Well, my advice below may not solve the problem, but at least it is a  
response when they are rude to you...

I would calmly tell any lifeguard that gives you a hard time that you  
have CP and that you have every right to be on that beach, treated  
with respect and allowed to enjoy your time without being harrassed.   
If they keep it up, I would threaten to call your lawyer!  Or quote  
the ADA...they may back off.  At any rate, you should eventually get  
to be "known" again on the beach and folks should start to leave you  
alone.

On Sep 3, 2007, at 1:11 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I feel shy asking this - I should be able to handle this, but I  
> need some
> opinions of others. In a way, this problem seems trivial, but  
> please try to
> patient. It's deeper than it appears.
>
> I used to go to the beach all the time and none of the lifeguards  
> hassled
> me.  The most they ever said was 'hey, enjoy the day' or such. I  
> even  used to
> go out in the water and sometimes be knocked on my butt by a  
> wave.   No big
> deal -   I was treated as just another beach bum out for a day  of  
> sun.
>
>  However, recently two lifeguards have made a huge issue about me   
> being on
> the beach alone.  They both did it very publically - one kept   
> going up to
> other beach goers asking if I was with them and the other came   
> running after me,
> screaming at me to stop walking.   After I stopped,  he was  
> insulting and
> rude.  Both the guards told me I couldn't be on the  beach by  
> myself.  Neither
> time was I in the water - once I was fully  dressed just sitting on  
> the sand.
>
>  I talked to the Chief after the first time and he was no help  
> though  he did
> promise a local disability org. that he would provide better  
> disability
> training. (Yea, right). This time, he's been even less help and  
> says I  need to go
> up to every guard and explain myself.  I'm all for getting to  know  
> people,
> but these are public employees at the beach.  Shouldn't they  know  
> how to deal
> with things?  If they do have a question, can't they be  polite and
> respectful?  It's not my job to teach them how to act with  simple  
> politeness. That's
> what my tax dollars are supposed to do in  part - to pay for  
> training so that
> they know how to react DECENTLY (not  perfectly, but decently) to  
> everyone.  I'm
> shy - I don't like approaching  strangers in general.
>
>  I have a lot of problems and stress in my life and the beach is  
> the  ONE
> place that makes me forget it all.  I really, really need to be  
> able to  go
> there, relax and not worry about going up to all the lifeguards  
> (there are
> multiple guards on each beach and they change up all the time so it  
> would be an
> ongoing effort).  I need to go there and not have to keep looking  
> over my
> shoulder or feel like I have to walk just right. I feel really  
> frustrated I  can't
> even go there and be carefree as I used to be because the beach is   
> literally
> the only truly happy thing in my life.  It really is or should I   
> say it WAS the
> only thing that made me want to keep going.
>
> There's no one else to appeal to - I have no faith anyone higher up  
> would
> listen either. So, I would welcome any suggestions.
>
> Thanks for reading!
>
>
>
>
>
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