[nagdu] harness signs

Tue Mar 9 15:20:20 UTC 2010

No problem Janette. For me, it's more then just the distraction issue. 
Any guys want to add to the discussion? 
Janette, email me off list if you want.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jeanette Beal
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 10:16 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] harness signs

Thanks for speaking up, Rebecca. I think there are more of us who feel
this
way than we realize. I bet there are even less gender gaps than we
realize!
Jeanette

On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 9:58 AM, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) <
REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com> wrote:

> Thank you janette for raising this issue. I also feel well, yucky when
> people would pet my dog without asking. It is like what Janette said,
> it's a violation of my space and also my time, very much like being
> gropped by someone or during a time when you don't want that
attention.
> It's both a person and a timing aspect.  The time and the person both
> have to be right and so does the situation, not unlike well, other
> activities.
> Thank you Janete for raising this issue, until you mentioned it, I had
> felt I was the only one.
> Anybody else want to weigh in?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Jeanette Beal
> Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 8:58 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] harness signs
>
> I'm wondering how much of the interaction between public and dog is
> gender-based to the handler? As a woman, I know that I'm interacted
with
> on
> a slightly different level than men - called 'little lady' by
> many-a-older-guy on public transit, etc. I know there was a study done
> recently (um, 20/20 special so not really a study) with a blind man &
a
> blind woman trying to buy pastries in a shop and the woman was
actually
> stood up for/defended more readily by an incredulous public than the
> man. Is
> this because women are inherently viewed as inferior and in need of
> protection? Probably.
> So when a female handler walks around with her dog is it  much easier
to
> disregard her and interact with her dog? Perhaps. I've had men spit in
> my
> face because I told them to leave my dog alone. Granted he spit in my
> face
> after he started petting my dog and I said no and he said F-off and I
> said
> oh really? And stepped between dog & dude and dude then pushed at me
so
> I
> slapped him in the face and he spit on me and then....ran away. But
the
> main
> point was I said no and he said "so?" and continued his bad behavior.
> I have a hard time with this subject. It's so rooted in my need for
> safety
> in public as a woman - using public transit and getting groped by a
dude
> behind or next to me feels as dirty and disgusting as unauthorized
> petting
> of my dog by a stranger. So how do I reconcile my need for safety and
> autonomy with the day-to-day hassles all handlers have in public?
> I do so by not allowing people to pet my dog. By demanding that I be
> asked
> first. By expecting my answer to be respected - if I say no it means
no.
> This goes for my body as much as my dog's.  And unfortunately the
> waiting
> public takes away that I'm a rude, withholding human. But my safety is
> more
> important than public image.
> Unfortunately we aren't in a vacuum and all blind people speak for all
> blind
> people in front of AB folks. So when someone lets the public pet their
> dog
> in harness they send a message that I will to. And when I say no and
am
> assumed rude I send a message that all blind people are rude.
> It's a crappy inter-connected all-disabled-folk-are-the-same world.
> Jeanette
>
> On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 8:12 AM, Albert J Rizzi
> <albert at myblindspot.org>wrote:
>
> > now there is the honest one in the group. I must confess that I too
> enjoy
> > it
> > when people take notice of my handsome lad. I do stop to let him
take
> in
> > the
> > praise at times, though I always take his harness off. Now before
you
> all
> > go
> > mad about that, it is a conscious decision I make and am willing to
> make
> > for
> > my dog and all the good work he does, I feel that if time allotted
> when I
> > take the harness off it reinforces the work thing and out of work
> thing for
> > the dog. It also embarrasses  the petting offender and they always
> insist I
> > not go to any great lengths, which always allows for a honest and
open
> I
> > really should bet t my meeting.
> >
> > 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."
> >
> >
> > Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> > Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
> > Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 6:39 PM
> > To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] harness signs
> >
> > Hmm...  Maybe someone should make a project out of finding a
mutt-ugly
> > scurvy cur, slappying a guide dog harness on it and heading out into
> public
> > to see what happens?  /grin/  I've thought of designing a special
> poodle
> > cut
> > to uglify Mitzi...  I could have the groomer do her all lopsided and
> patch
> > and stuff, then put odd dye patches on her here and there...
> >
> > Whaddaya think?  Should I go for it?  /grin/
> >
> > Or maybe someone could invent a spray, like that stuff that is
> supposed to
> > keep pets away from certain areas.  In fact, isn't it called "Pet
> Away?" or
> > stomething?  Maybe if we sprayed are dogs with anti-human pheromones
> we
> > could go about our business in peace? /lol/
> >
> > Okay, so my dirty little secret is that I've sort of gotten to enjoy
> the
> > attention my poodle gets, now that we've learned to deal and move
on.
> > Unless she's in hussy mode, in which case, I just have to deal until
I
> can
> > make a graceful exit or haul out the jaws of life to separate her
from
> the
> > bestest friend ever she just made.  /smile/  I figure I can
embarrass
> > myself
> > enough that I may as well let the dog find ways to embarrass me so
> long as
> > it makes everybody happy...  Sigh.  Maybe it has something to do
with
> > living
> > in Portland?  Part of me remembers the place as the oversized
redneck
> town
> > of my youth; it's fun talking to long-time resident cabbies who
> remember it
> > the same way.  But in the past (I will not admit how many) years,
it's
> > grown
> > and changed along and now it's sort of...  Funky? Funny? Kind of
> getting to
> > be cosmopolitan but with a super progressive political bent and a
> strong
> > flavor of small-town friendliness.  It can make going out and about
a
> lot
> > of
> > fun, in a funy, weird way.
> >
> > So long as one remembers to take into account the growing number of
> > homeless
> > people with dogs of uncertain temperament downtown...  That
population
> has
> > grown over the past few years, and while the scary dogs we've passed
> have
> > been kept under control by their ragged and dirty humans, it seems
to
> take
> > a
> > lot of effort from the human to keep the dog from going for my sweet
> > precious.  Yikes!  Still, with the housing situation here, as in so
> many
> > places, it's to be expected.  Sigh.  Otherwise, though, Portland is
a
> > pretty
> > cool place.
> >
> > You just don't stand a prayer of going more than five steps without
> someone
> > saying something about your dog.  /grin/
> >
> > Tami Smith-Kinney
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> > Of Albert J Rizzi
> > Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 2:05 PM
> > To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] harness signs
> >
> > What if we all got the ugliest dogs imaginable? Do you think that
> would cut
> > down on the petting distractions?
> >
> > 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."
> >
> >
> > Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> > Of Marsha Drenth
> > Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 4:39 PM
> > To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] harness signs
> >
> > Now here is where I have seen a improvement. My husband purchased me
a
> sign
> > for my pup for the harness for Christmas, and she has been wearing
it
> > since.
> > Granted not all that long. But I have had only one person try to pet
> my pup
> > since. I don't think this person could read, and most likely had
other
> > disabilities. Before, I had so many people try to pet her. I was
> trying and
> > just dreaded going places because of the number of people who wanted
> to pet
> > her. So in my situation, the sign has definetly worked wonders!
> >
> > JMO
> > Marsha
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> > Of Julie J
> > Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 3:43 PM
> > To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] harness signs was guide dogs
> >
> > I don't think the signs make any difference anyway.
> >
> > I have a sign on Monty's harness that says "Please don't pet me I'm
> > working".  For folks who have difficulty with words there is also a
> picture
> > of a hand reaching to pet a dog with a giant red slash through it.
> You'd
> > think people would get the hint, but they don't. I have noticed
> absolutely
> > no difference in the amount of petafiles since I started with the
> sign.
> >
> > Just today I had some guy reach out to pet Monty just as we're
getting
> > ready
> >
> > to cross the street of all things.  He explained that he had been
> petting
> > the dog in training on the college campus earlier.  As if that made
it
> okay
> > or something.  Torks me.  But Monty got my revenge, he backed up and
> gave
> > the death ray eyeball look.  LOL  Go Monty!
> >
> > Julie
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Meghan" <meghan at n-republic.net>
> > To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> > <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 12:15 PM
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dogs
> >
> >
> > > No, they don't give you a sign for the harness, but you get cards
> that
> > you
> >
> > > can hand out.
> > >
> > > They make it clear that they discourage petting, but they advise
you
> on
> > > how to approach it if you are going to allow it, too.
> > >
> > > Hope that helps,
> > > Meghan
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Jennifer L Finley" <jenniferfinley at embarqmail.com>
> > > To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users"
> > > <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> > > Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 3:28 PM
> > > Subject: [nagdu] guide dogs
> > >
> > >
> > >> Does the seeing eye have the please don't pet me signs?  Do they
> use
> > >> anything to let the public know to not pet the dog?
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> --
> Jeanette Beal
> MS.Ed Assistive Technology
> Independent Consultant
> Boston, MA 02115
> bealjk at gmail.com
> http://twitter.com/bealjk
> http://bealjk.tumblr.com/
>
> "Talent is an invention like phlogiston after the fact of fire" -
Marge
> Piercy
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-- 
Jeanette Beal
MS.Ed Assistive Technology
Independent Consultant
Boston, MA 02115
bealjk at gmail.com
http://twitter.com/bealjk
http://bealjk.tumblr.com/

"Talent is an invention like phlogiston after the fact of fire" - Marge
Piercy
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