[nagdu] GDB and travelling in New York

[Tracy Carcione]

Hi Ted.
Welcome to the list.
I work in New York City, and lived there for quite a while before moving
to Jersey.  I had 5 GDB dogs before deciding to switch to The Seeing Eye.
You said you were interested in GDB Portland.
When I went to GDB, I always asked for San Rafael.  San Francisco is a
much bigger city than Portland.  In Portland, 3 or 4 people on one block
is a crowd!  I don't think any western city comes close to a big eastern
city for crowds of pedestrians, but San Francisco comes closer than
Portland.
And SF drivers!  Once while visiting, my husband and I made a mistake and
crossed at the wrong place, or the wrong time.  All the drivers stopped
and politely waited for us to get across!  Amazing!
My GDB dogs all did well in NYC.  Sometimes I had to wait a while to get
follow-up if I had a problem, but that was it.

I finally decided to switch to TSE because it's a lot closer, and I could
get actual work in class in NYC, and they put a big emphasis on traffic
safety.  My GDB dogs were all excellent in traffic, too, though.

I think you're likely to get into GDB quicker than Fidelco, just because
GDB is much bigger.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide.
I love having a guide dog, especially in the Big City.  My black lab Ben
makes the crowds and traffic seem easy.  Dodging the guys who walk
straight at us, or come flying out of shops without looking.  Or stop dead
for no reason.  What a guy!
Tracy