Sundance…way Too Corporate.

I do not know what I was thinking—I was not thinking that was the issue. Following work, I hustle to the upper middle class parochial school when the Sun Dance Institute is supposed to take place. I really thought I would cruise right into an accessible parking slot right next to the front entrance of the school-Boy was mistaken. I was like driving into a history, a time before accessibility almost never existed. I cruised round the block a couple of times before I found the designated parking area thinking ‘great the front door must be close by.’ I down loaded and rolled half way round the block, I the January, after dark frigid air, before stopping someone who just happened to be going to the same place I was going and asked this person to send someone out who knew where the access point into the was.
Well, someone finally came out and directed me to the ramp. Truly, the accessible entrance is three fourths of a block a way from where the designated parking is. If I had my power wheelchair, accessing the building would have been a pain in the ass but not nearly as painful I would have at least been able to get there on my own.

Once I got in the building I still had to roll and roll and roll to finally get to where I was going, and there were huge ramps to negotiate—ramps that have been built over existing stairs so many of the ramps were very steep. My wrists were straining—my legs were beginning to spasm and my shoulder were screaming in pain as I inched up the ramp. Well, I did my presentation to this group. I arrived early, I always arrive early to an appointment if I can—allows me to get any last minute bathrooming dressing needs under control. So, in the twenty minutes I had before I went on. I listened to the orientation being given to these folks at the Sundance institute. I was totally amazed—the Sundance folks has everything controlled right down to what you can write if you write column somewhere. If people start asking a volunteer questions the volunteer is almost scripted in how to reply which is usually “Let me get you some one from the Press office who can better or more fully answer your questions. The Sundance volunteer is issued a kit called a JOEY—in which is kept, your Photo ID, work schedule, event map emergency numbers and smokes. You must smile and be cordial at all times because be believe in Customer Service the patrons matter most. ( I wonder if the Institute has tracers , spiders which hunt the blogs searching for references to themselves. If you are a volunteer and you violate any of these Sundance statutes then they can revoke their tickets. Most of the volunteers are volunteering to get passes to the movies being shown at the Festival. This year there will be more then 400 volunteers—this is amazing. I can just tell these guys are going to do a great job for Robert Redford and his folks. I wish them all the luck.