[nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

Tue Dec 1 22:08:43 UTC 2009

Carbon fiber holds together pretty well. They can and do break, but
I've gotten mine stuck between people's legs or when put in just the
right angle, between doors or door jams, and it didn't break. Then
again, after a certain amount of time, they have snapped like twigs
when they did get between people's legs. I suppose it was the cane's
time, grin. When canes were my main mode of transit, I kept several of
them, including one in my backpack, for just this purpose, if the one
that I was using at the time happened to break. I still have several
of them, some at hoem and one at work, and still keep one in my pack
at all times in case I ever find myself without a dog or for other
emergencies. The telescoping canes get so small and are so light that
there's almost no excuse for carrying one with you, even if you don't
use it very often, just for those times when you find yourself stuck
or wanting to check something out with your cane verses by shuffling
and really looking blind, grin.

Wayne

On 12/1/09, Julie J <julielj at windstream.net> wrote:
> Albert,
>
> Just for future reference if you find that you need or want to use a cane
> again, fiberglass is some awesome stuff.    Carbon fiber is good too, but a
> bit more delicate.  If you are especially hard on canes and don't mind the
> weight you can get solid fiberglass canes.  Rainshine makes them.  I'm
> pretty sure they are still available.  I have no clue what you'd have to do
> to break one, but if you were in that sort of situation I think a broken
> cane would be the least of your worries. *smile*
>
> HTH
> Julie
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: <bts0181 at aol.co>; <info at myblindspot.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 9:54 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>
>
>> Oh my goodness. Share if I must.  It was only my 3rd month walking with a
>> cane and only my third month being blind. It was April of 06 and I was to
>> be
>> training down to Philly for the holiday.  Well I needed a few things so
>> off
>> I went to cvs,  as I was walking I could hear these two women talking and
>> getting ever closer.  I knew we were on a trajectory for disaster. I
>> tapped
>> my cane but no luck.  One of them stepped right onto my cane and snapped
>> it
>> in half.  I cannot tell you the level of panic that set in immediately. I
>> started to sweat and if memory serves I even had what I would have to say
>> was my first panic attack. I was only around the corner from my apartment
>> on
>> first avenue and 13th street in Manhattan.  Ok, so the cane is broken, the
>> gal who actually stepped on the cane was very apologetic. and sincerely
>> concerned.  She wanted to take me to a pharmacy to get a new cane, to wit
>> I
>> replied you cannot buy these at a drug store.  Well then maybe we can buy
>> some duct  tape and fix it. No, I said that will not work either, just go
>> about your day I will be fine. Oh I feel terrible she said, please let me
>> see you home, and it was right then and there that I lost it. I said what
>> makes you think I could trust you enough to see me home when you could not
>> see me in the first place!?  Well her friend, a little hopped up Latina,
>> started in with the f u's and you should not even be on the street with
>> that
>> thing if you do not know who is coming at you. I responded you need to
>> shut
>> your mouth, if you had not been flapping your gums, your nice friend here,
>> who is appropriately  remorseful, might have seen me before she stepped on
>> my cane. Then the woman bumped up against me in a threatening manner, I
>> pushed her off me and she let me know she had a knife and was going to cut
>> me.  I responded with, bring it on bitch, this cane also doubles as a set
>> of
>> num chucks. She then started screaming for the police claiming I assaulted
>> her. To wit I responded, oh I have not even begun to beat you down honey.
>> What this ignorant woman did not know was that I had been living in the
>> area
>> for 13 years and knew all the business owners on that street. One by one
>> the
>> store owners came out and asked if I needed help or if there was anything
>> they could do. I told them no, I was just getting some trash of the
>> street.
>> The woman became alarmed by the support for myself which appearred to come
>> from nowhere. She walked away with her nice friend screaming one expletive
>> after another telling me to watch my back.  I got assistance from Joel,
>> who
>> ran one of the stores on that block, I insisted he just get me to the
>> corner
>> as I could trail the walls to my stoop. I than ran into another neighbor
>> tony, who I meet that day for the first time formally. He took me to my
>> step
>> and told me how the entire block had been praying for me and that if I
>> needed anything I could just yell for him out my window. Very new york of
>> him. I went home and proceeded to cry uncontrollably fearful of the fact
>> that once my partner found out what had happened he would prohibit  my
>> independent  travel for fear of my well being and that I would have to
>> cancel my trip to Philly.  Well my counselor get me a new cane lickity
>> split. And I moved on.  I forgave that woman because I new she acted out
>> of
>> fear and ignorance. She did not want to responsibility for her actions
>> because it is easier to blame others than do something like take
>> responsibility. So there you have it.  One month later a similar thing
>> happened while I was being asses for my mobility skills with my
>> instructor.
>> I was on my way home to my apartment and had to get on the subway on the
>> west side to get down town to the east side.  As is as about to make my
>> way
>> down the stairs a man stepped on my cane and bent it a bit. He was very
>> sorry and I told him not to worry and to have a nice day. I continued on
>> as
>> I felt I needed to show my instructor that I had what it took to deal with
>> the unforeseen. No sooner had I put the cane down another gentleman
>> stepped
>> on the cane again and this time bent it so badly that I did not think I
>> could continue, but continue I did.  As I started my way down the twisting
>> stairs to the long under ground walk I had to navigate until I was able to
>> enter the train platform, I heard this woman yelling at me go right go
>> right.  I told her give me a minute, she yelled again go right. Just as I
>> was about to let loose on her with a few choice words, I heard my mobility
>> instructor laughing. Now I try to find humor in all things can and will
>> ease
>> the nerves. remember I was hard pressed to seem the humor in anything. So
>> I
>> yelled whatever you are laughing had better be good. Oh and it was.  I did
>> not know it but the woman who was telling me to go right go right had been
>> talking to her guide dog who had become distracted by my apparent
>> distress.
>> It was then and there and only one week later that I was accepted into a
>> program at the gdf on long island, I have never missed the cane and do not
>> see it ever being my preferred mode of transportation or mobility. If you
>> can believe it or not, I am not bitter, but again galvanized in my mission
>> to open the eyes of all people to empathize and understand who we are and
>> the whys of what we need to assimilate and be looked at as integral
>> components in all things great and small.
>>
>>
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> CEO/Founder
>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>> New York, New York  10004
>> www.myblindspot.org
>> PH: 917-553-0347
>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
>> doing it."
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>> Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (IS)
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 9:55 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>>
>> Albert,
>> You must share, you and a woman nearly got into a fight over a broken
>> cane?
>> Please share!
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Albert J Rizzi
>> Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 9:56 AM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>>
>> Hello Chris,
>>
>> Welcome.  I would like to commend you on investigating your options for
>> mobility. First and foremost we all must be fully aware of our options
>> in
>> all things and how those options impact our life.
>>
>> I am a recent entrant into the blind community and moved quickly from
>> the
>> cane to the guide.  I was surprised to find how many blind people feel
>> negatively about guide dogs and the perception that there is a level of
>> responsibility which comes with having a guide dog that all to often
>> precludes one from even investigating  the guide dog as an option.
>>
>> I must tell you up front that I always have been around animals, which I
>> think may be an influencing facto in my sense that the level of
>> responsibility is not overwhelming or insurmountable.  I find the ease
>> and
>> swiftness with which I move thru the streets, whether they be in the
>> suburbs
>> or in the busy streets of Manhattan, allow me to get anywhere and
>> everywhere
>> in half the time it might take by cane. My guide dog allows for a sense
>> of
>> freedom and security which I never felt with the cane.  All to often  I
>> have
>> heard of people getting their canes stepped on and broken, it happened
>> to me
>> 3 times within the first 3 months of using a cane.  One of those
>> incidents
>> almost turned into a fight due to the level of embarrassment that the
>> woman
>> who did not see me felt when it all happened.
>>
>> I have not had any incidents as difficult as that with my dog Doxology.
>> He
>> takes me all over by plane, train, subway, bus, you name it and does it
>> with
>> gusto and pride.  I never thought I would have the level of independence
>> and
>> security I do have with him by my side.
>> Most of the guides are trained so wonderfully, but much of the success
>> one
>> realizes with a guide dog has everything to do with your ability to
>> reinforce the skill set and level of discipline that these dogs crave
>> and
>> need.  They also love to play and if you and your dog bond as my dog and
>> I
>> have, they are so in tune to you emotionally, physically  and in ways I
>> cannot even begin to number.  I would however suggest that you ask,
>> should
>> you decide to go that route, for one of the ugliest dogs possible as
>> everyone will want to be petting your puppy otherwise. LOL.  No matter
>> how
>> ugly or beautiful your dog might be I would hole heartedly suggest you
>> get
>> one.  It is hard to believe that there are only 10k guide dog users in
>> the
>> states  in comparison to the 110k cane users.  I guess if half of those
>> left
>> with usable vision move freely and independently  without the need of a
>> cane
>> or a guide dog, that might leave 6-7 million others without an option at
>> all?  Makes my heart so heavy to think about those others sitting at
>> home
>> waiting and waiting, when they could have a four legged companion to get
>> them where they want to go and I have not even mentioned the emotionally
>> uplifting support they lend to every day of your life.  It is not all
>> peaches and cream by no means, but I think the cane is the pits.  I do
>> work
>> my cane skills every week at least 5 or 6 times as if doxy were to ever
>> take
>> ill, I would not be stuck in the house. So I see the value in both as an
>> option in my life and that's how I like it, a life full of choices and
>> options. peace.
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> CEO/Founder
>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>> New York, New York  10004
>> www.myblindspot.org
>> PH: 917-553-0347
>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
>> is
>> doing it."
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of Chris Jones
>> Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2009 8:23 PM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>>
>>    Hello,
>> My name is Chris Jones, and I am new to the list.  I expect to learn
>> much
>> from this list.
>> I am a lifelong user of the cane for mobility, but I have always been
>> attracted to the guide dog.  I always held back because I felt that the
>> responsibility required was too much for what I was willing and capable
>> of
>> maintaining.  I would like those on the list to perhaps give reasons why
>> they finally made that plunge into the guide dog lifestyle.
>> On a side note, those of you with guide dogs, have you found the general
>> public to give you more respect?  I have the assumption that cane users
>> are
>> not looked at the same as far as traveling independently in relation to
>> the
>> general public.
>> Thank you for any response.
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>>
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-- 
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http://wayneism.blogspot.com
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