[nabs-l] guide dogs and their handlers was canes and water park rides
Kaiti Shelton
crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com
Wed Apr 3 00:07:09 UTC 2013
Exactly. I agree with Arielle. When I did a juno walk the pace was
right around where I typically walk. Granted, I tend to walk kind of
quickly even when I have a cane just because that's my personal pace,
but there shouldn't be a huge difference and if your instructor really
thought there would be it was a definite misconception. I also know
some guide dog teams who move really slowly because the handler sgives
the dog commands to slow down, so just because you have a dog it
doesn't mean you will have to move at the speed of light.
On 4/2/13, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I think that the need to be with your guide dog all the time is just
> when you first get the dog, so you and the dog can bond and connect. I
> know many guide dog users who are fine leaving their dogs behind at
> home in somebody else's care once they and the dog have gotten used to
> each other and been working together for a while.
> I too have heard that guide dog schools require a certain level of
> travel skills before students can enter their classes. We have to
> remember that "cane skills" isn't just for when the dog isn't around.
> A lot of it is basic orientation and mobility which is equally
> important whether you use a cane or a guide dog. If you don't know
> when to cross the street, or how to reverse a route, a dog usually
> won't be much help. In fact, that's one of the reasons I've chosen not
> to get a dog. I'm not the greatest traveler and, in particular, can
> get distracted pretty easily while walking. I'd be concerned that if I
> went with a dog, I might space out and just follow the dog which could
> result in both of us getting lost and frustrated on a regular basis. I
> find using a cane doesn't require much thought, at least not in
> familiar areas, and there's no risk of my cane getting an idea about
> where I might want to go and just taking me there. Also, I did a dog
> simulation and while the person in the harness didn't walk too fast,
> it bothered me that I didn't have advance warning of steps and had to
> completely trust the dog to stop instead of barreling me off a curb.
> I have met all kinds of travelers from both the cane and the dog
> camps, so I don't think it does much good to generalize about all dog
> travelers being better or worse than all cane travelers. I do think
> that working dogs has a whole set of dynamics that are quite different
> from using a cane. I, too, was pressured a lot to get a dog because of
> supposed social and safety benefits of having one. For a while, I was
> sure I would get a dog because I knew maybe one successful blind adult
> who used a cane and four or five who used dogs, so I thought that
> getting a dog was a rite of passage kind of like getting a driver's
> license. I ultimately decided against it because I didn't want the
> responsibility and the burden of having a living being depend on me. I
> think most happy dog users find this aspect a joy rather than a
> burden, but as someone who likes being alone, especially when I was
> younger, it was a definite deal-breaker for me.
> Desiree, your mobility instructor sounds pretty ignorant and just like
> a lousy teacher in general. Good teachers don't make snide comments to
> their students about their abilities or lack thereof. Also, plenty of
> blind folks have trouble deciphering tactile maps or mental-mapping
> new places. There are several different ways we can learn to travel
> and in my opinion, the best way to learn a place is to go out and be
> in it rather than just feeling lines on a map. Also, guide dogs do
> tend to move fast, but they don't necessarily have to. My
> understanding is the owner and dog can work together to find a pace
> that works for both of them.
> Arielle
>
> On 4/2/13, Desiree Oudinot <turtlepower17 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Kurt,
>> I won't try to discredit your experiences, since personal experience
>> is about as subjective as anything can be. I'll explain how I came to
>> the conclusion I described above, though, which is equally as
>> subjective.
>> When I was in high school, I had a mobility instructor who basically
>> glorified the idea of having a guide dog in the way that you and
>> others have described. She told me that a dog helps you become more
>> confident in your travel skills, makes you stick out less, etc. I was
>> very skeptical about everything she said, because, in my experience,
>> whether you have a cane or dog, you're considered "different" by
>> society, and, therefore, sticking out is just par for the course. So,
>> even through her overzealous efforts to convert me to believing that a
>> dog is the ultimate answer to every travel conundrum, she did tell me
>> that no guide dog school would accept a person whose cane skills
>> weren't great. In hindsight, I believe she was saying all this to put
>> me down about my cane skills, which weren't that bad at all. my
>> problem has always been visualizing maps in my head, in fact. Mobility
>> instructors always plopped maps they made in front of me, turning them
>> this way and that to try to get me to understand how the streets would
>> look once you turned in a specific compass direction. That method of
>> teaching confused the hell out of me. So, she started to believe I was
>> a hopeless case, I guess. To this day, I still am primarily a route
>> traveler, but I wonder sometimes if I really have as much of a faulty
>> brain as I was told (she wanted to have me tested for learning
>> disabilities, which my mom wouldn't hear of) or if I just didn't learn
>> about cardinal directions and maps in such a way that I could
>> understand. I should also point out that classes like geometry always
>> completely baffled me, and when I was in elementary school, when we
>> used to do geography and had to estimate how many miles or kilometers
>> one place on a map was from another, I failed miserably.
>> Anyway, one day this mobility instructor decided to do a guide dog
>> simulation with me, to help convert me to her way of thinking, I
>> suppose. I held onto a harness, and without any warning, she started
>> flat-out running. When I asked her why, she said it was because all
>> guide dogs and their handlers walk at a brisk pace. Fine, but I don't
>> think they sprint as if they're trying to win the 50-yard dash! After
>> I pointed this out, she got pretty snippy with me. Snide remarks about
>> my travel skills became the order of the day from then on.
>> So, what this taught me was that one had to live up to a high standard
>> if they wanted to get a dog. I didn't want one, but, perhaps
>> mistakenly, I believed this to be the case. This is why it was
>> interesting for me to read your perspective, and watch this discussion
>> unfold, because I honestly thought that all guide dog handlers were
>> competent and confident travelers. Of course, as with everything else,
>> there would have to be exceptions, and I did know of one lady in
>> particular who worked her dog practically until the day it died,
>> despite the dog developing severe arthritis. But, as i said, I thought
>> that was so far out of the norm that I chalked it up to the lady
>> being, shall we say, not a very nice person, as opposed to being so
>> set in her ways that maybe she felt unable to travel without the dog
>> she had come to depend on.
>>
>> On 4/2/13, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Desiree,
>>> I've noticed that "stellar" means different things to different
>>> people. While I don't doubt that the top guide dog schools have
>>> minimum standards for their applicants, I've seen plenty of friends go
>>> to guide dog schools (even seeing eye and geb), who were not confident
>>> cane travelers. Yes, they could cross familiar streets safely and
>>> knew their way around the places they knew well, but nothing beyond
>>> that. For me, and you can certainly disagree intelligently if you
>>> like, but that's only a small part of solid travel skills. In my
>>> mind, mobility isn't just about getting from point A to B to C and so
>>> forth. It's about going wherever you want, whenever you want,
>>> regardless of if you know the area already. Routes are nice but, to
>>> me, competent travelers should be able to make their own routes, as
>>> well as travel wherever they like and not necessarily be bound by any
>>> specific route. That's something that I don't think most dog users I
>>> know or, for that matter, most blind people are comfortable with.
>>> I'll illustrate with a few examples; I want all of you to understand
>>> that I'm not trying to say that I have these super awesome mobility
>>> skills because, compared to lots of competent blind travelers I know,
>>> I still have a long way to go. I'm not great at memorizing maps and
>>> following set routes, especially in big buildings, but I still feel
>>> like I get where I want to go when I want to be there, and I don't
>>> have to rely on someone to take me or show me around (even though I
>>> can see how some very competent people would do that, and that's
>>> fine.) But, just this last week, I was in Las Vegas for a student
>>> seminar and a few of my new friends invited me to go to dinner at such
>>> and such a restaurant across the street and a couple blocks down. I
>>> politely declined because I felt tired but, about a half hour later, I
>>> changed my mind and decided it was better to go late than not at all.
>>> With only the restaurant name and address as reference, and my GPS
>>> giving me periodic announcements of my rough location, I walked over
>>> there without any trouble and had a great dinner. Incidentally, after
>>> staying there for a little while I noticed how tired I was so I walked
>>> back to the hotel by myself and, aside from being approached by a few
>>> harmless drunk people, had no problem whatsoever. A couple days later
>>> I spent a few hours walking up and down the Las Vegas strip (an area I
>>> certainly was not familiar with at all), discovered that slot machines
>>> are a phenominal waste of money, and walked back to my hotel a totally
>>> different way than I came, just for the hell of it. It's sad how
>>> incredible and amazing most people would think that was and, to me,
>>> it's even sadder that most blind people I know (even most with good
>>> cane skills and the ability to follow routes to the letter), would
>>> probably not even try to do something like that, even if they wanted
>>> to.
>>> Now, of course you can say that most people, blind or sighted, don't
>>> really spend that much time in unfamiliar environments and that's a
>>> good point. Still, having the ability and the freedom to do something
>>> like that, even though I don't get the chance near as often as I'd
>>> like, has been an enormous confidence booster for me once I realized I
>>> had that ability, even though there is really nothing special or
>>> earth-shattering about my travel skills. I'm aware I like exploring
>>> new places more than most people, blind or sighted, and I'm not asking
>>> everybody to agree with me. You don't have to be a Federationist, or
>>> use a long straight cane or have this huge passion for always finding
>>> new places like I do in order to be an independent, competent blind
>>> person. Still, I can't deny that my own individual philosophy and
>>> personality has shaped my opinions on the matter, and I have to
>>> acknowledge that I hold to those opinions passionately and vehemently.
>>> Anyways, my jaws demo is going to run out any second, so I have to
>>> write fast. :) At least, I hopek, you can understand where I'm
>>> coming from on this, as I try to do with the people who see it
>>> differently than I do.
>>> All the best,
>>> Kirt
>>>
>>> On 4/2/13, Desiree Oudinot <turtlepower17 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Hi Kurt,
>>>> Your experience with guide dog handlers is interesting. Before I go on
>>>> to my main point, I just want to say that I, too, am a proud cane
>>>> user, and I never intend on getting a dog. I never cared for dogs all
>>>> that much, even when I was a kid. Let's just say that I've been around
>>>> one too many poorly trained dogs in my lifetime, and some of the
>>>> things they do are frankly disgusting. I've also been around several
>>>> well-behaved guide dogs, but my childhood experiences do take
>>>> precedence. That, and dogs smell, and that's not something I can
>>>> really get used to, even though I know they can't help it.
>>>> now, to my point. I was always under the impression that in order for
>>>> a person to even be accepted into a guide dog school, their cane
>>>> skills had to be stellar. I've always heard about how if your existing
>>>> cane and route traveling skills are subpar, you won't get a dog,
>>>> simple as that. While they would hone a few rusty skills along the
>>>> way, if time permits, they can't do everything, nor do they feel they
>>>> should.
>>>> I guess, like everything else, not all guide dog schools are created
>>>> equal. Most people who have said this to me have either gone to the
>>>> Seeing Eye in New Jersey or GEB in New York. From what I understand,
>>>> those are the top two guide dog schools, anyway, so it wouldn't
>>>> surprise me that their standards were way up there, not that they
>>>> shouldn't be. Logic dictates that you shouldn't be able to take your
>>>> dog everywhere you need to go. Dogs get sick, or maybe you want to go
>>>> to a loud concert, or, yes, an amusement park. I agree that dogs don't
>>>> really belong there, especially on particularly brutal summer days.
>>>>
>>>> On 4/2/13, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Justin,
>>>>> Exactly. For me, and I'm only speaking for myself, but being forced
>>>>> to take my dog wherever I went, or not being able to leave him home
>>>>> when the situation seemed to warrant it, doesn't appear to work all
>>>>> that well. I'm going to make a generalization, and I realize there
>>>>> are plenty of acceptions to what I'm about to say. Still, I think
>>>>> it's worth mentioning, if for no other reason than because it really
>>>>> applied to me personally. Also, I should probably say that I'm not
>>>>> lumping Sarah or anybody else specific on this list into what I'm
>>>>> about to say because...well, I don't know most of you in real life, so
>>>>> who am I to judge?
>>>>> Still, I've seen lots of blind people who get dogs because their
>>>>> mobility skills aren't up to par and they want a cure. I have plenty
>>>>> of friends and acquaintances who use dogs because they don't feel
>>>>> confident in their ability to travel without them; sadly, to me, this
>>>>> seems the rule more than the exception. It kind of makes my heart
>>>>> hurt a little bit when I see friends shy away from new places and
>>>>> experiences just because their dogs prefer to stay in familiar areas.
>>>>> Again, from what I've seen, this seems to be what happens more often
>>>>> than not. I'm not saying a dog isn't a legitimate option; I can see
>>>>> the advantages of traveling with one and, while they aren't enough to
>>>>> convince me to become a dog user, they are certainly real. I'm just
>>>>> saying that, if someone isn't a confident and comfortable traveler
>>>>> already, having a dog won't magically make up for it. Sadly, many (if
>>>>> not most) guide dog users I know weren't confident travelers to begin
>>>>> with, so they got a dog instead of getting quality training. Of
>>>>> course, I know a whole bunch of cane users with the same problem, so
>>>>> it's certainly not the dog's fault if the handler can't get where
>>>>> he/she needs to go. I guess all I'm saying, and I'm sure most
>>>>> competent dog users will wholeheartedly agree, is that getting a good
>>>>> dog is no substitute for getting good training...but now I'm wondering
>>>>> what any of this has to do with riding rollercoasters and water
>>>>> slides. :)
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> Kirt
>>>>>
>>>>> On 3/31/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Cane, dog, what works.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kirt
>>>>>> Manwaring
>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2013 12:44 AM
>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sarah,
>>>>>> I know I'm going to spark an age-old debate, and possibly get
>>>>>> reprimanded for being off-topic, but I don't really care right now.
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> don't mean this condescendingly or judgmentally...but, Sarah, the
>>>>>> next
>>>>>> time someone asks me why I'm not a dog user, I want to have your
>>>>>> e-mails on hand because they would make my case far better than I
>>>>>> possibly could. (and, yes, I'm aware how ironic this will sound to
>>>>>> anybody who remembers the stir I created a while back because I
>>>>>> wanted
>>>>>> to get a dog and bring him...or her...or whatever to a training
>>>>>> center.)
>>>>>> And, please, before anybody gets their knickers all twisted up over
>>>>>> this, I'm definitely not anti-dog. I know some fantastic travelers
>>>>>> who happen to be dog users; I also know some terrible travelers who
>>>>>> happen to use canes instead. My point is simply that, having the
>>>>>> personality I do where I want to wait my turn like most everyone
>>>>>> else,
>>>>>> and hearing the kinds of stories I do from Sarah and from most dog
>>>>>> users I'm acquainted with about how ansy/skiddish/uncomfortable/needy
>>>>>> their dogs are, I'm pretty darn sure I made the right decision for
>>>>>> myself. This isn't a condemnation, much as some people might
>>>>>> construe
>>>>>> it as one. Canes can certainly bring issues of their own...but my
>>>>>> straight cane won't have a panic attack if I decide to leave it at
>>>>>> home and take my folding cane instead, and vice-versa.
>>>>>> Anyways, sorry for the rambling...I'm trying to find every possible
>>>>>> excuse I can to distract me from my political science homework,
>>>>>> because Plato's Republic is really hurting my fragile little head
>>>>>> right now. :) I really didn't mean this as a knock against
>>>>>> competent
>>>>>> dog-users or, really, against Sarah at all. I just meant to say how
>>>>>> stories like this reinforce my belief that, in choosing not to get a
>>>>>> guide dog, I think I made the right decision for me.
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>> Kirt
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 4/1/13, Sarah <coastergirl92 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> i can't leave Wizard hoc alone when I go to parks he freaks out
>>>>>>> when I leave him for a few hours to go to a friend's house.
>>>>>>> Besides his trainers told me to none leave him alone unsupervised
>>>>>>> for more than an hour inr 2.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com
>>>>>>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> Date sent: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 20:08:50 -0700
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Perhaps you shouldn't bring Wizard under those circumstances?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mike
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>>>> Sarah
>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, April 01, 2013 7:32 PM
>>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm not making my guide dog wait 4 hours for one ride in the
>>>>>>> uncomfortable
>>>>>>> hot weather. Besides, all the ride operators know me at the park
>>>>>>> anyways.
>>>>>>> I never waited in line before I did for like 2 hours because X2
>>>>>>> broke down
>>>>>>> and sy had to replace a wheel.
>>>>>>> But I'm not making Wizard wait in line er 4 hours for each ride.
>>>>>>> It's like 2 or 4 hours for each ride and I bought an immediate
>>>>>>> boarding
>>>>>>> pass. All I have to do is show the paper I bought to the
>>>>>>> operator if they
>>>>>>> don't know me already, and they let me on.
>>>>>>> People are just jealous because they can't do it!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>> From: Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com
>>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> Date sent: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 20:18:14 -0600
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sarah,
>>>>>>> I know you're going to get a lot of flack for what you just
>>>>>>> said, so I'll
>>>>>>> do my best to be gentle. I know each person's situation is
>>>>>>> different, so
>>>>>>> I'm not judging every blind person who chooses to take that extra
>>>>>>> perk and
>>>>>>> cut through line; for all I know, there really is some other
>>>>>>> disability or
>>>>>>> legitimate need for that accommodation with some of us, so
>>>>>>> farbeit from me
>>>>>>> to condemn everyone wholesale for making that choice. Still, and
>>>>>>> I feel
>>>>>>> very strongly about this, if you are capable of waiting in line
>>>>>>> with
>>>>>>> everybody else, you should.
>>>>>>> Period. In the past, there have been a few times where I've
>>>>>>> caved in to
>>>>>>> family pressure and broken my own rule; I'm not proud of it, I
>>>>>>> don't always
>>>>>>> measure up to my own standards here, but I nevertheless believe
>>>>>>> very
>>>>>>> passionately that we should not take "accommodation"
>>>>>>> where we do not need it. If you had no real need to cut in line,
>>>>>>> and it
>>>>>>> sounds like you didn't if you've been able to wait in long lines
>>>>>>> before (if
>>>>>>> I'm wrong please forgive me), you shouldn't have.
>>>>>>> That's
>>>>>>> my opinion, I'm not trying to be harsh because I've certainly
>>>>>>> skipped in
>>>>>>> line a few times before (and invariably felt ashamed afterwords),
>>>>>>> but
>>>>>>> accommodation is only real accommodation if it serves a real
>>>>>>> need.
>>>>>>> We have enough real needs already to go around taking advantage
>>>>>>> of things
>>>>>>> that just aren't necessary. Not only is it a waste but it can,
>>>>>>> if we aren't
>>>>>>> careful, send totally the wrong message about blindness.
>>>>>>> Our reputation as people who take and take, without giving back,
>>>>>>> isn't
>>>>>>> entirely unjustified. If we want to be treated equally, we
>>>>>>> _have_ to have
>>>>>>> it both ways. If we want equal treatment, we have equal
>>>>>>> responsibility.
>>>>>>> Much as this might seem menial, or irrelevant to the larger
>>>>>>> problems we
>>>>>>> face, waiting in lines is a drudgery that we ought to accept
>>>>>>> cheerfully (or
>>>>>>> at least grudgingly) if we really want equal access to amusement
>>>>>>> parks. I
>>>>>>> think, for many blind people, the attitude which says it's okay
>>>>>>> to cut in
>>>>>>> line even though we could wait like everyone else is indicative
>>>>>>> of a far,
>>>>>>> far larger problem. I am, of course, referring to the idea that
>>>>>>> we are
>>>>>>> entitled to special treatment and superior, not equal access. We
>>>>>>> wouldn't
>>>>>>> phrase it that way...but when we're asking for unnecessary
>>>>>>> extended time for
>>>>>>> assignments (I'm not implying that all extended time is
>>>>>>> unnecessary),
>>>>>>> demanding the right to a dedicated person to take our notes for
>>>>>>> us, begging
>>>>>>> rehab for every piece of the newest and greatest technology and,
>>>>>>> yes,
>>>>>>> cutting in lines at amusement parks...isn't that what we're
>>>>>>> really saying?
>>>>>>> Just my humble opinion, take it for what it's worth.
>>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>>> Kirt
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 4/1/13, Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> So they let you cut through the line with a dog, but not with a
>>>>>>> cane?
>>>>>>> Interesting.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Chris
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Chris Nusbaum, Co-Chair
>>>>>>> Public Relations Committee
>>>>>>> Maryland Association of Blind Students
>>>>>>> Phone: (443) 547-2409
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>>>> Sarah
>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, April 01, 2013 9:40 PM
>>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Because with my dog, they let me right on, and they watch the
>>>>>>> dog very
>>>>>>> carefully even when someone else is holding it so nobody pets it
>>>>>>> while
>>>>>>> you're on the ride. With a cane, they will just say "Wait 4
>>>>>>> hours like
>>>>>>> everyone else."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>> From: "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
>>>>>>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> Date sent: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 21:26:25 -0400
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sarah,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Just curious: how is Six Flags more accommodating to a guide dog
>>>>>>> user than
>>>>>>> to a cane user?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Chris
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Chris Nusbaum, Co-Chair
>>>>>>> Public Relations Committee
>>>>>>> Maryland Association of Blind Students
>>>>>>> Phone: (443) 547-2409
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>>>> Sarah Meeks
>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, April 01, 2013 7:56 PM
>>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>>> Cc: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My best amusement park experience has always been Six Flags.
>>>>>>> They are very
>>>>>>> accommodating. There you are more accommodating now that I have
>>>>>>> a dog.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Apr 1, 2013, at 11:22 AM, Kaiti Shelton
>>>>>>> <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Yay for Disney! they were by far my best park experience. I
>>>>>>> went twice
>>>>>>> as a little kid. The first time I went I was five or six and my
>>>>>>> parents
>>>>>>> also had a baby in a stroller, so the practice for both me and my
>>>>>>> sister
>>>>>>> was to hold onto our brother's stroller to keep with our parents
>>>>>>> and not
>>>>>>> get lost. My parents just gave me verbal direction and were
>>>>>>> with me the
>>>>>>> entire time, so there really wasn't a major need for a cane.
>>>>>>> When I went
>>>>>>> again as an older kid though, I did have a folding cane and the
>>>>>>> Disney
>>>>>>> staff was very good about either showing me tricks to keep it
>>>>>>> with me or
>>>>>>> holding it and then giving it back to me when I got off, even on
>>>>>>> water
>>>>>>> rides like Splash Mountain and the Pirates of the Caribbean
>>>>>>> rides which
>>>>>>> start in one place and end at another. If you have a folding
>>>>>>> cane you can
>>>>>>> secure it folded with the loop and then put your wrist through
>>>>>>> the cane
>>>>>>> and the strap and just let it hang as you hold onto something.
>>>>>>> It won't
>>>>>>> flop around as much as the telescopic cane. Also, the holster
>>>>>>> idea sounds
>>>>>>> good, although some park personelle at other amusement parks
>>>>>>> get worried
>>>>>>> about it coming lose. Either way, you shouldn't have any
>>>>>>> problems with
>>>>>>> getting the ride people to bring you your cane at the ride exit.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> By the way, Universal Studios was excellent about working with
>>>>>>> the cane
>>>>>>> too. I went there in the same vacation that I went to Disney for
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> second time and they were very accomodating.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 4/1/13, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Sophie,
>>>>>>> I'm one of those random oddballs who would probably go alone
>>>>>>> if I was
>>>>>>> traveling, and there was a really cool theme park near by.
>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>> know it's not for everyone, but occasionally doing those kinds
>>>>>>> of "social"
>>>>>>> things by myself is fun for me; both to keep my confidence up
>>>>>>> and to meet
>>>>>>> people that I otherwise wouldn't get to know.
>>>>>>> Anyways, I've taken my straight cane to theme parks no
>>>>>>> problem, but I'll
>>>>>>> confess I haven't tried a water park with it yet. A collapsible
>>>>>>> or folding
>>>>>>> cane seems more reasonable to me there. On rollercoasters or
>>>>>>> big rides
>>>>>>> like that, I've almost always just given my straight cane to the
>>>>>>> ride
>>>>>>> attendant and picked it up when the ride is done, but those
>>>>>>> rides usually
>>>>>>> start and end at the same place.
>>>>>>> Waterslides
>>>>>>> and things are different though, obviously.
>>>>>>> Basically, I've been reading this thread to see what useful
>>>>>>> bits I could
>>>>>>> glean from it, as I'll probably be going to a few water parks
>>>>>>> myself over
>>>>>>> the summer. Maybe this will finally give me the motivation I
>>>>>>> need to buy
>>>>>>> another collapsible or NFB folding cane. (I actually liked mine
>>>>>>> for the
>>>>>>> year or so it lasted, but I used it sparingly and certainly not
>>>>>>> as my
>>>>>>> primary cane.) Thanks, all, for the help and suggewstions.
>>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>>> Kirt
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 3/31/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> I would where a belt around my bathing suit, and Use a folding
>>>>>>> cane with
>>>>>>> a holster.
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>>>> Cindy
>>>>>>> Bennett
>>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2013 4:25 PM
>>>>>>> To: National Asociation of Blind Students
>>>>>>> Subject: [nabs-l] canes and water park rides
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This summer, I am going to a water park. When I go to theme
>>>>>>> parks, I
>>>>>>> typically store my cane somewhere outside the ride area or on the
>>>>>>> exit
>>>>>>> side of a roller coaster platform. However, many water rides
>>>>>>> are such
>>>>>>> that you get on the ride in a different location, often quite a
>>>>>>> walk away,
>>>>>>> from the place where you get off of the ride.
>>>>>>> My
>>>>>>> cane is too long to fit in many inner tubes, and I doubt that
>>>>>>> it would be
>>>>>>> a safe thing to bring along especially if it came loose.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am wondering if a telescoping cane would be the best for
>>>>>>> this, because
>>>>>>> I know that many water rides have shoe holders. It would just
>>>>>>> be
>>>>>>> annoying, because I would have to rely on someone to guide me
>>>>>>> back to
>>>>>>> these shoe holders that are often at the entrance of the ride.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So what are your suggestions for storing a cane during water
>>>>>>> rides?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Cindy Bennett
>>>>>>> Secretary: National Association of Blind Students Legislative
>>>>>>> Coordinator: National Federation of the Blind of Washington
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
>>>>>>> clb5590 at gmail.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>> ms2
>>>>>>> %40gmail
>>>>>>> .com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>> e%4
>>>>>>> 0gmail.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
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>>>>>>> t104
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Kaiti
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>> %40gm
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>> m%40gmail.c
>>>>>>> om
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kirt.crazydude%40gmail.c
>>>>>> om
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>> nabs-l:
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>>>>>> .com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>> nabs-l:
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nabs-l:
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>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
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>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
> _______________________________________________
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--
Kaiti
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