Things That Only Happen to Deaf People

ladysolitary85 said:
I've had a person look at me insanely pissed off and saying "ARE YOU F***IN DEAF?" then I calmly smile and say "Actually yes I am" The look on that lady's face... priceless!
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Been there, horrible asshat at the DMV, nothing quite like making a person that's being an asshole know in his heart ....he's an ass hole.
 
ambrosia said:
Been there, horrible asshat at the DMV, nothing quite like making a person that's being an asshole know in his heart ....he's an ass hole.
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Just about every DMV worker I've encountered is an asshole.

I even had one guy throw his papers and arms in the air in disgust when I did not follow what he asked while he was standing behind my car (yes, I was behind the wheel). After he made the scene, I raised my voice and told him that I am deaf, and can't read his effin' lips when he walks away, and there is no need to throw a hissy fit. He immediately sunk down and kissed my ass throughout the rest of the inspection.

(yes, it is partly my fault for not making it 100% obvious upfront that I am deaf before he proceeded)
 
ladysolitary85 said:
Whether you’re a signer, a lipreader, a hearing aid wearer or a cochlear implant user (or maybe a bit of each of those), there are some things that truly only happen to a deaf person. Things that simply don’t happen to everyone else. How many have happened to you?

None.

When you tell people you are deaf, they ask if you understand Braille.

None.

You curse your cell’s auto correct function when you tell people that you’re “profoundly dead.”

None.

Once in a while, you lose your hearing aids and spend the morning searching for them, before discovering them in the pocket of the pants you are currently wearing.

Aha, yes. Sometimes, but not in my pants. Mostly, on the floor or at outside. I lost 'em a few times. Now, I only wear my HAs whenever I want to listen a music or video game.

At an audiology appointment, you try to *beat* the audiologist by watching them moving their hands on the dial. This makes them irate.

None.

You go to a deaf party just for the warm embrace of a hundred ‘deaf hugs.’

Yep, yep.

When you tell people you are deaf, they SHOUT at you. You don’t mind, even though it makes it harder to understand them, but the other people in the shop look concerned.

Yes, twice times. I told them please write instead! Aha.

You are told by Deaf people – in a group situation – that you’ve put on a lot of weight recently. Everyone nods. This is completely ok.

Never happened to me.

You have scars on your forehead from bumping into lampposts in the street as you walk and sign.

None.

You wake up on a long train journey to find all the passengers have changed and the train has arrived at the wrong destination.

None. It's not in a train; it is in a bus. I missed a bus stop a few times, so I tried to stay half sleep... Ahh...

You worry that the audiologist knows how much you love them piping goo into your ears when you have new earmoulds made. And that they’re enjoying it too.

None.

You are regularly followed around by young children in shopping malls because they’re intrigued by your hearing aids.

Lol, cute. But, sadly, it is never happened to me.

You play the ‘deaf card’ in order to get onto the plane before everyone else. You feel slightly embarrassed as you overtake frail old people and families with children to take your seat on the plane. Then you get over it.

None.

Despite changing your voice answerphone message so it tells people that you are deaf and they should text or email you, they STILL leave a voice message. That you can’t hear.

None.

When you tell people you are deaf, they speak to the person next to you instead. Even when they’re not necessarily your interpreter.

Thankfully, it is never happened. I usually stay out of the line until I finish my writing on my own notebook, so I can go in the line for food & beverage order.

You only realize the doctor has called your name out in the waiting room because everyone else is looking at you, bemused by your lack of response.

Erm, well, yeah. A few times.

Halfway through having a great conversation with a Deaf friend at a bar, you’re bemused when the bartender doesn’t understand your order. You then realize you’ve given it to him in Sign Language.

None.

When the lights go out at home, you spend a split second wondering whether there’s a power cut or whether someone’s just rung the doorbell.

None.

You go to your car in the morning, only to find the alarm blaring. You turn it off, then notice angry looks in your direction from your neighbours. When you find numerous abusive messages tucked under your windscreen, you realize two things: 1. Your car alarm has been going off all night. 2. You may need to move house.

None. I don't have a car, yet. But, I hope it won't happen to me. :shock:

You see an interpreter signing a programme on television, but turn to your partner and comment on their recent haircut, rather than the quality of their signing (with the exception of Lydia Callis).

None.

After a party at a deaf house, you realize you spent the entire evening in the kitchen. And so did everyone else.

Yep.

During long conversations, you notice hearing people getting more and more uncomfortable at how intensely you’re focusing on their lips. You supress a smile and focus even harder.

None.

You argue with your friend as you get on a train, and continue in sign language as you take your seat, even though they’re still standing on the platform. As the train leaves, you look around at everyone else sheepishly. You continue the argument by text.

None.

You notice that some hearing people assume that you are a ‘good’ person when you tell them you’re deaf. You happily let them think that. You later feel disappointed in yourself when they realize you have the same failings as non-deaf people.

None.

You meet a deaf person you’ve never met before, and they instantly ask “are your mother and father deaf?” closely followed by “which deaf school did you go to?”

None. I just go on casual conservations.

You say goodbye to your friends at the deaf club, then say goodbye again an hour later, because deaf people always have “just one more thing” to talk about.

Ha ha, yes. Sometimes.

Things That Only Happen to Deaf People | Lexington School for the Deaf
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:ty: for share with us! :)
 
green427 said:
Just about every DMV worker I've encountered is an asshole.

I even had one guy throw his papers and arms in the air in disgust when I did not follow what he asked while he was standing behind my car (yes, I was behind the wheel). After he made the scene, I raised my voice and told him that I am deaf, and can't read his effin' lips when he walks away, and there is no need to throw a hissy fit. He immediately sunk down and kissed my ass throughout the rest of the inspection.

(yes, it is partly my fault for not making it 100% obvious upfront that I am deaf before he proceeded)
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Still, there's nothing wrong with a little lesson in humility. :) Good on ya.
 
My hearing dog alerts to many important sounds in a clear, dramatic way, but I guess she believes alerting to the sound of running water from the kitchen sink, especially when I am right near it, is below her job description. I do not hear water running even if I'm standing right there looking at it. So many times I have turned on the faucet to fill the sink up to wash dishes and I turn away and forget. I'm lucky if I happen to see a mountain of foamy bubbles before it overflows.

I also have not had luck teaching Tess to tell me when someone is calling my name. Your following comment has happened so many times!

""You only realize the doctor has called your name out in the waiting room because everyone else is looking at you, bemused by your lack of response.""

I am not deaf yet but I can't use hearing aids for my severe bilateral hearing loss.

Great post!
 
green427 said:
Just about every DMV worker I've encountered is an asshole.

I even had one guy throw his papers and arms in the air in disgust when I did not follow what he asked while he was standing behind my car (yes, I was behind the wheel). After he made the scene, I raised my voice and told him that I am deaf, and can't read his effin' lips when he walks away, and there is no need to throw a hissy fit. He immediately sunk down and kissed my ass throughout the rest of the inspection.

(yes, it is partly my fault for not making it 100% obvious upfront that I am deaf before he proceeded)
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Do you have one of the placards DE has for Deaf/HoH drivers. I keep mine on the sunvisor. I will need to remember to tell or show the DMV guy I'm deaf when I go through inspection later this year. I haven't had to go through inspection since ?2008? since I bought a new car in 2009.
 
I have had these happen to me :

I tell people I'm deaf, and then they still talk to me, and get annoyed when I don't reply to them :)

The sound cuts out on a video or stream, and I wonder if my HA's batteries have run out.

My audi sometimes gets mad that I can find a way to do what she always tells me can't be done. It's not my fault, her default reply to something she doesn't know always seems to be "can't be done", until I find a way to do it and then show it to her
:)
 
LoveBlue said:
Do you have one of the placards DE has for Deaf/HoH drivers. I keep mine on the sunvisor. I will need to remember to tell or show the DMV guy I'm deaf when I go through inspection later this year. I haven't had to go through inspection since ?2008? since I bought a new car in 2009.
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The drive-thru inspections only focus on the registration & car, and most deaf folks only have a bright red sticker on the back of their driver's license, I haven't seen any additional placards anywhere, they never offered any either.

Really, it is our responsibility to inform them upfront, as I have learned.
 
ladysolitary85 said:
At an audiology appointment, you try to *beat* the audiologist by watching them moving their hands on the dial. This makes them irate.
Click to expand...

It does, doesn't it. Somehow audis get annoyed when you can get more of the aid than they can. But then they aren't you. They have all those qualifications, and all they do is push buttons lol, the software does the rest.

Someday they will make a device that makes you an earmold (maybe in the future you can print an earmold with a 3D printer :) ) and then we can do everything ourselves and not have to rely on audiologists even for that :)
 
ladysolitary85 said:
I've had a person look at me insanely pissed off and saying "ARE YOU F***IN DEAF?" then I calmly smile and say "Actually yes I am" The look on that lady's face... priceless!
Click to expand...

That happen to me with a policeman . He was directing traffic and I did not hear him , the cop came up to my car and yelled " Are you deaf or something!" I said " No' I am HOH!" The cop face got red and he walked away!
 
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