[blindlaw] Text of a pending complaint

[Angie Matney]

Hi Mark,

I'm sorry you feel that "no one gets the point." I really could identify with a lot of what you said, based on several experiences I have had. And I do believe I posted something to the effect of stating that it was about time someone complained about this 
treatment.

You also asked how you can get them to see you are not a safety risk. The fact is there is probably no way to universally accomplish this. It's really unfortunate but true. Attitudes still need to change a *lot* before we can be guaranteed freedom from these 
dehumanizing experiences. This does not mean we should not complain.

Best of luck.

Angie

On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:19:06 -0700, Mark BurningHawk wrote:

>the real issue is that my word was not taken that I was not a safety risk. 
>I have traveled extensively in at least fiv e major subway systems across 
>this continent; never once have I fallen off a platform or in any other way 
>had an accident.  I few up on the T in Boston, and I find it much more 
>accessib le than the BART.  The subways in NYC and Philly are, in my 
>opinion, much more dangerous than anything the BART has goin.  How do I 
>convince people that I do not pose a safety risk?  Remember, the station 
>agent assumed this risk based on my attempt to find an escalator; this had 
>nothing at all to do with the platform or train tracks.  Remember also that 
>I was NOT moving about, standing waiting for a train when this confrontation 
>was brought to me.  The agent and then the police woman came up to me after 
>I was waiting and started in on me again.  I had left the agent down stairs 
>with assurances that I was okay; they pursued me, in effect coming up to me 
>on the platform where I was safely standing, waiting for my train.My word of 
>honor was not given any weight or merit.  Blind = either liar or 
>incompetent, in this case, based on observed behavior translated into a 
>completely different environment.  It'snot like I was dancing the jig on the 
>platform or yelling and screaming at anyone.I'm not upset that they offered 
>me help, but that my word of honor was not taken; I was repeatedly 
>interrupted, spoken to in a slow, deliberate manner as if I were retarded, 
>not believed when I tried to get a word in edge ways.  I was forced to 
>perform for the officer and told that if I did not I would be removed from 
>the station.  This is clear prejudice, and some of the reactions I've gotten 
>from this list frankly scare hell out of me and make me feel very alone and 
>isolated, even from a group to which I have at least nominal alliance. 
>Thanks for all of your inputs; I'll handle it from here, since no one seems 
>to get the point; I'll stand alone if I have to.


>_______________________________________________
>blindlaw mailing list
>blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw