This is a very sad post. No - nobody died or anything...but it's a real pity what's going on in Jyv�skyl�. Once again, from an outsider's point of view...
I hate to point fingers at a particular person that "sticks out" a bit more than anybody else and is fairly recognizable but I think it's something that should be brought to everybody's attention in the JKL and Kortepohja area. (And if this person finds out - I hope you understand, I'm doing this for your safety and out of deep concern for you as another human being).
There's a lady who has long blonde hair who frequently takes the 18 or 18K bus from the student village to downtown and back. I saw this lady this past Sunday get off at my bus stop - a bus stop before the student village - and knew immediately she was lost. I admit I have never spoken to her before because I assumed she spoke Finnish - she does, however, my friend spoke with her to give her directions - and Finnish is NOT her first language. Not sure what is - but in future, I'll try and help her as best as possible if she speaks English. And I know the bus number in English and Finnish - so that'll help.
What's the big deal? She's blind and has a cane - and I live about a 6 minutes walk away from the student village.
I've seen her get on the bus from the student village area - so that's how I knew she was lost when I saw her wandering towards my apartment while I was waiting for my friend to pick me up.
There have been times I've been on the bus and not noticed she was there until we pulled away from the downtown location - and when I finally did notice she was there - I also noticed that nobody offered her assistance, in terms of letting her know what bus number was sitting there for the past 3 minutes.
Not the bus driver and not the other people waiting for the bus.
But yet, nobody has a problem with staring at her and being scared of asking if she needed help "seeing" what bus was there...it's a shame that Finns keep to themselves to the extreme like this, when it comes to someone who has a disability.
I don't know where she's from, I am assuming she's here for the school year as I haven't seen her before (JKL is a small place) and I haven't seen her ask for help either - so perhaps it's an independent/pride thing.
I am incredibly concerned about her safety - because when you're driving from behind her - where there are no side walks in the area leading to my flat - you might not see her cane. My friend didn't (I don't think) and was a little confused as to why the woman was weaving side to side.
We were able to give her proper directions to go back towards her home and she seemed quite grateful as she didn't recognize the area she was in at all.
So if you see this lady - please give her a hand and ask her if she needs help with the bus number or the bus stop.
I hate to point fingers at a particular person that "sticks out" a bit more than anybody else and is fairly recognizable but I think it's something that should be brought to everybody's attention in the JKL and Kortepohja area. (And if this person finds out - I hope you understand, I'm doing this for your safety and out of deep concern for you as another human being).
There's a lady who has long blonde hair who frequently takes the 18 or 18K bus from the student village to downtown and back. I saw this lady this past Sunday get off at my bus stop - a bus stop before the student village - and knew immediately she was lost. I admit I have never spoken to her before because I assumed she spoke Finnish - she does, however, my friend spoke with her to give her directions - and Finnish is NOT her first language. Not sure what is - but in future, I'll try and help her as best as possible if she speaks English. And I know the bus number in English and Finnish - so that'll help.
What's the big deal? She's blind and has a cane - and I live about a 6 minutes walk away from the student village.
I've seen her get on the bus from the student village area - so that's how I knew she was lost when I saw her wandering towards my apartment while I was waiting for my friend to pick me up.
There have been times I've been on the bus and not noticed she was there until we pulled away from the downtown location - and when I finally did notice she was there - I also noticed that nobody offered her assistance, in terms of letting her know what bus number was sitting there for the past 3 minutes.
Not the bus driver and not the other people waiting for the bus.
But yet, nobody has a problem with staring at her and being scared of asking if she needed help "seeing" what bus was there...it's a shame that Finns keep to themselves to the extreme like this, when it comes to someone who has a disability.
I don't know where she's from, I am assuming she's here for the school year as I haven't seen her before (JKL is a small place) and I haven't seen her ask for help either - so perhaps it's an independent/pride thing.
I am incredibly concerned about her safety - because when you're driving from behind her - where there are no side walks in the area leading to my flat - you might not see her cane. My friend didn't (I don't think) and was a little confused as to why the woman was weaving side to side.
We were able to give her proper directions to go back towards her home and she seemed quite grateful as she didn't recognize the area she was in at all.
So if you see this lady - please give her a hand and ask her if she needs help with the bus number or the bus stop.
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