[nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight

Anjelina anjelinac26 at gmail.com
Wed Oct 20 15:03:50 UTC 2010


Buddy, I've given similar replies. It makes no sense to expect anyone to 
"just wait." We've been given that same old boring response to often. It 
sounds like the airlines and their employees need more education about 
policies. :)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight


> LOL, the last time someone told me and my daughter to stay put if we had 
> an evacuation, my response was, "Hell no, we evacuate, my ass is outa this 
> plane."
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Oct 20, 2010, at 10:19 AM, Wm. Ritchhart wrote:
>
>> It is not just American Airlines.  I have encountered issues from time to
>> time on many different airlines.  It is not anything more in most cases 
>> than
>> ignorance on the part of flight crew and/or gate attendants.
>>
>> The last flight I was on was from Charlotte NC to Indianapolis IN.  It 
>> was
>> evening and the flight attendant instructed me and my girl friend to 
>> remain
>> in our seats if there were an emergency.  She said, "someone will try to
>> come back for you after the plane is empty if we can."  I replied, "I am
>> probably the only person on this plane who is used to working without eye
>> sight.  So I am probably the only person who would be able to function in 
>> an
>> emergency.  So I think I'll try to help you if there is an emergency." 
>> She
>> did not like it.
>>
>> I also had a gate attendant start to give me the "I have to take that 
>> cane"
>> line on the out-bound part of that trip.  I always encourage them to go
>> ahead and call security.  I generally also encourage them to review the
>> regulations before they do it, though.  After I point out to them that 
>> they
>> will find that my cane is allowed by the regulations they shut up and 
>> leave
>> me alone.
>>
>> Thanks, William
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Jeanette Fortin
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 10:00 AM
>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight
>>
>> this is aweful, but i fly American Airlines all the time and have never 
>> had
>> any trouble with them at all as a matter of fact i  have found them to be
>> the most comfortable to fly on. jeanette
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "John Heim" <john at johnheim.net>
>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 7:55 AM
>> Subject: [nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight
>>
>>
>> http://kdka.com/local/blind.man.flight.2.1971310.html
>> A blind man was told if he tried to use his cane he'd be removed from a
>> flight and arrested and now he's asking for an apology.
>>
>> Bill Diamond is legally blind and sees nothing from his left eye and 
>> shadows
>> from his right eye. He lost his sight 15 years ago due to diabetes.
>>
>> He's a Navy veteran and spent 13 years in the service. It was on a recent
>> trip to a special veterans school in Chicago to learn how to use a 
>> talking
>> computer where he ran into real trouble on an American Airlines flight.
>>
>> "American Airlines just wants customers who can see - it's not going to 
>> be a
>> burden to them," he said. "Anybody with a disability is going to be a 
>> burden
>> to American Airlines."
>>
>> Diamond caught his flight to Chicago out of Pittsburgh. He was brought to
>> the plane in a wheelchair. He got on board using his cane and was told he
>> had to give it up even though it was folded up.
>>
>> "I says, 'I need my cane.'
>>
>> "She goes, 'Sir, if you refuse to give up your cane, I will have no
>> alternative but to call security,'" Diamond recalled.
>>
>> Faced with possible arrest, Diamond gave up the cane, sat on a nearly
>> two-hour flight unable to get up and move around even though he needed to
>> use the bathroom.
>>
>> "The stewardess acted like, 'Oh no, not another disabled person on my
>> flight,'" he said.
>>
>> On his way back from Chicago, Diamond flew United. They had no problem 
>> with
>> his cane. He used it to get to the men's room. He says it gave him his
>> dignity back and his freedom.
>>
>> "That's my independence, that's my mode of travel, that's how I learned 
>> to
>> travel being visually impaired," Diamond said. "They're taking something
>> from me that I've learned to use."
>>
>> KDKA's Marty Griffin spoke with American Airlines Monday. They said they
>> were investigating the matter and offered no further comment.
>>
>> Griffin could find no evidence indicating the use of a folding cane on a
>> flight is determined to be against the policy of any airline.
>>
>> (C MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
>>
>>
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