[blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding

  • From: "Jacob Kruger" <jacobk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 07:37:31 +0200

Well, there were a few people at that movie night event who said they would 
like to host something like that in the future, including at corporate 
functions etc., but no real follow ups as of yet.

I know I should organise another one since had at least one other, larger venue 
this side offer to host it as well, but I trust the guy who owns the venue 
where we had it last time.

Also makes me think of that set of restaurants in places like London, UK, 
Paris, France etc. and the one I visited in the UK, when was over there in 
2006, is called Dans le Noir (French for In the dark), and it's a permanent 
venue where the chefs, waiters etc are all blind, and sighted guys don't even 
get to take watches/cellphones in with them, and they get to do the whole 
dinner thing, including trying to guess some of the food, etc.

Anyway, at movie night other nice, corny thing was that while sighted people 
had to pay a flat price for blindfold, dinner etc., any real VI person only 
really had to pay for their own drinks as such.

Stay well

Jacob Kruger
Blind Biker
Skype: BlindZA
'...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Carl de Campos 
  To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Friday, April 09, 2010 6:35 AM
  Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


  That's really cool to expose sighted people to the many activities they take 
for granted.
  This should be done more regularly at corporate events, schools etc.
  I ran a Scout base a few years back at the farm where we blind folded the 
scout kids and made them walk with sticks through an obstacle course.  Of 
course this was extremely entertaining and most got lost or crashed into the 
thorn bush which I warned everyone about.

  Thanks / Regards

  Carl de Campos
  SQL DBA 
  Business Connection for Edcon

  E-Mail:  carldc@xxxxxxxxxx
  Cell:  078 750 0307
  Skype:  carl.de.campos
  Personal Web Site:  
  http://carldc.net

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Jacob Kruger 
    To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 21:11
    Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


    With regard to blindfolding them, that's what we did at both awareness 
events here in kempton - at the movie night - they were blindfolded for around 
an hour and a half, making them try normal things like eating, pouring drinks, 
and drinking them, dancing,walking to bathroom with bit of assistance, 
listening to some of a narrated movie soundtrack etc.

    At the pub2pub walk, at each venue on the route, we also got them to try 
out things with blindfolds on, including throwing darts, playing a shot on a 
pool table, pouring a beer without spilling, throwing a blind cricket ball, etc.

    Stay well

    Jacob Kruger
    Blind Biker
    Skype: BlindZA
    '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Carl de Campos 
      To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
      Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 3:26 PM
      Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


      Oh yes I heard about Hein's scale to 10 navigation method, must work very 
well.
      My friend with the 4x4 had the 5 degrees, 10 degrees thing, but never 
knew how accurate that was.

      Blind folding a sighted driver must be quite a funny thing, I know how 
useless a sighted person can at times be when blind folded, just because 
they're not used to it at all.
      Thanks / Regards

      Carl de Campos
      SQL DBA 
      Business Connection for Edcon

      E-Mail:  carldc@xxxxxxxxxx
      Cell:  078 750 0307
      Skype:  carl.de.campos
      Personal Web Site:  
      http://carldc.net

        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: Jacob Kruger 
        To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
        Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 14:10
        Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


        Other difference noticed is that Hein uses a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 
meaning he would need to go more left, 5 is head on, and 10 would mean go a lot 
more to right, but my friends and me just went for little bit left, little bit 
right, doing fine, etc. etc.

        First time rode at Phakisa in 2006 was actually up and down the main 
straight 4 times or so, in just first gear, and, yes it made everyone a little 
more nervous - including me since there's less leeway for veering off course, 
but we still reckon one day not too far from now I will do also at least one 
corner...the friend who was directing me reckons he'll sit on back, and as long 
as he stays relaxed, while he couldn't really do anything to handle bars, or 
brakes, his positioning/posture might also just help sort of pass messages on 
to me, as well as helping a bit with counter steering if we get it right.

        I've also taken boats around dams once or twice, but with someone 
standing next to me on the small speedboat thing, and while I was still in 
hospital, some of my sighted friends reckon they tried out driving a car on 
normal roads with a blindfold and the passenger directing them once or twice 
just because it had occurred to them...<smile>

        They also occasionally do a form of nascar flat track car racing in 
america, with blind drivers and sighted navigators.

        Stay well

        Jacob Kruger
        Blind Biker
        Skype: BlindZA
        '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

          ----- Original Message ----- 
          From: Carl de Campos 
          To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
          Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 1:20 PM
          Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


          Oh yes, I guess a nervous person on the back of a bike can be a 
problem, less than on 4 wheels.

          Hein had a pro navigator in the car with him, I guess from a safety 
point of view, someone in or on the same vehicle can grab the steering in an 
emergency, depends how they trust you.
          My one friend let me park his brother's bakkie in the garden parking 
about 3 m from the swimming pool.  He was outside the car, and I only had to 
move it out of the driveway and park by the pool to make space for other 
vehicles.  It was a Ford bakkie, so if I had my way I would have parked it in 
the pool and it wouldn't leak oil in the driveway, but in the pool rather.

          I guess the skid pan was fun, I drove a Nissan 3.3 v6 double cab on 
the skid pan at West bank, but my brother was in the passenger seat.  I've 
never tried driving been navigated by a radio or cell phone coms, must be even 
more exciting, as no-one is in the car with you.

          Thanks / Regards

          Carl de Campos
          SQL DBA 
          Business Connection for Edcon

          E-Mail:  carldc@xxxxxxxxxx
          Cell:  078 750 0307
          Skype:  carl.de.campos
          Personal Web Site:  
          http://carldc.net

            ----- Original Message ----- 
            From: Jacob Kruger 
            To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
            Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 11:59
            Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


            I've had people offer to ride on the back of a normal 2 wheeled 
bike with me, and I tell them no!

            They can ride another bike behind me, and use walkie talkies or 
something to instruct me, but remember that, especially on a 2 wheeled bike, 
balance, body language, etc. are part of the riding activities, so a stressed 
person on the back wouldn't help at all...LOL!

            Riding with a side car is completely different to riding a normal 
bike, but FWIW, when Billy Baxter did a lap of donington on a Ducati, I think 
there was just someone riding behind him on another bike, and in terms of 
things like Hein Wagner, he might have had someone in the car with him - not 
sure - but could work almost as easily with someone just talking to him using a 
radio/phone etc. as long as they maintain the right positioning/alignment, etc.

            Last time when I rode my bike across skid pan at Phakisa, I only 
got up to around 3rd gear - 70km/h, and the guys watching me were at one side, 
but had a friend talking to me over cellphone earphones inside helmet, and he 
was just telling me when to slow down, when to veer slightly left, slightly 
right, and when to stop and turn around to ride back in other direction - did 
it around 10 times in that session, but I did also have another friend riding a 
bit of distance away from me on his own bike, up and down, and that was him who 
said he wanted to be close enough in case something went wrong, but he didn't 
interfere/involve himself in my actual riding at all.

            The friend instructing me over phone was also making jokes during 
process as well - we kept it light hearted/relaxed as well.

            Main thing for me is due to having done around 105000km on that 
same bike in around 4 years before my accident, I don't even think about 
specific riding activities, but just think about where I want it to go...LOL!

            If ride happens again this year, it should be on a different bike, 
but light, well balanced, nimble, well maintained etc. so can also just worry 
about environment etc. as opposed to worrying about bike itsself, and same with 
offroad bike if I ever find the suitable place to play around with it.

            Stay well

            Jacob Kruger
            Blind Biker
            Skype: BlindZA
            '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

              ----- Original Message ----- 
              From: Carl de Campos 
              To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
              Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 11:43 AM
              Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


              The sidecar idea should work if you have a good understanding 
between you and your navigator.
              I sometimes ride a quad bike with a sighted navigator on the 
back, so if worst comes to worst, he can grab my elbows to rectify any steering 
errors.
              Thanks / Regards

              Carl de Campos
              SQL DBA 
              Business Connection for Edcon

              E-Mail:  carldc@xxxxxxxxxx
              Cell:  078 750 0307
              Skype:  carl.de.campos
              Personal Web Site:  
              http://carldc.net

                ----- Original Message ----- 
                From: Jacob Kruger 
                To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
                Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 10:45
                Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


                Idea is to ride bike on open road with sighted passenger in 
side car, but the other one is to ride a normal bike into parking area at biker 
daytime party/jol, and then climb off it after maybe attracting a bit of 
attention by revving it or something...all as part of the awareness joke, but 
anyway...LOL!

                Same way have already had at least a couple of people who 
thought I was making a bad joke by using cane until they realised it was for 
real...

                I have found that common opinion is still that blind/VI guys 
don't ever get out into/do anything in the real world...

                Stay well

                Stay well

                Jacob Kruger
                Blind Biker
                Skype: BlindZA
                '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

                  ----- Original Message ----- 
                  From: Carl de Campos 
                  To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
                  Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 9:57 AM
                  Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


                  Ha ha, I like the idea of parking a bike/side car combo, and 
then walking with your cane into the shopping centre, can imagine the comments.

                  I used to go 4x4 trips with a friend, and he would let me 
drive the 4x4 through some challenging obstacles, but he was a good navigator, 
and then he would make me park it, get out, and walk around the car with the 
cane.


                  Thanks / Regards

                  Carl de Campos
                  SQL DBA 
                  Business Connection for Edcon

                  E-Mail:  carldc@xxxxxxxxxx
                  Cell:  078 750 0307
                  Skype:  carl.de.campos
                  Personal Web Site:  
                  http://carldc.net

                    ----- Original Message ----- 
                    From: Jacob Kruger 
                    To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
                    Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 07:20
                    Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


                    Well, I have a sidecar here in my garage, and still just 
need to find the right bike to fit it to, and the idea (part of it anyway) is 
that I might be able to persuade some sighted person to sit in the side car and 
direct me while I ride the bike - although it's not quite the same.

                    Otherwise, always say at some stage, similar to how I get 
instructed when riding on the pit area of Phakisa, I want to wait until a 
busyish - but not too busy - time at a day jol, and ride into the parking area 
myself, park the bike, climb off, take my helmet off, pull out cane from inside 
my jacket, and walk up to entrance fee table - all of this just to hear the 
comments etc....LOL!

                    Lastly, how does that one song go:
                    ...open your eyes, and see me...

                    We can break their assumption barriers, but we need to make 
sure we make a good impression (mental impression, not a physical one <smile>)

                    Have also already had at least one guy come up to me while 
was dancing on main dance floor in front of band on stage at a bike rally, and 
tell me I just made him feel 'stupid' about ever having worried about having 
only one eye.

                    Like always say, my one friend's saying is:
                    live with it, deal with it

                    Just that some of us swap it around a bit:
                    deal with it, so you can live with it...

                    Stay well

                    Jacob Kruger
                    Blind Biker
                    Skype: BlindZA
                    '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

                      ----- Original Message ----- 
                      From: Carl de Campos 
                      To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
                      Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 6:56 AM
                      Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


                      Thanks Jacob, appreciated.
                      I tend to brag a bit or sound a bit too confident at 
times, but then I love my horse and what he does for me, I feel he's worth 
bragging about.  But ja the idea is to make sighted public aware of the various 
activities blind people can do, especially if those activities are thought not 
to be blind friendly at all.

                      Ps:  When are we going to start a Blind Hells Biker 
group, as long as we have a few sighted bikers with extremely loud pipes to 
follow.

                      Thanks / Regards

                      Carl de Campos
                      SQL DBA 
                      Business Connection for Edcon

                      E-Mail:  carldc@xxxxxxxxxx
                      Cell:  078 750 0307
                      Skype:  carl.de.campos
                      Personal Web Site:  
                      http://carldc.net

                        ----- Original Message ----- 
                        From: Jacob Kruger 
                        To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
                        Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 20:14
                        Subject: [blindza] Re: Fw: Radio SAFM interview on 
riding


                        Already downloaded and listened to it, and it came out 
nice - and Carl sounds good/confident - good to let sighted people hear about 
things of this nature.

                        Stay well

                        Jacob Kruger
                        Blind Biker
                        Skype: BlindZA
                        '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

                          ----- Original Message ----- 
                          From: Carl de Campos 
                          To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
                          Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 7:40 PM
                          Subject: [blindza] Fw: Radio SAFM interview on riding


                          Hi list, if anyone's interested in hearing my chat on 
horse riding, on the Disability Report last night, I managed to link it via my 
web site.

                          http://carldc.net

                          Right-click on the SAFM Interview link and "Save 
Target AS", it's 5 MB.

                          Thanks / Regards

                          Carl de Campos

                          ----- Original Message ----- 
                          From: Jacob Kruger 
                          To: Carl de Campos 
                          Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 19:01
                          Subject: Re: Radio SAFM interview on riding


                          Came out nice etc.

                          You're also welcome to post this to blindza etc. - 
obviously...<smile>

                          Stay well

                          Jacob Kruger
                          Blind Biker
                          Skype: BlindZA
                          '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'




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