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From: cmfaltz@phoenix.princeton.edu (Christine Marie Faltz)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Agreeing to disagree!
Message-ID: <15047@handicap.news>
Date: 19 Apr 91 20:16:02 GMT
References: <18537@bunker.isc-br.com>
Sender: wtm@bunker.isc-br.com
Reply-To: cmfaltz@phoenix.princeton.edu (Christine Marie Faltz)
Organization: Princeton University
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Approved: wtm@hnews.fidonet.org
Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 15047

	Jeff, give me a break, please.  First of all, most exit doors
only require that you "PUSH,"--it says so on the door; I've asked fellow
passengers.  One need only have the strength to do this; most of the
doors are rather heavy.  In the instance that pushing is not the correct
way to open a door, I have a few comments:
First, one can ask for instructions before the flight; second, there are
many clueless sighted people who would not be able to follow the
instructions written on the door in a panicked situation; third, even if
they could understand the instructions, it does not mean that they would
have the strength to open the door.  The average, healthy blind person
CAN OPEN an exit row door; I have done it.  There are many sighted folks
who sit in the exit row who are clueless, intoxicated, (alcohol is
served to exit row passengers) easily panicked, or emotionally
disturbed, (psychological batteries are not administered to sighted
passengers sitting in the exit row) or physically unfit to open the
door.  There are two documented cases of blind men aiding in an
evacuation.  
	I have other comments on the airport controversies.  Airport
security and searches.  I agree that canes should be checked--it is
conceivable that some moron terrorist will pretend to be blind and carry
a cane with a weapon inside.  However, I have been victimized by airport
security personnel who hid behind the "security" line.  My dog guide's
harness always makes the metal detector sound.  I always offer to walk
through alone, without my dog, and get her on the other side.  Usually,
I am allowed to do this, no big deal.  Twice, however, I was stopped,
after being assured that the people knew theharness did this.  In one
case, the woman searching people was new, and did not know how to use
the hand-scanner.  She proceeded to handle me--between my legs,my
breasts, etc.  "Excuse me, but if you're not yet competent to do your
job, I should not be subjected to your desire for cheap thrills," I
exclaimed, shoving her hands off me.  "I realize the need for
hand-scanning--with the scanner--but this 'search' you're doing right
now is degrading and unnecessary."  She said fine, she would take me to
the ladies' room and strip search me, there!  (This incident, almost to
the letter, happened to another friend of mine.)  I toldher that if she
needed it so bad that she should go out and look for it on her own time,
but that I wasn't interested.  She screamed somethng about "these blind
upstarts" after me as I went to my gate.  Secuirity?  Sometimes.  Maybe
most of the time.  But there are many people, both on and off the
planes, who degrade, humiliate and otherwise single out the blind at the
airport--as well as everywhere else.  Personnel should know how to use
the hand-scanners, and I, as a young, healthy, strong, generally calm
person, should be allowed to sit in the exit row.  My blindness DOES NOT
preventme from opening one of those doors.
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|	Poor is the person 	|	Christine Faltz 		| 
|	whose permission 	|	33 Prospect Ave.		|
|	depends upon the 	|	Princeton, NJ 08540		|
|	perceptions of others.	|		"Who is John Galt?"	|
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