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

Thu Nov 11 02:00:42 UTC 2010

Hi All!

Mark, there aren't any blind people around here...so that's not an
option sadly or I would love to use it.

Taking a self-defense class is a good idea...I will definitely look
into it for the future.

If this is not a good idea I won't do it but just to be safe would it
be a good idea to call the stadium ahead like tomorrow or Friday and
explain the situation so they can have someone help me?

Ashley I don't mean have an escort like that following me
everywhere...I just thought to be extra safe to avoid all the drunks
have someone who works at the stadium walk with me to my seat...

But, you guys are right...what is the worst a drunk will do?

If they grab me I can scream, blow my whistle, or something like
that...and you guys are right there will be thousands of people
around...it's not like a drunk is going to try to kidnap or rape me or
something right there in front of everybody and I'll be helpless.

I will definitely have my cell phone. I use the Iphone though which is
touchscreen so you kind of have to unlock it, and touch the screen to
make calls...should I get a simple track phone for this ocasion where
I could literally punch in a number...or is the Iphone which is what I
usually use okay?

And, I'll definitely make two arrangements of getting home...luckily
fornow my mother and her fiancee live near the stadium (they are
moving) and I plan on taking a cab...I would need to walk out of the
stadium and such but not on any dark streets...if something were to
happen I could call my mom who lives near there, a cab, and I'll
definitely ask ahead of time where the cab could drop me off and pick
me up that would be the closest to the entrance to cut down on
walking.

The game starts at noon, and should end around 3:30...since I don't
plan on tailgating afterwords it won't be dark...

I guess when I really think about it...the fear is that I'm  getting
out of my comfort zone...I've gotten lost before and have gone to
plenty of restaurants where I'm just dropped off and I just walk in
before but this is the first time for something major like this...I
won't be able to turn around and go home and it isn't as simple as
just walking inside a building...

But hey...I've just gotta keep reminding myself...I took two planes
one from Pittsburgh to Atlanta then from Atlanta to Dallas to
convention and back...for this I'm still in Morgantown, in the same
town...so I don't know exactly why I'm so nervous...I want to get over
it though...and you guys are right...what is the worst the drunks can
do?

Kerri

On 11/10/10, Mark J. Cadigan <kramc11 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't know if it has been discussed, but what about going with a blind
> friend?
>
> And, don't be scared of drunks and the like. Just stay in crowded areas, and
> have a safe way of getting home, a safe way that does not involve walking on
> dark streets and the like. Preferably a cab or something. The phone is a
> grate idea.
>
> Just for general self defense purposes, learning a self defense or strategy
> is a grate idea. But, self defense is 90% mental and 10% physical. You can
> take all the classes you want, but, if you are not prepared to use it, it is
> less than useless.
>
>
> ----- 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 5:24 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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