Listen to Suzanne. You need wheels.
Richard
www.rwwise.com
For Information and sample chapters from my new book:
I'd give up my seat in a heartbeat for a pregnant woman or a handicapped person. I'm not sure I would want to know someone who wouldn't do so! Is it really SUCH a tragedy to have wait for the next shuttle??? Is there no courtesy and decency left in the world???
Thank you Dawn!
When I was pregnant, I was always surprised how many times people
would let a door smack in my face.
In my experience, the most likely to hold open a door: men over 60.
Elaine
Elaine Luther
Metalsmith, Certified PMC Instructor
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com
Hard to Find Tools for Metal Clay
I haven’t been to Tucson in a few years but my recollection is that
almost all of the shows have a shipping booth anyone can use. It
makes a whole lot more sense to ship any purchases you make at each
show immediately to your home base of operations than to carry ANY
valuables around with you on the street in any form. Everyone who
is a thief knows that Tucson is simply filled with people carrying
large amounts of highly valuable, easily transportable merchandise
around with them. They are all looking for easy marks and you all
identify yourselves as easy marks by
-
wearing badges from shows and
-
carrying bags that obviously are holding valuables in them. So
avail yourselves of the services and don’t carry it around with you.
Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-234-4392
There is still space at our table at the Orchid dinner for those who
appreciate HUMOR!!!
Speaking of the Orchid dinner – everyone who comes please consider
bringing a little something for the silent auction. Even if you fly,
you can tuck a lovely piece of rough or slab in a side pocket, a set
of tools you no longer use due to an upgrade, or even a mystery jar
of cabs or rough you haven’t gotten 'round to! Every dollar made is a
dollar Orchid didn’t have before!
See you there. Ive and I promise to behave.
Well, mostly. We promise!
Thanks for all the helpful hints on Tucson - keep 'em coming! I’m
sure there are many of us interested in learning whatever you
regulars have already discovered.
Specific question: for those of us taking a few days of vacation
afterwards, and don’t want to carry our purchases around, any ideas
on sending them back home? Is there a local post office nearby, or a
delivery service near the convention center or another show or…
What do the rest of you do?
Thanks,
Cindy
Cindy Crounse
Refined Designs Original Fine Jewelry
Oh that is such a common thought. I have been told not to come to
several events if I am handicapped because it inconveniences the show
runners. Guess what it is against Federal law to do so. It is also in
very bad taste and manners.
Never gonna be a hermit so you have no compassion that’s a shame you
get what you give in this world life is circular and some time you
just may need help and get sneered at with a why did you come
attitude.
If only life were fair in such matters but alas it is not…
Beware for in as little as 30 seconds that handicapped person could
be you!!!
Teri
America’s Only cameo Artist
www.cameoartist.com
And on a different note, anyone have any great restaurant recommendations while in Tucson?"
My wife and I like “real” Mexican food, and have found some of the
small less imposing places in South Tucson to be excellent. Be
adventurous and experiment! 
See you there!
Jerry in Kodiak
This is something I haven’t yet heard mentioned. The last time we
were in Tucson, and we will be doing it again this year, we rented a
motorhome for the entire stay. We usually stay ten days to two weeks.
It solves our room, transportation and some of our meal problems in
one fell swoop. We do enjoy eating out, but for many meals,
particularly breakfast, the motorhome is both more convenient and a
lot less expensive.
Jerry in Kodiak
Dawn said -
I simply CANNOT believe the insensitivity of the remarks I am hearing! So, the pregnant and handicapped are supposed to be hermits that aren't allowed to go anywhere or do anything fun? I'd give up my seat in a heartbeat for a pregnant woman or a handicapped person. I'm not sure I would want to know someone who wouldn't do so! Is it really SUCH a tragedy to have wait for the next shuttle??? Is there no courtesy and decency left in the world???
And I must agree with her - I was pretty horrified when I saw that
first email - Folks - just wait till you are in need of some courtesy
or assistance and then lets see what you think.
Ivy in NM
Suzanne:
Thanks for the info. Sounds like the consensus is park in a central
location and use shuttles during the day. Thanks again.
Jeff
Jeff Russell
K*Rhea Designs
http://www.krheadesigns.com
They say its for safety reasons, I=92m not so sure but the thing is
TPD and the Pima County Sheriff viciously enforce the traffic/parking
regs. SO if you do rent a car, make certain that you follow the
traffic rules and for gods sake don=92t park anywhere where it is not
clearly legal to do so at best you=92ll get a ticket at worst they=92l=
l
tow you and in my 16 years at Tucson I have seen a ton of show
peoples cars getting towed.
I will be showing over 3000 carats of precision cut Namibian
demantoid at GJX # 122, all natural. Glen Engelbrecht just won top
prize at this years spectrum awards with Namibian demantoid he
purchased from me.
Travel safe.
Christopher L. Johnston
Omaruru ~ Namibia
@Christopher_L_Johnst
The shows that have the largest parking lots are: The AGTA & GJX at the Tucson convention center (parking is usually $3.00/day)
The parking at the GJX this year (only) will be reduced due to the
new Annex tent holding the exhibitors from the old Holiday Inn
(Raddisson) show. Next year the show will e back in the Raddison -
run by the GJX.
There is a city lot behind the GJX tent. It fills up fast and cost
$4.00 or $5.00/day last year. From this lot you can get to the GJX,
the AGTA, the shows in the motels along the strip on the other side
of the I-10 freeway. A little walk to the Manning House Shows and
the Inn Suites shows.
Do not park along the railroad tracks behind the GJX tent - unless
there are attendants taking money to park there. The railroad has
been de-activated for years, but last year I got a $50+ parking
ticket for parking there. The city of Tucson had rented out the city
lot to a private individual and he made calls to the police to
ticket the people who avoided his lot and parked on the railroad
track right of way.
Best regards,
Robert Lowe
Lowe Associates - Brasil
Gemstones, Rough, Specimens
Tucson - February 2 - 7, 2005 - GJX # 205
e-fax: 1-240-757-6022
e-mail: USA < robertplowejr@juno.com >
e-mail: Brasil < @Robert_P_Lowe_Jr1 >
In my experience, the most likely to hold open a door: men over 60.
As a guy who is looking hard at 49, I have to check in on this one.
I was taught at an early age to hold doors for women, and have been
doing so for most of my life. However, once women bid for, and won
“equality”, I have often been sneered at for doing it…by the very
woman for whom I have held the door!! The typical comment is “Do you
think I’m too weak to open my own door?..MEN!!!” I have had
similar comments from handicapped or disabled people who do not wish
to be viewed as any different from me or anyone else and don’t want
to be considered incapable of such a simple, everyday task.
It seems there’s just no telling how a person will react to what was
once a common courtesy. I will always hold the door for anyone,
anywhere, anytime. I do it for older men, as well (I just can’t see
the need to do it for kids). I will always stand for a lady or older
gentleman who needs a seat, open the door, or any of a number of
common courtesies. I will not, however, relinquish my place in line
for anyone unless it is an emergency. Waiting is not a handicap.
James in SoFl
Another system that works is to go early, park your vehicle, take
the shuttle to the show you want to start with that day & then take
the return shuttle early to your vehicle’s location.
This takes a little more planning but saves long lines at the end of
the day. Several show locations have plenty of parking with in-show
shuttles from parking lot to tent shows.
Especially well-organized is the Gem Mall location; they provide
golf cart rides from the parking lot to the tents! Great for
handicapped access; will deliver you directly to the door of your
choice! Or their food court or restrooms…My knees can handle the
tent areas but not those gravel parking lots… Also have a LARGE
area for Handicapped Parking Only, very nice!
Only once have I had handicapped parking difficulty; the parking lot
attendant would not let us enter, said the lot was full–but the
hncp. prk. wasn’t full–my persistent husband found another way in,
parked, & we reported the problem to the show organizer. It was
IMMEDIATELY addressed, attendant was replaced by Tucson police
officers, & the problem was gone!! Even if you have a rental vehicle,
take your hndcp. permit with you, if possible. If there’s no parking
empty, you can be dropped off closer to the entrance at least. In
Texas, the placard charge is only $5 for 5 years & it’s honored in
all the states (to the best of my knowledge).
The shuttle personnel are very helpful to the handicapped–very
helpful entering, exiting & were in no way in a hurry! One year, I
was there very shortly after knee surgery & was impressed with the
courtisies accorded the “handicapped”.
Marcia Ingham
@Leroy_and_Marcia_Ing
Hi Teri Davis
Its disgusting to read that some areas are not handicap helpful. In
this city of Toronto we even have sidewalks that allow wheelchairs to
ride into. Buses that “kneel down” to allow and to accommodate the
wheelchairs…ALL buildings MUST be wheelchair accessible…Its the
law up here. So what going on down there?..inconvenience the “show
runners?”…inconvenience? what poor choice of words…inconsiderate
(*&^%) on the author of that word!
I now drive my car with a “handicap sticker” as I have arthritis +
and more, in my lower back and hips. If I see a car in a “handicap
stall” in any parking lot, with no sticker, I’d love to deflate the
owners tires.:>( I guess the focus up here is to accommodate, in any
respect, the handicapped individual…ANYWHERE!..
Gerry!
I use a smallish pack that is large enough for my lunch, the show guide, and not much else, so it isn't really a burden to wear all day.
But the Show Guide itself can get very heavy, especially if you keep
adding purchases of stones to the bag it’s in!
If you subscribe to Colored Stone magazine, you will receive the
Tucson Show Guide in advance (though it’s too late for this year, of
course). Then you have time to read the magazine at your leisure and
you can xerox the pages that you’ll need for reference (like maps or
specific venue exhibitor lists) instead of carrying the entire
magazine. If you need to refer to the magazine itself, you can
always leaf through one once you’re in Tucson, since they’re
available at nearly every venue.
Beth
If I see a car in a "handicap stall" in any parking lot, with no sticker, I'd love to deflate the owners tires.
My mother, who is disabled, used to urge me when she saw a perfectly
fit person parked illegally in a handicapped spot, to “run him over
and make an honest man of him.” She was kidding. I think.
Lee Einer
Dos Manos Jewelry
http://www.dosmanosjewelry.com
G’day;
I have one of the ‘Mobility’ cards to display in the special parking
spaces. If I see someone in such a park without a card, I don’t
believe in vicious retaliation (letting down tires for instance) Two
wrongs don’t make it right. I have a neatly printed notice to the
effect that it has been noted that they don’t have a ‘mobility’ card,
and are thus robbing the handicapped of convenience; but if they need
one they should ask their doctor who will help them get one. I slide
this under the wiper and leave it at that, hoping conscience and
decent behaviour will prevail. Letting down tires is a silly
juvenile thing to do anyway.
Cheers for now,
JohnB of Mapua, Nelson NZ
Here is a synopsis of hints for attinding trade shows gathered from
a group of skilled folks in Tucson (and in NY at MJSA). This article
is here at the Ganoksin Project.
best
Charles
Charles Lewton-Brain/Brain Press
President, Canadian Crafts Federation
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053
@Charles_Lewton-Brai1
I have often been sneered at for doing it... It seems there's just no telling how a person will react to what was once a common courtesy. I will always hold the door for anyone, anywhere, anytime.
James,
I am as “iron-jawed an angel” (feminist) as they come, and I will
always greet your courtesy with a “Thank you” and my most gracious
smile! I’ve always held the eccentric notion that “Equality” (and
that’s still a -VERY! - mutable concept) is supposed to translate
into mutual respect, not mutual loutishness… That means that I,
too, hold the door open for others - even for ones who happen to be
younger than I. I’ve even been known, on occasion, to assist a
frazzled young mother struggling with a fractious baby stroller, or a
disabled person trying to muster a motorized scooter or chair through
a barely wide -enough shop doorway. Many will ignore the open door
gesture, especially the younger ones. Some may decline my offer of
help, but I don’t remember any one actually attacking me for it.
Most people scurry around being the stars of their own movie.
People are usually so inwardly focused that when someone “interrupts”
their “scene” by invading their mental space with an unexpected
kindness , rudeness is often the knee jerk (opposite) re-action.
…To which I would say, “&*%# 'em if they can’t take a joke…!”
Margery Epstein
(Sorry to be missing Tucson this year, especially for the missed
chance to sit at Ive’s table at the Dinner…! )