[gps-talkusers] canopy tour
- From: Michael May <mikemay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "GPS-talkusers-freelists.org" <GPS-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 08:27:55 -0700
Lat: 20, 31, 20.5920 n.
Lon: 105, 15, 42.5940 w.
Still pissed
In some cultures, this means I have had too much to drink, in my case it means
I have just been denied access and I am very angry about it. It takes a lot to
get under my skin but there is something about discrimination that hurts to the
core, literally a sick feeling in my stomach.
When we were in Costa Rica over a year ago, we tried to go on a canopy tour but
got rained out. Our guide said that other blind people had done this before so
there shouldn't be any problem. Nothing to be done about the weather so it
didn?t happen and I never got our $150 back either.
Today, in Puerto Vallarta, we went to the offices of El Eden to take their
tour. It was I and five family members ranging from my 9 year-old niece to my
wife and our boys. I left my dog at the villa and when they saw my cane, they
said straight away that I wouldn't be able to go on the canopy tour. The
owners were called and they absolutely refused despite all my explanations
about having gone skydiving and holding the downhill speed skiing record for a
totally blind person. I said I could bring my walkee talkee radios but they
would have none of it. The little 9 year old could do it but not a blind
adult, no way, shape, or form.
It was very frustrating not to have any leverage. I considered walking out of
the office and finding another company but chances were very good that the same
denial would happen elsewhere. My family would have backed me up but I hated
to have the kids again miss the opportunity for this spectacular experience. I
couldn't bribe the company, there was simply no recourse.
So I paid for 5 canopy tickets and transportation for me. I figured there was
a long shot that I could talk someone at the actual tour site into letting me
go.
We clambered into this huge truck and proceeded to wind our way south of Puerto
Vallarta several miles before we turned inland into the jungle. It was one
bumpy ride, ending up at a very busy collection of bars and restaurants along a
small river, the staging site for the canopy tour. It wasn't that far in miles
from PV but it took 40 butt-pounding minutes.
I stayed with my family through the orientation. I felt the harness, helmet
and the cables they would be sliding on. They would hike up about 1000 feet in
elevation and then clip into the cables and slide about 1.5 miles at speeds up
to 60 miles per hour. There was staff stationed at every transition point.
The tricky part for a blind person would be knowing when to put on the brakes.
A guide waves at you when to brake and when to stop braking. I figured this
would be quite easily done by radio. They did have two-way radios at the
staging area and I had to assume each of the guides would have radios as well.
One of the staff giving the orientation spoke English very well so I made my
plea to him. We discussed how it could be done and he began to waver. He told
someone else I wanted to go and they said no way.
So, here I sit, sweltering in the bar, drinking Pacifico beer and listening to
the sound of the zip lines in the distance punctuated by hoops and hollers.
I'll have to be content with my boy's excitement when they get back and relate
the details. I hate that I am not being allowed to share the experience with
them simply out of ignorance.
As we rode here in the truck, I had one of the boys on either side of me.
Despite humid weather, they silently expressed their love and support by
cuddling up to me. Occasionally one would say, "I can't believe they won't let
a blind person do this. This is really stupid." I was thinking what an
important lesson it was for them to experience discrimination first hand. They
are relatively privileged kids, growing up in a culturally open community but
without any exposure to race issues. How would boys in this environment come
into contact with racial bias or profiling? When they saw their dad
discriminated against, they could learn personally about that "back of the bus"
feeling brought about through discrimination.
I will definitely be using this experience to teach them that there is always a
way to do something. I will contact the management; I will find other
companies in other countries if necessary until I can go on a canopy tour with
my boys. Now I am motivated not only because of the thrill of the adventure
but because of the quest to resolve the discrimination and to work out the
details of how to best do a zip line for a blind person. There is another
expression, which probably doesn't translate very well into Spanish, "It ain?
over until the fat lady sings." I can always fold up my cane, put on dark
glasses and just won?t let on that I am blind next time.
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