tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post4837542865998856428..comments2024-03-16T16:44:18.220-07:00Comments on Bad Cripple: Disability as the Great Unknownwilliam Peacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223601480542461802noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-46650647885314782302013-10-07T04:36:37.665-07:002013-10-07T04:36:37.665-07:00John, Many years ago I would dine at an excellent ...John, Many years ago I would dine at an excellent restaurant in NYC. Every time I ate I was seated at the cripple table. It was not that bad but far from ideal. One night I told the hostess I will not eat at the cripple table. It was an off time and many other tables were empty. She got flustered and the owner appeared. I explained again that I will not eat at the cripple table. After a brief and rude conversation the owner stated I had two options: eat at the cripple table or leave. I left and never went back. william Peacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00223601480542461802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-23429866304269704452013-10-06T11:25:38.221-07:002013-10-06T11:25:38.221-07:00Yes, of course, the "cripple table!" In ...Yes, of course, the "cripple table!" In the old days, I could spot it easily, it was the first table we stumbled into or the one in the very, very, and I mean very, back. Now I'm often not so sure, what I do notice however is that a lot more servers and hosts are comfortable just letting me do my thing and move little tables around. But of course I can't go to 1 million restaurants.John Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629282925024337676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-62032773638838369322013-10-06T11:22:07.459-07:002013-10-06T11:22:07.459-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.John Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629282925024337676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-56978971232212909832013-10-05T10:12:45.694-07:002013-10-05T10:12:45.694-07:00It was not long ago that I heard that the grandfat...It was not long ago that I heard that the grandfather clause was a load of BS. Who started this crock, honestly? Hearing that changed my life in a way. I live in the northeast, where every other building can probably be called historical. I thought there was nothing I could do. <br /><br />Now I know I can make a big stink about it, and I am.<br /><br />I have often felt the way you do though. My husband works in the restaurant business. We love to go out to eat when we can afford it. It has very often been an adventure. If not for my able bodied husband willing to navigate me and /carry/ me when necessary, there are many places we'd never be able to go. It isn't right. It isn't dignified. The message we so often get, sadly, is that most people just don't really care about our dignity. Katrina Horschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09722667067203672493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-22391397097539388082013-10-05T06:54:08.981-07:002013-10-05T06:54:08.981-07:00The "cripple table" at Bobby Flay's ...The "cripple table" at Bobby Flay's at the Borgatta in AC is right next to the kitchen doorway. Lovely view of the waitstaff bringing out other people's food.Becshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03057614535554183360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-35592322228215890712013-10-05T06:09:59.572-07:002013-10-05T06:09:59.572-07:00Went to TGI Fridays this summer with hubby. Music ...Went to TGI Fridays this summer with hubby. Music was very loud. The hostess said it is always this way. And when the waiter introduced himself, the first thing he said was "I'm _____ & I will be your server today. The restroom is to the right of the bar". <br />We never asked where was the bathroom. <br />Felt so old. As I looked at the other tables, everyone was in their 30s or younger playing with their cell phones.Melanie Suzanne Gerberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09526633483293614542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-44342722456855946722013-10-04T17:38:27.277-07:002013-10-04T17:38:27.277-07:00Sensory issues get so little respect, especially i...Sensory issues get so little respect, especially in a culture with such a thorough-going fear of silence. There was a store in Brattleboro where they would always turn off the music for me. It was awesome, but you could feel the tension in the place rise as the silence descended. <br /><br />My husband has a theory that they play so much loud music in restaurants and stores now because then people won't have to really talk to each other or listen to each other; they can always be distracted. It's kind of a disaster for someone like me who is very focused -- both because it's in my nature and because I have to concentrate very hard to navigate through the sensory world. It's very difficult for me to talk to someone who is distracted. It's like being sober and trying to talk to someone who is drunk. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-70720301962199555762013-10-04T14:11:38.928-07:002013-10-04T14:11:38.928-07:00Rachel, You are correct the lack of wheelchair acc...Rachel, You are correct the lack of wheelchair access is the tip of the iceberg. I often think of you as I bring up sensory issues. I am stunned by the negative reaction. The issue extend well past wheelchairs. william Peacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00223601480542461802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-28012986581421543902013-10-04T13:57:52.800-07:002013-10-04T13:57:52.800-07:00I am completely unsurprised by the lack of access....I am completely unsurprised by the lack of access. In my experience, lack of wheelchair access is just the tip of the iceberg. There are other issues as well. For instance, I have only been to a restaurant a handful of times in the past several years because they are always too loud. Much of the time, loud music is playing; for people with hearing issues, competing sound is very difficult. I have a disability that makes filtering sound nearly impossible. This means that with music playing, I can't hear my husband speak. He has tinnitus and hearing loss. This means that with music playing, he can't hear me speak. Plus, with the ways in which tables are jammed together, it is generally impossible to find a quiet space even in a restaurant that doesn't play music. There are stores that have similar access problems. I simply can't go in them because there is no way for my body to handle that level of sound. I have occasionally found places that will do a good job of accommodating these kinds of issues, but usually, the "accommodation" consists of turning down the music so imperceptibly that it makes no difference at all. For people who are hard of hearing or have issues with auditory processing, it's very difficult.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-21708201791193557732013-10-04T12:54:13.994-07:002013-10-04T12:54:13.994-07:00Julie, I hear the "grand fathered" in ex...Julie, I hear the "grand fathered" in excuse all the time. Another lame excuse is the the building is a landmark building and exempt. Columbia University used this dodge for years as did other Ivy League schools. <br />The real issue is and always has been money. william Peacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00223601480542461802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556371561007953336.post-68544812773938499822013-10-04T12:50:02.175-07:002013-10-04T12:50:02.175-07:00I guess one reason this doesn't come up often ...I guess one reason this doesn't come up often is the fact that 28% (as of 2010) of people with disabilities live below the poverty line. <br /><br />I live in a tourist town and nothing is accessible. Interestingly (and sadly) we once had a summer school of the National Theater Workshop for the Handicapped here. At that time, a good proportion of the students could not go to any restaurants, galleries, or stores, save McDonald's. And nothing changed. The landlords don't want to pay for access. They don't care if students or poor people can't get into their businesses.<br /><br />If a rich/famous person who's using a wheelchair shows up a gallery opening or an expensive restaurant, they'll do everything to make sure they are accommodated, and they'll bend over backwards. But these people are always the privileged. Rather reminds of your recent posts. <br /><br />I have heard the "grandfather" excuse frequently. Thanks for informing us that it is a crock of BS.Julie H. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18370626312151913595noreply@blogger.com