[nagdu] a cane and dog discussion (cane silence)

[Hope Paulos]

I couldn't agree more with you, Albert. at times I go out without my dog to 
regain my cane skills. Every time I do, I feel invisible. No one talks to 
me, I feel like eeveryone's watching me and I'm the slowest person (at least 
I feel that way anyway). My dog provides me with so much freedom and speed. 
<smiles>
Hope and Beignet
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike" <underthetoaster at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] a cane and dog discussion (cane silence)


> Hi,
> I love how you brought up the silence factor of using a cane. It's one of 
> the most irritating things in the world. People yakking away in a hallway 
> is fine but then when you get close with your cane they all hold their 
> breath and clam up like they're scared they're going to get whacked. . 
> Wouldn't it be a lot smarter  if they say something to you so you know 
> where they are instead of vanishing into silence?
> Anyway there are irritating things about canes and dogs. Everybody being 
> an expert on dogs and what to feed, how to groom, etc. advice is very 
> annoying to me. And the usual roster of questions gets old quickly.
> Mike
>
> ----- 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>
> Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 7:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] a cane and dog discussion
>
>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> Was not sure if I were going to chime in here or not. cane versus dog. I
>> choose dog all the way. as a recent entrant into the community, and in
>> assessing my needs from a tactile standpoint, I find the dog much better 
>> as
>> well as expeditious for my needs. I find that when my cane taps something 
>> I
>> am 99% inclined to reach out and touch whatever it is that is in my path. 
>> I
>> do this for my own knowledge of what is on my path and just for the
>> curiosity of it all. with my guide none of that ever happens. I could be
>> walking through an obstacle course full of pot holes or pillars and never
>> once want to nor need to know what it is I avoided. Add to that the issue 
>> of
>> my sighted peers not seeing what they are looking at and again I choose 
>> the
>> dog hands down. I had my cane stepped on and snapped three times in my 
>> first
>> 4 months of being blind. that was enough experience for me to not want to
>> use the cane. The dog for one reason or another catches the eyes of the
>> sighted, it minimizes accidental cane breakage and it always opens the 
>> door
>> for a dialogue or discussion where the cane sort of acts like a dome of
>> silence which at first glance is impenetrable  by the sighted community. 
>> so
>> power to the pup for me anyway. Peace.
>>
>>
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> 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 Sheila Leigland
>> Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 10:06 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] a cane and dog discussion
>>
>> I think it depends on the situations that a person deals with daily. I do
>> much better with a dog in snow and on ice than I did with a cane. I used 
>> a
>> cane exclusivily until almost eleven years ago when I got my first dog.my
>> first dog. I've known cane users that have no interest in getting a dog 
>> and
>> that is fine. I don't know people that have lost there cane skills but 
>> I've
>> heard of it..
>>
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>
>
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