[nabs-l] Need more help...Navigating The Football Game Saturday

Thu Nov 11 01:05:45 UTC 2010

Your fear of the unknown isn't dumb.  Having said that, I don't think drunk
guys will necessarily hurt you or anything.  If they're really so drunk that
they could hurt someone, I doubt they'd mess with you, unless they're really
not nice people when they're sober.  I think you're being blind helps you in
this situation, since, not too many people, drunk or sober, wanna mess with
someone with a disability enough to hurt them.  Bullying might be another
story, but that's pretty much over by high school.  I'll admit, if you
suspect someone might be drunk, you might not want him/her to direct you
somewhere cuz he/she might not really know where he/she is going as well as
he/she would if he/she were sober, but I don't think it's that much of an
issue.  When I was in college, we had a party where many people drank ...
that was one of the big activities.  Just to be safe, I asked an RA to
direct me when needed, but that was simply cuz I knew many of the RAs and
they often were familiar with the specific entrance of my dorm I was looking
for, not out of fear of drunk students.

Serena

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Kerri Kosten
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 6:30 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Need more help...Navigating The Football Game Saturday

Hi Heather and all!!

Thanks soooo much!

This is what I wanted to hear...I'm not afraid at all on steps...that
was just one thing that was mentioned yesterday...the steps shouldn't
be a problem!

I guess what I'm more afraid of is the huge massive parking lot, drunk
guys, and the unknown?

But your right...I can't get over it until I go out and try...just
what do I do if something were to happen? Do I just scream as loud as
I can? Should I bring a whistle?

Your right I should be fine considering I'll be in public the whole time.

Honestly, and I know this is an error of mine...but am I putting these
fears in my own head by thinking about them? Am I making this seem
worse than it is by thinking about it and listening to sighted
nay-sayers? And by sighted nay-sayers I mean people around here like
my mother and others who think there is no way I could possibly do
this.

I do know this...the stadium will be very very loud at times (when the
other team is playing and we're on defense) and when we score...so I
know I won't be able to hear my phone at all times if I would need to
call someone but during timeouts and such I should be able to use my
phone...I guess I would feel much better about this if I had a solid
plan or knew who to call if something did happen...hope this doesn't
sound dumb or make me look like a chicken lol!

Also, heather I did misunderstand one part of your message...you said
to give the person my extra ticket at either the parking lot or inside
the stadium...what did you mean by this? If I go alone I will only be
bringing the one ticket...or did you mean the person who works at the
stadium tearing ticket stubs at the ticket window?

Thanks all...

Kerri

On 11/10/10, H. Field <missheather at comcast.net> wrote:
> Hi Kerri,
> As you will be in public the whole time, and as you will be using your
> cane which will tellyou where the steps are, there's no reason why you
> should be frightened. As you will be surrounded by people the whole
> time, if you get into a fix, you can easily ask for help if you need
> it. Have you thought about asking the person who takes the ticket to
> meet you outside the parking lot and, if you're worried about
> negotiating it, tell them you'll give them the ticket when you get
> inside the stadium. You can ask if they mind you walking with them and
> you'll be inside in no time. I don't see why you should be afraid of
> steps. after all, the steps stay still and you have a cane, you find
> them and walk down them.
>
> I know I'm just one voice giving advice but, I've always found that I
> make friends when I step out and just go for it in life. So, my vote
> is you tell the person they have the ticket and ask them to meet you
> at your gate of choice. Keep the ticket until you're inside and go
> from there. I've been to countless rock and country music festivals
> and concerts in my life. Most of them in Australia where drinking is
> much more part of the culture and where the beer is twice as strong as
> American beer. I've never had any trouble with drunks. They usually
> offer to help and I say they can help by letting me do things myself
> and I thank them for being so helpful when they don't do anything. So,
> on the basis of my experience, and the tremendous boost that only
> independent travel can give you, I vote you go it alone and enjoy
> yourself.
>
> Best,
>
> Heather
>
> Regards,
>
> Heather
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>; "k-r" <k-r at atlanticbb.net>; "Darren Burton"
> <dburton at afb.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 4:24 PM
> Subject: [nabs-l] Need more help...Navigating The Football Game
> Saturday
>
>
> Hey All:
>
> Sorry to post another message about this but I figured I'd change the
> subject line a little.
>
> As most of you know, yesterday I decided to do the basketball game
> independently and just find a friend for the football game Saturday to
> be on the safe side with such a massive stadium, parking lot area,
> tons of steps everywhere, and all the drunks.
>
> Well, to make a long story short, I can't find anyone to go with.
>
> I honestly don't have very many friends around here. The reasons for
> this are debatable but I think it comes down to the fact that the
> sighted people feel sorry for me, and see me as a child and don't want
> to be "responsible" for me. I don't have that forward-thinking sighted
> person to go to or that cool friend and there aren't any other blind
> people around here.
>
> I called one of the friends I have Loray...but she is working
> Saturday.
>
> I posted on Facebook yesterday that I have an extra ticket to go to
> the game on the 50 yard line but noone responded. I posted another
> status update earlier today and someone responded asking if I was
> selling the ticket and how much and they may be interested...I
> explained the situation, that the ticket wasn't for sale but I was
> looking for someone to go with because as a female it probably
> wouldn't be the best idea to go alone with all the drunks. The person
> agreed, and asked how I was but did not say anything about going to
> the game with me.
>
> My aunt may be going but heres the thing...I want to be careful with
> who I ask and select to go with. I don't want to just go with someone
> as a tag-along or invite myself into a group or worst of all have
> someone feel sorry for the poor blind girl and take her to the game
> because she doesn't have anyone to go with...and if she doesn't go
> with me how will she go to the game? Poor thing...then the whole time
> ask me about where my mother is, and how my mother should be taking
> me, and so on.
>
> It's my birthday...I want to do this and have fun and I want to go
> with a person who wants to go with me because of me not because they
> feel sorry for the poor blind girl or the poor blind girl doesn't have
> anyone else to go with, or the poor blind girl's mother is too busy
> for her. I try to point out that 'm 23 years old and don't need my
> mother and they say "I know," but it infuriates me.
>
> So, what should I do if I don't end up finding someone to go with?
>
> This not getting to do things because of not having people to do
> things has gone on long enough. As of a couple of months ago I decided
> enough was enough, and to stop feeling sorry for myself, and that from
> now on I would do what I wanted when I wanted whether I had people to
> go with or not.
>
> So far, until this football game I've been doing pretty well.
>
> I have already missed out on several festivals here and a concert that
> was held here featuring Maroon 5, Ludacris, and Kris Allen (Maroon 5
> is one of my favorite artists and I love Ludacris) because of not
> having people to go with and being afraid to go because of being a
> female with all the rowdy drunks.
>
> I want to show these feel sorry people that I don't need them, and
> that I do what I want when I want whether they want to take me or not,
> and that my mother doesn't need to be around...I don't want my
> birthday to be ruined too and not get to go to something I want
> because of stupid people!
>
> I don't need these people...I'm determined to show them and overcome
> this...but I want to be safe too and keep what Kimberly said in her
> message yesterday in mind.
>
> If I don't end up finding anybody and have to do it alone would it be
> best  to do the call ahead, have someone from security help me to my
> seat then help me out of the stadium afterwords? Would that be safe
> enough?
>
> I love the idea of gong to the stadium to check things out on a day
> when the fans are not there...but this is the last of two home games
> so this will most likely be the only football game I go to.
>
> I have to pick up my ticket for the basketball game so I definitely
> will check out that areena but I don't know if I'll get to check out
> the football stadium before Saturday.
>
> What to do?
>
> Thanks so much,
>
> Kerri
>
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