Canes and Cruises

Back in July, we went on our first cruise. It departed from Vancouver and went up the Inside Passage and through the panhandle of Alaska. It was amazing and inspiring. For the purposes of this blog, I want to talk about the reactions I got while using my cane on a cruise ship.

I think there were over two thousand passengers on the ship and a couple of other people using canes. I was using my cane on a staircase and passed one of the other cane users. I heard a Father lean over to his daughter and ask in a loud whisper, "why do they think they need those sticks on this ship?" Not sure what he even meant by that. That the ship was a safe environment so canes aren't unnecessary? Or something more judgemental? As rude comments about my cane go, it was pretty minor.

Later on, I was walking through part of the outside deck that doubles as a track. A teenager was jogging towards me and I moved out of her way. Her father chased her down and yelled at her for not looking out for me. It was odd to me because I'd obviously gotten out of her way without issue. I felt bad for her.

In general, the people on the curse ship seemed pretty rude. I'll compare how they treated me using an airport as a control. In a busy airport, people will get out of my way, help if I need it. On the cruise ship, everyone was on vacation and didn't seem to care about politeness. They'd run into me and just keep going. I'd hit them with my cane on accident and they'd get upset. Cruise ships are a tough crowd.

I've said it before, using a cane is an ongoing sociology experiment. Cane users have to put up with  people's need to help you and their preconceived ideas. They often don't understand the half-sighted world. As a visually impaired person, I end up having to educate people even though I hate having to do it and don't want that role. Such is the life for the VIP.