The area
> you would
> be traveling in is massive and noisy. The stadium is quite
> dangerous with
> steps and more steps everywhere. The tailgating parking lots are
> full of
> drunks and cars. I have gone with my sighted husband, and he has to
> be on
> full alert while navigating these places himself.
>
> The basketball game might be doable if you can get into the building
> on your
> own. The atmosphere at those events is not quite as rowdy and the
> venue is
> not so daunting. I think you could get directions there from some
> nice
> people. Do not be afraid to take help when it is offered. I will
> take all
> the help I can get when I walk into the restrooms at these events by
> myself.
> I carry the cane just so people will know I am blind. There are
> usually
> lines, which I don't want to cut and make people angry. Most of the
> time
> someone will let me cut the line anyway. People are usually very
> nice.
> Just try to be pleasant when you refuse help, so that person will
> get a
> positive image of blind people.
>
> Sorry for all the advice, but I just want you to be safe while
> maintaining
> your independence. See if you can get someone to go with you to the
> football game. I think you will enjoy it much better.
> On Nov 8, 2010, at 11:08 PM, Kerri Kosten wrote:
>
>> Hi Jedi and all:
>>
>> Thanks so much for your answers! For the upcoming basketball game I
>> will definitely be more assertive with the people and tell them
>> exactly what I want...I think I can do the basketball game fine!!
>> Thanks so much!
>>
>> I would absolutely love love to go to the football game with
>> another
>> blind person but there aren't any other blind people around here.
>> That's the problem with that idea...you have no idea how much I'd
>> love
>> to do that...if there were another blind person around here I
>> wouldn't
>> be asking the questions I do on this list lol but unfortunately
>> there
>> isn't.
>>
>> Okay onto the female thing...honestly when I really really sit and
>> think about it...the reason I bring the whole blind female thing up
>> is
>> that I'm scared something bad will happen...a drunken man grabbing
>> me...someone pushing me and knocking me down (I'm really petite),
>> something like that...going with another blind woman would
>> certainaly
>> squash this fear...but there aren't any around here.
>>
>> Since I don't have any other blind people to go with, and your
>> right
>> it would be kind of silly asking a sighted person to let me take
>> charge of the travel...since there are so many drunks at this game
>> would it maybe be best for me to call the ticket office ahead,
>> explain
>> the situation, get to the game super early, and have someone from
>> security or who works at the stadium help me into the game early
>> (so
>> there are no lines), I listen to the game, then maybe could make
>> arrangements to meet someone afterwords somewhere to get home?
>> I know this isn't at all independent travel but with the situation
>> would that be better or should I try to go for the true doing it on
>> my
>> own?
>>
>> Kerri
>> Kerri
>>
>> On 11/8/10, Jedi <loneblindjedi at samobile.net> wrote:
>>> Kerri,
>>>
>>> About asking for directions and refusing assistance. You're on the
>>> right track. Just let folks know that you're okay and tell them
>>> what
>>> kind of help they can give you if at all. Otherwise, say no thanks
>>> and
>>> move on. If they insist on helping you, just be polite, yet firm,
>>> in
>>> your refusal by stating that you're not interested in receiving
>>> certain
>>> kinds of help and would prefer other forms of help instead.
>>>
>>> As to taking a sighted person along but you being in charge, it is
>>> a
>>> little impractical to tell a sighted person to take the back seat
>>> because they don't know how. They will want to help you, so
>>> they'll
>>> interfear. Otherwise, they'll just be super anxious and no fun to
>>> be
>>> around. So your better bet is to either go it alone or ask a
>>> friend to
>>> go who you know won't get in your way. If you can, I'd recommend
>>> inviting a blind friend to tag along.
>>>
>>> You asked about being a female and going to these kind of events.
>>> I'll
>>> be honest: it's really hard (just as is true with blindness) to
>>> stop
>>> thinking of oneself as a helpless and defenseless female at the
>>> mercy
>>> of potentially drunken men. You talked about people thinking of
>>> you as
>>> the poor blind girl. It sounds like you're still struggling with
>>> that
>>> in your own mind. If it were me, I'd probably go with someone just
>>> to
>>> have someone to talk to and because the buddy system is always a
>>> safe
>>> bet no matter your sex or vision status. But if at all possible,
>>> go
>>> with another blind woman. That way, you'll know in your heart that
>>> sex
>>> nor vision has anything to do with anything.
>>>
>>> Good luck.
>>>
>>> Respectfully,
>>> Jedi
>>>
>>> Original message:
>>>> Hi All!
>>>
>>>> I have some more travel questions, this time about navigating
>>>> sporting
>>>> events.
>>>
>>>> I am a huge sports fan. My team is the West Virginia University
>>>> Mountaineers, we made it to the Final Four last year in
>>>> Basketball and
>>>> are a major Division I school.
>>>
>>>> I am trying to do what I want when I want and keep a positive
>>>> attitude.
>>>
>>>> This coming weekend is my birthday. All I really want is to
>>>> practice
>>>> independent travel and feel the confidence that comes from doing
>>>> what
>>>> you want when you want independently and knowing you used your
>>>> cane
>>>> and for the most part did it yourself. There is a basketball game
>>>> this
>>>> Friday, and a football game this Saturday.
>>>
>>>> First I'll start with the questions about the basketball game,
>>>> then
>>>> move to football. I attended a basketball game last week and
>>>> things
>>>> went well for the most part but I do have a few questions.
>>>
>>>> First, how do you explain to sighted people that you appreciate
>>>> their
>>>> help but you need to explore on your own? At the basketball game
>>>> Friday, I want to try to find my seat on my own...I want to pass
>>>> each
>>>> section (not go into each section but walk past it) and every
>>>> once in
>>>> a while randomly ask someone "Excuse me what section is this?"
>>>> Oh,
>>>> this is section 45...I need section 60...I need to keep
>>>> going...kind
>>>> of like the way everyone finds their delegations at national
>>>> convention or the way you find your gate for a flight at an
>>>> airport. I
>>>> need to explore, not be guided! Of course though the sighted
>>>> people
>>>> just want to guide...how do I let them know their help is
>>>> appreciated
>>>> but I need to explore on my own and that all I need is some
>>>> directions
>>>> towards say the ticket window or the concession stand?
>>>
>>>> Also, because I haven't had much practice using my cane I don't
>>>> walk
>>>> as fast as I should. Because of this when I am lost...I look
>>>> lost.
>>>> Another thing I do is when I am unsure of where to go I tend to
>>>> doubt
>>>> myself and turn around thinking I am going in the wrong direction
>>>> when
>>>> in fact I am usually going the right way! How do you gain more
>>>> confidence when lost? Does it just come with time? When your
>>>> unsure do
>>>> you just keep going even if you doubt yourself until you find
>>>> someone
>>>> who can give you directions or tell you if you are going the
>>>> right
>>>> way?
>>>
>>>> On Saturday is a football game. About 60,000 people attend our
>>>> games
>>>> and they are a big deal. Being that next week is my birthday, I
>>>> really
>>>> want to go to the game. At the moment I don't have anyone to go
>>>> with
>>>> and thought it would be fun and a big boost of confidence to try
>>>> going
>>>> by myself.
>>>
>>>> For the football game should I call ahead and let someone know I
>>>> am
>>>> coming so I can be watched out for? (I'm more scared of the
>>>> drunks
>>>> being a female not because of blindness)
>>>
>>>> My concern is not so much getting to the game; my concern is
>>>> after the
>>>> game. After the games you have 60,000 people all trying to get
>>>> home at
>>>> the same time and traffic is horrible. There is no way I could
>>>> get
>>>> home after the game; a cab couldn't get near the stadium. I know
>>>> several people who are tailgating. Would it be safe as a female
>>>> to try
>>>> navigating the parking lots with all the drunk tailgaters with my
>>>> cane
>>>> and just asking random directions? Do police or other emergency
>>>> officials patrol the tailgating areas after the games or is it
>>>> just
>>>> the fans?
>>>
>>>> Is it even possible or safe for a blind person, particularly a
>>>> female
>>>> to go to a major college football game by themselves? Has anyone
>>>> on
>>>> this list done it or know of anyone who has? Or, am I just crazy?
>>>
>>>> Heres the thing. Almost all of the people around here feel sorry
>>>> for
>>>> me and see me as the poor blind girl. Many people also know my
>>>> mother...and so not only do they see me as the little blind girl
>>>> but
>>>> if I call them to ask for help with anything they immediately
>>>> want to
>>>> know why my mother isn't doing it for me, or helping me or
>>>> whatever.
>>>> If I call someone such as my aunt and go to the game with her and
>>>> her
>>>> friends and they guide me everywhere (as sighted people seem to
>>>> want
>>>> to always do) what does that say to them? And, what does it tell
>>>> them
>>>> about my new NFB philosophy of cane travel and independence?
>>>
>>>> Is there any way of going to the game with someone but them
>>>> letting me
>>>> be in charge of the traveling? Would that be too much to ask a
>>>> sighted
>>>> person? So, someone is with me, and I am holding their arm so we
>>>> can
>>>> stay together but I am in charge...asking for directions, telling
>>>> them
>>>> which way to go, trying to get us un-lost when we get lost...that
>>>> sort
>>>> of thing. So, that way I'm with someone but get to practice
>>>> travel at
>>>> the same time.
>>>
>>>> The thing is if I'm just guided I never get the practice and
>>>> confidence...
>>>
>>>> Help! I'm torn...it's my birthday...I really want to practice
>>>> independent travel but also be safe...I love love love the idea
>>>> of a
>>>> person coming with me but me being in charge of the travel. I
>>>> don't
>>>> care how I do this football game but one way or the other I want
>>>> to
>>>> have some independent travel and feel that confidence whether
>>>> with
>>>> someone or not!
>>>> Help!
>>>
>>>> Wouldn't it be so cool to go to my aunt's tailgate aftr the game?
>>>> I
>>>> can hear her now..."Kerri! How did you get here? What are you
>>>> doing
>>>> here?" Me:"Oh I just got back from the game. I'm here with my
>>>> cane...I
>>>> just asked a bunch of directions." She'd probably scream lol!
>>>
>>>> Thanks for all help and ideas!
>>>
>>>> Kerri
>>>
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