[nagdu] Drop-offs

[Angie Matney]

Hi Jenine,

GDB still did dropoffs when I went there. Glazie and I messed up the very end of ours. At one point, I did get lost, and our class supervisor felt sorry for me. He came up to me and pretended to be someone who could only speak minimal English, so I could ask him for directions. Later, I told him I did indeed know who he was at the time. Grin.

Seeing Eye wasn't doing dropoffs when I was there. I wonder if this will change, now that the new lounge is open.It would not have been fun to do one in January, when your destination was a van. Well, I mean to say that it would not be fun to be *waiting* in the van while other students were dropped off. 

Even though I messed up my dropoff, I'll say that at GDB San Rafael, it's *relatively* easy because of the layout of the streets. I think the location of teh downtown lounge, and the fact that the streets were on a letter-number grid, meant that the instructors expected us to know more about San Rafael. We did solos at TSE, and we had to know those. But since training didn't have a central base in town (there was a lounge there, but it was hardly used at all), I don't think it would have been as practical to do dropoffs. I don't mean to suggest that TSE required less in terms of mobility; it was just assessed differently.

I think that class structure also contributes to the greater practicality of dropoffs at GDB. When I was there, all students and instructors did many more things together as a group. At TSE, most trips involve one instructor and his or her students. 

Obviously, these are just speculations on my part. I have no idea if any of these factors entered into either school's decision to do dropoffs or not.

Interesting about your Pilot experience. Given that we are constantly told not to let the dog take the lead and choose where to go, it seems like that might not happen as much today. But it does sound like a trust-building exercise.

As far as my own feelings go...I could take or leave a dropoff. I know what to do if I get lost, so I don't feel like I need practice in that area. (grin) But if TSE institutes them, I'll play along.

Angie

Sent from my Nokia N82.

-original message-
Subject: [nagdu] Drop-offs
From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
Date: 03/09/2009 3:57 PM

Someone asked me recently which schools still do "drop offs" where they
drive you around a familiar area until you are basically lost then turn you
lose to return to the lounge or van or whatever is the agreed upon landmark.

The person asking was mortified that this was actually done at some schools,
including the one from which she obtained her dogs, obviously prior to her
time there though. 

So, I'm pretty sure GDB still does this for most students, correct? What
other schools currently do "drop offs"? 

If you've done one of these recently, would you care to share your feelings
about them? 

I can tell you GDF does not do "drop offs", not since I have been attending
class, 1990, unless it was an individual instructor's practice for some
students. They may have done it in the past though. 

Personally, I see great value in doing this if appropriate preparation is
done in advance. I'm a fan of solos too though.<grin> 

I do recall in my very first class at Pilot, our instructor did such a "drop
off" route, letting us out on a street, not telling us its name but telling
us to follow our dogs because they knew where  they were and how to get back
to the school. It was only three blocks straight back but whew, that trust
exercise was harrowing but good in the end. I've never done another one and
have always wondered how people feel about them. 

I completely understand and appreciate anyone who has serious anxiety about
"drop offs". Believe me, I hate being lost or feeling as if I may be lost.
So no judgment calls on liking or disliking such training exercises. 
 Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com


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