[gps-talkusers] Re: They thought I was a terrorist

Hello there,

I know that a lot of people have responded, but here is another suggestion.  If 
you got the man's name, ask the department if you could get together with them 
for a blindness awareness seminar.  That may help the Police become more aware 
of the blind people in your community.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Rick Fox 
  To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 8:22 AM
  Subject: [gps-talkusers] They thought I was a terrorist


  Hi folks,

  Sunday was a perfect late September day in New Jersey, where I live, so I 
decided to take me and my guide dog on a 2-mile walk at around 8 am. We have a 
wonderful route in a quiet residential neighborhood.

  I was carrying mhy BrailleNote QT 32, and my old Magellan receiver, since I 
had left my newer one at work. I stopped to adjust some route settings and 
proceeded.

  About 5 minutes later a car pulled up beside me, and the driver said, "Excuse 
me, are you blind?" 
  I told him yes, though I thought it a strange question with my dog and 
harness in full view.
  "What's that thing on your shoulder?" he inquired.
  I told him about the BrailleNote and the GPS, and some things it could do, 
and then I heard the police radio. I found that one of the neighbors was 
concerned and suspicious because I was typing into a little computer in front 
of the house. For the life of me, I don't know what they thought I might be 
doing in full view in broad daylight. 

  The thing that bothered me most about this amusing encounter was the officer 
didn't immediately identify himself as a policeman before asking me questions. 
A person believing a questioner to be a civilian might ignore him or tell him 
to go to Hell or worse, which is not the kind of talk a policeman likes to hear.
     

  Rick Fox
  VP, Field Operations
  De Witt & Associates
  700 Godwin Avenue
  Suite 110
  Midland Park, NJ 07432
  Voice: 201-447-6500 Ext. 213
  Fax: 201-447-1187
  Email: rick@xxxxxxxxxxx
  www.4dewitt.com



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8:02 AM

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