Travel like a pro: How to do it blind

This post is geared towards the vision impaired and their travel companions, but it could also be useful for the sighted.

Use your cane or service dog.

When I first lost my vision, I didn’t like to pull out my cane because I didn’t want to be viewed as disabled or treated differently. I left my cane folded up in my bag, took the arm of my travel companion, and then bumped into people left and right, probably collecting dirty looks along the way. Nobody dodged me—obviously, nobody knew I was sight impaired and instead, they probably thought I was careless and rude bumping into them.Now, I whip out my cane whenever I’m at airports or train stations. Oftentimes, there are separate (usually shorter) lines at TSA security checkpoint for families with small children and those traveling with disabilities. This is because we take longer to get situated at checkpoint, so this dedicated line is meant to help speed up the process. A cane or service dog will automatically get you ushered into this line. I’ve skipped many incredibly long checkpoint lines in the past, thanks to my cane.It also helps you not get yelled at during immigration when you approach the officer’s booth or window with your companion. Usually only family members are allowed to go through immigration together, so if I’m traveling with a friend, I’m supposed to wait my turn behind the line. But I'll need assistance navigating, so the cane lets me come through alongside my friend.There was a time I wasn’t using my cane, and when I went through customs, the officer asked me a lot of questions like, “Did you bring any meat or plants? How many bottles of alcohol did you purchase?” I answered everything truthfully but still got my bag searched. Later, I realized it was because I wasn’t looking the customs officer in the eye when answering his questions, which made me appear as though I was lying. If I’d had my cane out, the fact that I couldn’t meet his gaze would’ve been a lot easier to explain and saved me the hassle of getting my luggage sifted through.The cane is a signal to others that you’re vision impaired, and this will make traveling through a busy airport or train station a lot more efficient for not just you but employees and other travelers.

Take advantage of pre-boarding.

Airlines will announce pre-boarding for those with disabilities, small children, or who need a little extra time getting on the plane. This is when you make your way to the jet bridge with cane in hand. As all of us blind folk know, it’s easier to maneuver a space when there are less variables (read: people) around. So yes, own up to your special need and pre-board.Once on the plane, don’t sit in an exit row because in the case of an emergency, you’re not going to be able to open that door as quickly as someone with vision might. It’s policy anyway.

For the sighted…

Don’t use family restrooms unless you are supposed to *i.e. traveling with a person with a disability, young children, or babies, or disabled yourself)! At an airport recently, I needed to use the restroom. I was traveling with the hubs, so we couldn’t enter the same public restroom together (this is why I’m all for gender-neutral restrooms, but that's another story). We found a family restroom, but the door was locked. The hubs and I waited for about ten minutes, during which time a man with his young granddaughter lined up behind us. Finally the door opened, and an airport employee emerged, wiping his hands. I was told he didn’t appear disabled, so I’m left to assume he was just using the family restroom because he wanted privacy. WTH! Now, if he was, say, vision impaired and followed my first tip up top and had a cane, he could’ve avoided the dirty looks we gave him upon his exit.I will insert here, however, that you should never make the assumption about a person's ability or disability. A lot of people tell me I don't "look blind" (which, I must say, is ignorant and patronizing--how is a blind person supposed to look?), and I've even gotten chewed out for my friend parking in a handicap space once. My point is, you don't know what sort of disability a person may have because it may not be obvious (most people wouldn't know I'm blind if I didn't have my cane out), so I know I really had no way of knowing whether or not the airport employee had a right to be in that family restroom. All I knew was I had to pee, and so did the little girl with her granddad.Also, don’t stare at travelers with disabilities. I only know this happens because the hubs says people are always staring at me when I use my cane. I joke and say, “Maybe they recognize me,” or “Maybe I’m just beautiful,” but he just says flatly, “No. They’re just rude.”I’m sure people are curious to see how a VI person manages daily tasks, or maybe they wonder how blind I really am, or maybe they’re marveling at my self-sufficiency…whatever it is, I don’t mind it because I can’t see them staring at me. But it bothers the hubs, who can see them staring at his wife. I’m sure if I could see, I would find it annoying. So please, for the sake of the sighted travel companions, don’t stare at the blind. We are not zoo animals.This brings me to the last tip for my fellow blind travelers...

Take ia deep breath, and go with the flow.

Just because you're blind, don't expect people to give up their seat on the subway for you. Don't raise hell when a perfectly healthy airport employee occupies the family restroom for twenty minutes. Don't reach out and slap somebody when you get nudged out of the way at the station turnstile.As much as I get angry at these sorts of injustices--I'd like to think I would never treat the elderly or disabled or the pregnant this way--that is the world in which we live. I can get mad (which I often do), but what's the point? Most of the time, these offenders won't even have a clue how upset they made you feel. In the end, the wrath you have will only percolate inside and make you miserable, while that offender will continue on with their life perfectly happy.Remember there's a fine line between civil rights and unabashed, uncalled for self-entitlement. You have the power to choose how you react to external things.For my VI readers out there, what travel tips do you have for navigating the airport, train, and bus stations? Any funny stories from blundered travel experiences?