[nabs-l] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

Sat Oct 9 01:59:06 UTC 2010

Para-transit might be another option for you. Here we have a service that'll 
take us door to door wherever we need to go as long as we call a day in 
advance, and it's free. Cabs in Maine are prohibitive and there are no bus 
systems here.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ignasi Cambra" <ignasicambra at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 8:22 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Grocery shopping, and transportation questions

> Hello,
> I feel like most of these concerns have nothing to do with the fact that 
> you are blind. I usually carry as many bags as I can upstairs, leave them 
> by my door and go get the rest. But then if you don't live in a safe area 
> or something, it might not be a good idea. And then about busses... Well, 
> if you feel as though it takes too much time for you to get wherever you 
> want to go it you take a bus, then take a cab. But it is perfectly 
> possible for a blind person to take a bus, so if you use taxis do it 
> because it is more efficient for you, but not because you can't travel by 
> bus.
>
> IC
> On Oct 8, 2010, at 6:43 PM, Kerri Kosten wrote:
>
>> Hi All:
>>
>> I have some more questions about grocery shopping and transportation.
>> Instead of making two separate posts, I figured I'd just put all my
>> questions in one post...they are somewhat related to each other.
>>
>> I'll start with the grocery shopping questions.
>>
>> In the apartment building I live in, there is no elevator.
>> Unfortunately I live on the third floor, which is up four flights of
>> steps. What is the best way to carry lots of groceries up the steps?
>> Would it be okay, when having lots of groceries to set some of the
>> bags on the floor in the hallway by the door, go up with as much as I
>> can carry, then come back for the rest? Is there any better way to
>> carry groceries than in the plastic bags the grocery bagger puts them
>> in? I've been told about burlap sacks that you can carry on your
>> shoulder...does this reduce the load much? I want to make this as easy
>> as possible.
>>
>> How often do you usually go grocery shopping? When you go, do you just
>> get the things you absolutely need, and keep the load as little as
>> possible or do you usually take advantage of the fact you are at the
>> store and get lots of stuff?
>>
>> My next questions are about transportation. I live in a college town.
>> I guess it's your typical college town. It's big enough to be
>> considered a small city or large town...we have five Krogers, four or
>> more Walmarts...tons of restaurants and bars, two malls...two movie
>> theaters. It isn't a major city though.
>>
>> We do have a bus system but I've never been encouraged to use it. I've
>> just been expected to take cabs everywhere.
>>
>> One of the problems though is that the town is not really a walking
>> town...there are parts of it you can walk in but not very many. When
>> things/places are built, often pedestrian accessibility is left out.
>>
>> There doesn't seem to be any blind people; there is no NFB chapter.
>> So, naturally the majority of the people, including most of the
>> students drive. From what I've read on their website, the bus covers
>> many areas, but usually until only 6 o'clock, unless it's downtown
>> where the students are. I don't live downtown though. Because of this,
>> I find myself having to take cabs almost everywhere. Cabs here are
>> about $5-6 each way. Is this normal for a college town? Is this
>> expensive for a cab?
>>
>> Are my only options to either take the bus when it is available or take 
>> cabs?
>>
>> Should I just not worry about the expense and take cabs when and 
>> wherever?
>>
>> Is learning to use the bus hard or is it as simple as calling and
>> asking the right questions?
>>
>>> From what I can tell, from where I live, in order to take the bus
>> again since I'm not in the downtown student area I will have to take
>> two buses to get anywhere and it usually takes about two hours. Is
>> this normal for a large town/small city?
>>
>> The closest major city to me is Pittsburgh. There is a bus that goes
>> there twice. In order to take a grayhound bus, or AM track train you
>> have to somehow get to Pittsburgh. Is the bus going twice daily
>> reasonable?
>>
>> For those of you who live in college towns similar to this how do you
>> find a balance between taking cabs, using family and friends, and
>> taking the bus?
>>
>> What is the cost monthly of owning a vehicle compared to taking cabs
>> all the time? I'm sorry to ask this...I've never been told.
>>
>> I guess I am just asking these questions because I want to make sure
>> I'm not getting screwed so to speak. I don't mind taking cabs, but
>> sometimes I feel like I'm just automatically expected to spend the
>> money just because...if you know what I mean by that! I've been told
>> owning a vehicle is several hundreds of dollars a month when the cost
>> of maintaenance, car payments, insurance, and gas is added up but
>> again these have just been from sighted people who don't take cabs. It
>> seems like most other blind people I know don't take cabs unless they
>> absolutely have to and I hate having to do it all the time. In one
>> sense I feel like I'm being told to go ahead, don't worry about it,
>> owning a vehicle is expensive too...but then on the other hand so many
>> blind people don't seem to like doing it. I know each town is
>> different...but if I want to go somewhere and it's after 6 and the bus
>> doesn't go are cabs or family/friends my only options? I've never gone
>> completely broke or run out of money by taking cabs but again...I feel
>> as if I'm getting mixed messages and I want to make sure I'm doing the
>> right/best thing. From where I live you can't walk anywhere as there
>> are several things across the street but it's not actually a street
>> but a major six-lane highway...so walking is out. I'm not married and
>> live alone. Do those of you who live in towns like this find
>> yourselves having to also take cabs more frequently than other blind
>> people? I know my questions seem a little crazy but I thought I'd ask
>> them all in one post.
>>
>> Thanks so much!
>>
>> Kerri
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nabs-l:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ignasicambra%40gmail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/hope.paulos%40gmail.com
>
> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus 
> signature database 5513 (20101007) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
> 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5513 (20101007) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com