$2 - Sunday, September 8, 1991 - North Shore News LIFESTYLES Customer’s prejudice cause for alarm DEAR MISS MANNERS — As a customer-service repre- sentative for a distribution company, I deal with my cus- tomers by telephone only. While waiting for some infor- mation on an account, I stalled for time with small talk, asking the woman on the phone how she liked where she your overgrown overnight bag. Not only is it polite to allow us less laden folks off first, but it is more efficient — there will be more room for the people left to move around while yanking those partments. GENTLE READER — Miss Manners is not going to Iet her observation cf a flaw in your argument interfere with her ap- proval of your solution (the flaw wait at baggage claims anyway have no pressing need to get off an airplane first). In her neck of the woods, people often take short airplane hops for the day with no luggage at al! and would greatly lived. She ssid that she had lived there all her life, 60 years, but that the area was being taken over. I of course, asked by whom, and she replied, ‘‘By wetbacks."’ Shock was my first reaction. I am half-Mexicar, on my mother’s side, and my self-respect as well as my respect for my mother’s heritage could have made me react in a number of ways. But I chose to ask innocent, subtle questions: “Oh, really? Have they taken a lot of jobs away from the area?’’ She replied, ‘Oh, mostly farm jobs, because they’re willing to work for the lowest wages.’’ I replied in 2 neutral tone, ‘‘Oh, and does that take away a large part of the job market from your community?’’ She then changed the topic to one of welfare and jobs. After I hang up, I felt disgust for this woman — not for her ob- vious ignorance, but for her negligence in aot thiaking to whom she might be speaking. I'm not telling ber how to think and feel — just saying she should be careful how she shares her opi- nions. She had no idea who I was. Some co-workers said i should have belittled her by mentioning that I was Mexican. 1, however, was only thinking about the fact that, regardless of my feelings, she was still a cus- tomer. Therefore I didn’t feel I was in a position to do that. GENTLE READER — AIl- though everyone would appreciate your feelings in reaction to such bigotry, fewer people would ap- preciate, as Miss Manners does, the delicacy of your feeling that you could not humiliate a cus- tomer. Whatever small talk you engag- ed in should have been neutral, and you strictly observed the limits, even when your customer outrageously violated them. Yet Miss Manners is no more satisfied than you with letting such an insult pass. Her sugges- tion is to maintain the profes- sional role while nevertheless men- Judith Martin MISS MANNERS tioning your ancestry — some- thing along the lines of ‘‘Well, we Mexican-Americans try to do our jobs well, and I hope you feel J am doing mine.” DEAR MISS MANNERS — If espouse a new practice for polite- ness among airline passengers, that I hope you will spread. Many business travellers, who are on tight schedules or fear the loss of meeting materials in those cavernous baggage-handling areas, have taken to carrying large and ungainly carry-on bags. They stow these cumbersome bags wherever overhead space can be found, often far frem their own seats; then, when the plane reaches the jetway, they spring in- to the aisle and sprint to get the bags. Meanwhile, passengers with on- ly a purse or a briefcase cannot leave the plane until each of these souls has personhandled his or her bag. 1 say: Sit down! Let us who have no encumbrances get off the plane, instead of trapping us behind you. You'll still be first in the taxi line, because we'll all be at the baggage claim. [t’s bad enough that our coats are wrinkl- ed from being squashed beneath us, and all the pillows were ir- retrievable behind the crush of OPTIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS THE FOLLOWING is a selection of many volunteer opportunities available through North Shore Community Services (NSCS). CONFERENCE newspaper people are needed for a variety of positions. An editor is needed to help develop a format and layout for the newspaper, and to train and supervise other volunteers. Also needed are writers to create short articles on the con- ference; layout people to assist the staff with desktop publishing, graphics and formatting the paper; and proofreaders for a final proofing as well as photoco- pying and distribution of the newspaper. Volunteers should have good writing and organizational skills, enjoy team work, and be available to work on Saturday, Nov. 23 and Sunday, Nov. 24. TUTORS with good con- munication skills are needed to assist, elementary school children who have learning difficulties in a variety of academic subjects. The tutors will work with students on a@ one to one basis during school hours. Training workshops begin on Tuesday, Sept. 24. A PATIENT person, preferably someone with musical interests (piano player) is wanted to assist in activities with special needs res-" idents, The hours are flexible and orientation will be provided. A CANDY ss striper program needs an assistant (to interview girls and oversee the program one afternoon per week. The volunteer should enjoy teenagers. The hours are from 3:30 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Orientation pro- vided. A MALE singer (bass, baritone or tenor) is needed ta perform “" a smal group two or three s per week at various seniors’ residences or other facilities, Prac- lices are ou Tuesday evenings. If you are interested in these or any other volunteer opportunities please call Dru at 985-7138. NSCS is a member agency of the United Way. big bags out of those little com- —_—— being that people who have to benefit from your system. cae Introducing the New Lift-Equipped us Routes for 1991 BC Transit is proud to announce the addition of 131 new wheelchair lift-equipped buses which are scheduled to commence service between September and December. These new buses will operate on 24 routes in the Vancouver Regional Transit System and will bring accessible service to North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, White Rock and Burnaby and additional service to the TriCity area. The new buses join the 86 current lift-equipped buses which were first introduced in 1990 as part of BC Transit’s ongoing commitment to promote independence among individuals with physical disabilities. Lift-equipped buses are designed for people who use a wheelchair or a walker, including people who may be temporarily disabled. They may also be used by people with arthritis, or a heart condition which makes climbing stairs difficult. New Accessible Routes Service on the new lift-equipped routes will be phased in between September and December as bus stops along the routes are converted to accommo- date wheelchairs and lifts. A 7 ya The phase in schedule is as follows: September 2 #130 Metrotown Station/Kootenay Loop. October 7 #151 Port Coquitlam Ctr./Vancouver; #152 Port Coquitlam Ctr/Vancouver; #160 Port Coquitlam Ctr./Vancouver; #190 Port Coquitlam Ctr./Vancouver; #229 Phibbs/Westlynn/Lonsdale Quay; #230 Upper Lonsdale/Lonsdale Quay; #239 Capilano College/Park Royal; #240 15th Street/ Vancouver; #340 Cloverdale/ Newton Exch./22nd St. Stn.; #353 Ocean Park/22nd St. Stn.; #355 White Rock/Ocean Park. December 16 #100 New Westminster/Airport; #210 Upper Lynn Valley/Vancouver; #228 Lynn Valley/ Lonsdale Quay; #232 Phibbs Exchange/ Grouse Mountain; #246 Lonsdale Quay/Highland/ Vancouver; #401 One Road/Vancouver; #402 Two Road/Richmond Exchange/Vancouver; #403 Three Road/Vancouver; #404 Ladner Exchange/Airport; #406 Railway/ Vancouver; #407 Gilbert/Vancouver; #408 Garden City/Richmond Exchange/Vancouver. Please remember, not all lift-equipped buses operate “in-service” for wheelchairs at all times of the day. “In-service” trips are indicated by the letter “L” on your regular public timetable. Accessible bus stops are marked by the ij symbol. Good News for Scooter Users BC Transit has been successful in developing a restraint which will enable scooters to be carried on wheelchair lift-equipped buses. A program to retrofit existing lift-equipped buses with this new securement system has begun and will continue over the next few months until all lift-equipped buses are scooter accessible. The scheduled dates for scooter accessibility are as follows: September 2 Route Numbers #1 #50 #106 #130 #147 #148 #154 #155 October 7 Route Numbers #26 #27 #28 #29 #12 #120 #144 #145 #11 #152 #160 #190 #229 #230 = #239 #240 #340 #353 #355 December 16 Route Numbers #22 #25 #4) #49 #100 #210 #228 #232 #246 = #351 #401 #402 #403 #404 =| #406 #407 #408 #601 Scooter restraints will be installed by the manufac- turer on all future wheelchair lift-equipped buses. #135 Ask Us A new “Rider’s Guide to Accessible Transit” will be available this Fall from BC Transit. This guide details how to use our lift-equipped buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus and handyDART services and will include a handy pull-out map of all the accessible routes. For schedule and route information, please call Transit Information at 261-5100 any day from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.