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interesting post. It is hard for me to believe that there is anyone
on this list that hasn't had a lapse in judgment I know that I have
and it can happen to a cane or dog user. I know that I sprained a
knee because I was in a hurry and got to close to the edge of steps
landed in a snowbank so didn't break anything. It also happens to
sighted folks so we need to be kind to each other and judge
ourselves honestly before judging others without facts. We weren't
there.<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 9/24/2013 8:49 AM, Jo Elizabeth
Pinto wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:BLU172-DS27E69E96B050D3815C247AC2E0@phx.gbl"
type="cite">Honestly, I didn't use a stroller much when my
daughter was a baby and I traveled by myself because I found it
cumbersome to pull, and I wasn't willing to risk pushing it in
front of me. GDB did send me a report one of the trainers had
written up about how to successfully pull a stroller, and the
person who did the annual field visits offered to help me take a
few laps of my condo building with a stroller when she checked in
on me, but I didn't end up doing it because the weather wasn't
suitable for taking the baby out that day. Lots of parents do it
successfully, but for me, it just didn't work.
<br>
<br>
That being said, all I can add is that guide dogs do have a way of
making a point. The dog probably didn't push the stroller out of
the way. From the way the story was written, at least, it was
more of a body slam. Perhaps the differences in traffic patterns
from how cars are on the other side of the road in the UK
contributed.
<br>
<br>
\I didn't have a stroller with me, thank God, but I once made a
very poor travel choice when I was by myself. It was gusty wind
and pouring down rain, and I decided to follow a fast-moving group
of college kids across the light rail tracks downtown. What I
didn't know was that they were trying to beat the train. The
light rail trains are extremely quiet because they're run by
electricity on smooth tracks. So the first I heard of the
impending train was the ringing bell, which sounded like it was a
few inches over my left shoulder. I had one split second of
panic, which felt a hell of a lot longer than it was, and I
remember thinking that I should let my dog go so she could maybe
run out of the way and both of us wouldn't end up flattened. Then
she yanked me straight backwards with a strength I swear I never
knew she had. I'm not exactly sure how she managed it because I
had bigger issues on my mind, but she ended up in front of me,
with the side of her body against my knees, once we were off the
tracks. I know it was a close call because a whole crowd of
hysterical people popped up, saying what a great dog I had and how
I was lucky and so forth. I was lucky, but I was also guilty of
seriously poor judgment in a moment of distraction. It happens.
I hope I wouldn't have done that with a child in tow, but I guess
I might have, since I wanted to get out of the rain and on the bus
before I ended up stranded downtown and in need of webbed feet.
<br>
<br>
There was a story out of California that made the news not long
ago in which a sighted mother was crossing some traditional
railroad tracks and got hit by a train. Her last desperate act
was to pick up the stroller she was pushing and literally throw
it as far as she could in a desperate attempt to save the baby.
It worked, but the poor thing will grow up without a mother. Some
said she was a hero, some said she was an idiot, maybe she was
both. Most likely, the baby was squalling, she was late home to
fix dinner, she had a lot on her mind, and she made a very
imprudent choice. People do it all the time, sighted or blind.
Sometimes the price is higher than they ever could have imagined.
<br>
<br>
Jo Elizabeth
<br>
<br>
Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay,
you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be
round and full at evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
<br>
-----Original Message----- From: Steve Jacobson
<br>
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 7:46 AM
<br>
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
<br>
Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] Mom's Guide Dog Saves Her Baby
FromBeing Hitby a Car
<br>
<br>
Mostly, we seem to be working through this somewhat difficult
topic. While I would tend to leave turning in people to be
<br>
investigated to others, I don't think it hurts to have a
discussion surrounding this article as we have. I find myself
having the
<br>
same concerns about this article expressed by others. This
article might be a good promotion for dog guides, but it really
does
<br>
nothing at all to help those of us who are blind parents, in fact
I think it hurts us. I think we have to be a little careful
<br>
about making assumptions based upon the facts stated in this
article, though. Did the dog actually push the stroler out of the
<br>
way or did the dog simply halt their progress. Was the car truly
aiming right at them at the time? Do we know for certain that
<br>
the mother wouldn't have successfully pulled the stroler back?
There was reference to the squeal of tires, so clearly the driver
<br>
was trying to stop. We don't really know if this happened as
written or if someone was looking for a dramatic feel-good story.
<br>
For that reason, we really do need to be careful about judging the
mother in this case because we really cannot evaluate all of
<br>
the facts.
<br>
<br>
Having said that, and since it came up, I would appreciate it if
those of you who use dog guides would explain to those of us who
<br>
don't how anyone would expect a dog to physically move a stroler
out of the path of a car. This is very different from alerting
<br>
the person using the dog that they should stop. A dog could even
push is body against the handlers legs to make the point.
<br>
However, it is extremely difficult to push a stroler with rubber
wheels sideways in some cases. If a school teaches someone to
<br>
push the stroler when using a dog, that person can probably not be
blamed for doing that, but it is very hard for me to see this
<br>
as a good practice. I can see that with a dog, the stroler is
going to be covered better than it would be if I were trying to
<br>
push it and use my cane, but it still seems to me that there are
unnecessary risks except in very familiar areas. Somehow, it
<br>
seems to me that a dog's responsibility should be to protect the
handler, and the handler should be protecting the child in the
<br>
stroler, not placing that responsibility on the dog. How do those
of you who use dogs see this?
<br>
<br>
Let's continue to try to keep emotions in check as we have so far.
<br>
<br>
Best regards,
<br>
<br>
Steve Jacobson
<br>
List Moderator
<br>
<br>
On Mon, 23 Sep 2013 12:38:09 -0400, Tammy wrote:
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">I know some people who are blind who push
their strollers ahead of them
<br>
while using a guide dog and although I dont' agree with the
practice, some
<br>
schools teach their dogs to guide that way if necessary. A
stroller is much
<br>
easier to push then to pull and maybe she felt comfortable
pushing hers.
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Tammy
<br>
--Original Message----- From: Gabe Vega Via Iphone4S
<br>
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2013 10:14 AM
<br>
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
<br>
Cc: Blind Parents Mailing List
<br>
Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] Mom's Guide Dog Saves Her Baby
From Being
<br>
Hitby a Car
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Was no one else asking themselves, what
was this blind mother doing pushing
<br>
her stroller I had of her when crossing a street, does this not
place the
<br>
baby in danger if she was totally blind? Sounds kind of funny to
me, and I
<br>
get the gist of the story is the capabilities and/or intuition
of the guy
<br>
dog, but I have more questions than answers at this point
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Gabe Vega
<br>
Sent from my iPhone
<br>
CEO
<br>
Commtech LLC
<br>
The leader of computer support, training and web development
services
<br>
Web: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://commtechusa.net">http://commtechusa.net</a>
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<br>
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<br>
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<br>
Phone: (888) 351-5289 Ext. 710
<br>
Fax: (480) 535-7649
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">On Sep 23, 2013, at 6:52 AM, "Tammy"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:tcl189@rogers.com"><tcl189@rogers.com></a> wrote:
<br>
<br>
Hi,
<br>
<br>
Yes, all 3 of them.
<br>
<br>
Tammy
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message----- From: Jo Elizabeth Pinto
<br>
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2013 12:54 AM Subject: [Bulk]
[blparent] Mom's
<br>
Guide Dog Saves Her Baby From Being Hit by a Car
<br>
<br>
Mom's Guide Dog Saves Her Baby From Being Hit by a Car
<br>
by Mary Fischer
<br>
Friday at 1:12 PM
<br>
<br>
Mom Jessica Crowley is thanking her lucky stars after her
guide dog saved
<br>
her baby's life by pushing his stroller out of the way of a
car that was
<br>
heading straight for it.
<br>
<br>
Jessica is registered blind, and her black lab, Jet, has been
by her side
<br>
for five years. While getting ready to cross the street
pushing her son
<br>
Jacob's stroller, she heard the screech of a car coming in
their
<br>
direction. And just before it hit, Jet broke loose from
Jessica's grip and
<br>
knocked the stroller out of the way. It did fall over and the
baby wound
<br>
up with a cut on his lip, but if it weren't for Jet's quick
actions,
<br>
something much worse could have happened.
<br>
<br>
Jessica says that Jet loves little Jacob as if he were her
own, which is
<br>
evident based on how she reacted when she realized he was in
danger. Who
<br>
says a dog can't have mama bear instincts -- even if a human
baby is the
<br>
one she's trying to protect? It's amazing how even though
she's trained to
<br>
assist Jessica, she immediately switched gears and came to
Jacob's rescue.
<br>
<br>
I'm sure this mom keeps replaying what happened over and over
again in her
<br>
mind -- I know I would if my son had almost been hit by a car.
And I don't
<br>
know how I'd ever be able to give that dog enough love and
praise to thank
<br>
her for what she did -- though something tells me dogs do what
they feel
<br>
is right without expecting anything much in return.
<br>
<br>
What a blessing it is that Jessica had Jet with her that day.
I'm sure
<br>
every time she hears her sweet baby boy's voice, she's once
again reminded
<br>
of what a gem of a dog she has in her life!
<br>
<br>
Is your dog protective of your baby?
<br>
<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/161452/moms_guide_dog_saves_her">http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/161452/moms_guide_dog_saves_her</a>
<br>
<br>
Jo Elizabeth
<br>
<br>
Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch;
nay, you may
<br>
kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round
and full at
<br>
evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
<br>
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