Category: Travel and Tourism
Hello, All. I believe this topic must be here somewhere but I figured I'd write this anyway. So, Next August I'm attending my first anual flute convention. I'm a member of the NFA (National Flute Asociation). It'll take place in Chicago, and I plan on taking the train. I like flights, but I think it doesn't hurt giving yourself a little vacation, lol! I want to go alone, though. I can move around in my current city, I don't see why I couldn't do it. I guess my question is, have any of you done it before? My friends say it's not safe because I'm blind, but Things aren't any safer for sighted people anyway, and I really want to do this. I'm not afraid of asking for asistance, and I consider myself very resourceful. I'll be having my guide by then too. I just feel adventurous enough to do this alone.
You can do it alone if you really plan out the details and make sure you have someone you can reach in case you need help. Saying you can't travel alone because you're blind is complete maddness, I have traveled alone before. Granted it wasn't on a train, but I used Greyhound which worked out rather well.
Oh yeah!, of course I'm planning every detail, it's not like I'm just going and wishing myself luck. How I'll get to the train station, that's easy. Checking my luggige and so forth and so on is easy to approach. I do have someone I can reach out to, but I'm refering to getting there and coming back. Thank you for your responce, rat.
I can't see any problem with this. My advice would be to make sure you're oriented to the car you're in to the restroom, trash receptical, etc. Are you going to get a sleeper car on the train? I've always wanted to do that. I would make myself known to the attendands on the train in case you need assistance as well. I can't see any reason why blindness would inhibit you from safe travels. Honestly, with crime in Chicago like it is, I'd be far more worried about safety once you get there. Good luck and have fun!
Yes, I'll be getting in the parler Car, because it'll be about 2/3 days to get there. You see, I flew alone on the airplane from Mexico City to LAX, and I did just that, made myself known to the attendents and stuff. But I figured out the bathroom, and it was only 5 hours, though. I'm not afraid, I mean my flute teacher will be in Chicago when I arrive there, she's flying. We'll have different rooms in the same hotel, so that's not a problem.
Yes, you can do this. I used to travel all the time when I owned my own business, and didn't always know in advance where I would end up or have extensive plans beyond the basic itinerary you write off on your taxes lol but it's doable.
Just be aware of your surroundings and aks for assistance when you need it.
Train trip sounds like fun provided you have stuff to do. I did Portland to Seattle in five hours, which isn't much more than the time you waste, er, I mean spend, at PDX and SeaTac airports piddling around with security and gate checks.
One thing you always want to do when getting assistance from airport personnel is ask what direction you're headed and how far. Because if they for some reason strand you, as has happened to me you still have to get yourself there. It's all good, you can make it.
Lots of travelers on here, so you're in good company.
Thank you, leo! :)
I have used AmTrak (the train service) plenty of times and actually prefer it over flying, especially when I have lots of time to kill and relax. Along with that, another plus is that on a train everything is in a straight line so there isn't really a way of getting lost, so long as you remember where your seat is and use that as a starting point. The only problem I've had has to do with the staff at the Chicago Union Station. Occasionally they are douche bags and I assume they don't look in to the person too much when they are hired there. Be prepared to be pulled but don't tolerate it if you don't want to because there is no reason for that crap.
Again I have traveled plenty of times alone and I'm glad to see someone is taking this chance. I haven't gone out to the west coast so I don't know what it's like out that way, but I absolutely love Chicago and I hope you enjoy the city as much as I did. Downtown isn't too bad though there are homeless people that congragate in some places to try and get change, but you shouldn't have to worry too much about crime unless you're going to the far south side of the city. The train station is in the heart of downtown Chicago so you should be ok.
That was very helpful, Ryan. I had a flute performance a few weeks ago over at San Jose, and it was an 8 hour ride on am track train service, and it was my first time. I enjoyed dining with different people, and I had my own little botel of wine without being carted, lmfaooo! I mean I wasn't asked my age, so... I guess what I'm saying is that I'm looking forward to this. I've never been to other states, except Nevada 12 years ago, so I don't really know what to expect. Yeah, I'm a little nervous about that, but ehhh...
I'm not sure how well you can see, but if you look out the window during the train ride if you can, there won't be a whole lot to see until you go through some of the bigger cities. And you will deffinetly know when you get to Chicago. The train has to slow down well before the station, and you will know when you go past the tall high risers and skyscrapers. People always take pictures and stuff when the train gets to the city.
When you buy your ticket say you are disabled. After that you'll be fine period. The company will be your eyes for things you can't do, and a train is easy to get around. Were are you going? I mean you can go up or down it. Lol.
If you should get lost and step outside, you'll feel the wind.
Have fun.
On a serious note. Lately I’ve been encouraging blind person to stop carrying cash.
With a credit card, or iPhone, you can pay for anything period. $20 is all the cash you need in small bills. 5’s and 1’s.
That is used for tips, if you should feel generous.
I have square wallet, PayPal, my bank, and the App that comes with the iPhone, Pass Book, plus Starbucks. These cover anything.
Next a card of some kind debit, or credit.
I don’t know how you are setup financially, I am not talking money, but cards and such but if not these are really easy to get and maintain with or without a banking account.
Check in to it, if you haven’t.
Load boarding passes, hotel reservations, or just anything in to Pass Book, and you’re set.
In big cities flashing cash it just not a good idea for a blind person.
Most times it’s not that you get robbed, but cash gets lost, or when you have to get change, it gets miss counted.
TapTap See helps, but if you are in a hurry, and most times people are, you just hope people have given you the correct amounts back.
I agree with others, people telling you that traveling alone is unsafe because you are blind is total crap. I've traveled alone by train or plane many times, and it's fine. Yes, plan the details that you can, but be prepared to be adaptable if something does not go as you thought. The best laid plans go astray, and all that. Especially with Amtrak, which often suffers major delays.
I disagree with you to a point, Wayne. Yes, telling the company you're disabled does help, but it doesn't end there. I've often had to advocate for myself and for what I need when attendants don't want to be helpful, or are in a hurry, or in some cases, try to do things for me that I actually can do for myself. So saying that once you tell the company you're disabled and then you can just depend on them to be your eyes and ears has not been my experience.
Dolce, I think you'll be just fine doing this.
I, too, have traveled alone, many times.
Alicia said exactly what I was coming here to say, which is that honestly, you can only plan so much, as plans often do go astray. so, try not to lose your cool when that happens, and you'll be fine.
I'm not sure I agree entirely about never carrying cash and relying on your iPhone and such for everything. I'm not saying you should carry hundreds of dollars on you by any means, but if you organize your money correctly it's very easy to keep track of it. If your phone dies or something else unexpected happens, you're stuck. Cash always works; credit and debit cards aren't a total guarantee. I don't know how many times I was glad that I had cash on me when either my card didn't work with someone's machine or I realized the place I was at didn't accept debit cards. It happens less and less now, but it is still a possibility. I do agree to a point about counting change, especially when you're in a hurry. Money is accessible in Canada, though, so I guess I'm used to being able to identify it very quickly and easily. If someone flashes cash, sighted or blind, they're going to attract unwanted attention, and trust me: sighted people drop cash at least as often as blind people. Definitely have your plastic handy, and use passbook if it is helpful to you, but carry at least thirty or forty bucks with you just in case. After all, inaccessible debit and bank machines are a real nightmare if the staff isn't helpful.
I also agree with others about not necessarily relying on the staff to be your eyes: they'll almost certainly help you out, but be prepared to do a lot of asking and even demanding if it comes to that. Don't be afraid to hastle them a little if you really need something. That's what they're there for, and getting to where you need to go safely is much more important than annoying someone.
You can also lose a credit or debet card. Your phone could get stolen or broken. So to say that carrying cash isn't a good idea isn't realistic. If you have cash, at least you won't be shit out of luck if your card or phone gets stolen or lost.
I am not saying tell them and do nothing. I am saying tell them so you can ask them for help. If you say before you start, the company is responsible. It is a matter of people getting away with laziness. "well, we didn't know, so can you."
I stand by my cash deal. 20 bucks, 40 tops. If your phone gets stolen, chances are so will that cash and your credit cards.
The thing about the phone and the cards, is they can be replaced via insurance, and card companies, but your cash is gone period.
I don't know about you, but I keep my phone where I keep my valuable items.
What we're saying, Wayne, is that it's good to carry a fair bit of cash alongside your plastic and phone, not that you should only carry cash. And you're right: if your phone gets stolen, your cash probably gets stolen too, unless you're clever about it and hide them in different places, which you should try to do anyway. It's true that cards can be replaced by insurance, though probably that's not all that helpful in the middle of a trip.
Not to stray off the topic, but I don't understand why people keep money, their phone, etc. mainly important items to them in a bag or something else other than on their own person. I always keep my wallet and my phone in two separate front pockets. When you are traveling especially in a city, never put your wallet in a back pocket because someone could easily take it. And I am scheptical about putting your phone and a wallet in a bag or purse, because you'd be in trouble if someone decided to swipe the bag. If it is on your person it is much harder to get something important like that stolen.
Allot of women's clothing doesn't have pockets big enough to fit that stuff into. Usually I keep my stuff in my coat pocket if it's winter but I'm in Texas so that's about 2 months out of the year. lol
I put everything in my purse (mostly because of what DG pointed out, but also because sometimes you can lose money or your phone if you're careless and forget which pocket of which jeans you shoved it in) but I wear the bag so that the strap rests on the opposite shoulder from where the bag actually rests on my hip. Pretty tough to snatch it that way.
I think that if you carry Cash and lose it, it's gone, oh well. However if you use your iPhone/pad/pod/whatever for everything, and it gets stolen and you have no securitty coad for it, you lose everything. Easy access to your data, so I really don't know. Either way, it all depends on where you place your itoms. Me, personally, I'm a securitty freek in a sence. I have pass coads for everything, from unlocking my device to my bank app. I guess it's the same thing if you carry a purse. Thank you all for your posts... :)
I do what Meglet does, regarding how I handle the little bag I carry. it works wonderfully, and I never carry more than $40 cash, while traveling.
I hate my pocket full, so I carry a man bag mostly. My phone before I traded was in my wallet, and that was really easy to manage, because when I grabbed my wallet, I had everything. Snatching my bag would require snatching me, the strap is really thick woven leather. Lol.
I also never carry anything in my back pockets.
But, okay, carry cash, lots of it, if you see fit, for the posters that don't agree. Lol
I'll stick to my method. If I lose it I make a phone call, or sson as I get to a computer, and all is wiped clean. My iPhone is so much trash along with my cards.
I have one concern that hasn't been addressed. The guide dog will have to go to the bathroom every couple of hours or so. I doubt the train stops that much to let him go outside.
Unfortunately, I've only traveled by train once, and it was in Vietnam, so I can't give you any tips. Maybe others on here can help with that?
They usually stop the train and allow people off every two to three hours. Some of the stops are designated as smoke stops and I'm sure you could take advantage of those to allow the dog to go to the bathroom. I've ridden on about four to five different routes and they all stop to let people off in about that amount of time.
I'm generally unused to trains, particularly at long distance, but I agree with a good deal of the wisdom found on this board.
I personally always, always carry at least a little cash on me, and I never ever put it in the same pocket as my phone, now that I have one. Being mugged is something we must take as a reality, but a last resort.
Be prepared to be flexible, up to a point at least. SisterDawn is absolutely right; you may be lucky and might be able to coast the whole way, but you may have to advocate as well. Being timid, or being worried that you're going to inconvenience someone, is probably going to get in the way more often than not.
I didn't know guide dogs had to use the bathroom every couple of hours. I've had pet dogs all my life, till I moved out at least, and sometimes when our family went out for a whole evening, we'd come back and the dog would be sleeping peacefully and not in need of a trip outdoors. Other times, mind you, the dog was clearly ready to get outside. Point is, we're talking five to ten hours here, sometimes more, and while I'm not saying it's good to make an animal wait for horrendous amounts of time, I'd suspect that the length of time between train stops should be more than sufficient for an average animal's needs. Of course, if that animal decides to get sick on you during your train trip, that may add another level of difficulty in itself; one can't really stop this from happening or guarantee against it, another reason why I'd just as soon use a cane. There are enough "what ifs" in travelling long distance that an animal complicates things for me.
Good luck in your travels. Just remember that anyone saying that it's dangerous to travel is, to a small extent at least, perfectly right, but that they're missing the point. The point is that, danger or not, everyone does it, so you should too if that's what you want to do.
This might be straying off topic slightly, but is there any additional advice people would give for international flights? I'm thinking about flying from the UK out to the States to see friends which would involve long flights and connections and all that fun stuff.
An international flight will be just like the domestic flights. The one thing I found helpful while traveling overseas alone was sitting close enough to the bathroom, so that I didn't have to depend on anyone, but other than that, it's all the same.
If you're used to getting to the airport an hour and a half ahead of your flight for check-in and such, think again. Get there at least two hours ahead of flight departure time, that way you've got more than enough time o get through security and/or customs and the like. American customs can be a bit on the annoying side, truth to tell; I've had some very easy times and some rather unfortunate experiences with American customs agents.
Other than that, it shouldn't be any harder or stranger. It just means longer flights. If the airline knows you have vision issues, particularly if that info's right in your travel profile, then they'll ideally shuffle you from plane to plane during your stop or stops.
Flying from the UK to the uS by yourself is fine though often annoying. The main tip I'd give you is to allow enough time between flights if you have a connection in the uS. You'll need to clear customs at your first landing point in the uS, and not at your final destination. If you go with the assistance, you'll be last off the flight, and while you may make up time by being fast tracked, sometimes you'll go through the normal queue. I'd also have your airline's phone number stored in your cell if you have a connecting flight. If it looks like your first flight might be delayed jeopardising your connection, you'll have a few minutes from when the plane doors open to check your options - much quicker than going to the transfers desk in the airport.
Generally I've found airport assistance to be unhelpful, staff on flights are much better. The official assistance is typically provided by the airport and not by the airline. Sometimes you'll be lucky and walked through by an individual, but more often than not you'll be ferried around on a buggy with other people requiring assistance. This can mean that you spend your time at the airport being wheeled around from drop-off to drop-off rather than doing useful things like sitting in the bar for an hour before the flight leaves. Obviously you can do this but it might require an argument with the person providing the assistance and no guarantee that they'll come back and collect you.
If you have a really long time between connections and can't persuade the person providing the assistance to do anything other than drop you at your next gate, I'd ask to be seated as near to the desk as possible so that you can make yourself known to the gate staff when they arrive and more easily get help if the gate changes.
dolce if you regulate your dogs food and water intake a day before your departure you should be fine letting your dog take a break four or five hours into the trip. if you are like me and forgetful have a check list of all the things you need to cover on your trip. from departure times, to emergency phone numbers. organization iscrucial to a sucessful trip. have a blast miss thing! hehe
Thank you, Carlos! I tend to be forgetful, so hahaha thank you for the tips!:)
Hey Dolce, hope your trip goes well! As a new guide dog handler traveling on flights/buses with a guide, please make sure you know your guide's signals (scared, restless, etc.) I took my first long bus trip with Jenny 1 month after graduation and she HATED the sound the bus made. It made her really edgy for most of the rest of the day. The next day she was fine... so just really follow the doggie's signals.
I have not done long train trips, so can't help on that, but in terms of relieving the dog between flights/stops, if you restrict the water intake and take more frequent bathroom breaks beforehand (esp. if you have an afternoon/evening departure), you should be fine. Jenn's a champ about such things.
I like the suggestions. I think it's always a good idea to carry some cash with you, separate from your phone or credit cards. Muggings are unlikely, though possible, so making sure that you will have SOMETHING is always a good idea.
Buy a long-distance phone card in case you get stuck and need to borrow a phone to call home, get further information, etc.
Mention you and your guide dog will be travelling; that way the train company will be prepared to shuffle seats if there's some with more room (suggestion).
Kate
Thank you, Kate! i'll be getting my guide in April. Though actually I am starting to worrie, because I submitted everything on time to get in the april class, but I haven't heard from them. If they don't find the right dog for me, I'll have to wait till june... i appreciate the suggestions. :)
Dolce,
If you take the June class, by August you should be familiar enough with your doggie to be able to take such a trip. But also listen to your school's advice regarding new/stressful situations. My instructor advised me to stick to familiar routes if possible for the first month or so after training, just to get Jenny and I into the rhythm of trusting each other alone (you will also have your dog adjusting to the new home environment). Jenny is very sensitive to pick up on stress (most dogs are, but I think she is a little more-so), so I was advised to take her places *I& had been before, even if she hadn't, just to keep building up her confidence and work out the kinks (i.e. testing authority, etc.) in a place that I knew well enough to get out of in a pinch.
Don't worry if your dog gets a little spooked about things like a train whistle (if there is one) or something similar; sometimes they are funny like that.
I hope you get into the April class; that way you and your guide will have a couple of more months of bonding/loving/struggling/laughing/crying before embarking on something totally unknown.
Kate
You're right. I'm afraid that if I get into the June class, August would be too soon. But I also guess it takes time to know your dog's signals of fear and stress/
Dolce, with Jenny it's EASY... she does nothing halfheartedly. She loves, plays, works, eats, sleeps, gets distracted, tells me she has to go to the bathroom (NOOOOOOOW!), and fears with her whole being. Other dogs will have different personality traits and may hide things better; I think it may depend on your match. I don't know how well your particular instructor will know the dogs before training, but you will also learn as you go.
Kate