[nagdu] National Convention--my opinion

Wed Jul 10 02:21:52 UTC 2013

Or, here's a thaught, use the stairs! Or, another elevator! I usually look 
for both. I also look for public restrooms and such so that if there is a 
crowd, I can choose other ways to accomplish what I want to do.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 8:04 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion


> OK, first of all, think about it. All these folks are waiting for 
> elevators. Someone yells, "There's one open here!" These folks, many of 
> whom don't see so good, start trying to get to them. There is a bit of a 
> crush that way. If you don't want to be involved in it, which I don't, you 
> need to just hang back until the crowd thins. I think this stuff is 
> getting a little judgmental. Why? First off, you don't really know why 
> some folks are doing what they are. I believe the cell phone thing is a 
> real issue. I also believe that some folks have a little of a 
> self-important tendency, or they feel really strongly about getting where 
> they need to go, so they temporarily forget that they aren't the only 
> people with somewhere to go. People have a lot of things pulling them. I 
> think the majority don't mean to be rude or mean, but we can't write off 
> their behavior that way. This kind of stuff happens in crowds; it may be 
> more magnified in ours or others of primarily blind folks. I used to make 
> judgments about doggies having accidents in the hotel until I had one who 
> did. I had tried and tried to make him go and he wouldn't; then we got 
> lost while milling about on the carpet trying to find how to get 
> somewhere, and the dog pooped. We don't always know the circumstances. I 
> realize that some of what is being said here happens for sure, but I don't 
> think we want to cast too many stones before we each search within 
> ourselves to determine if we contributed to it.
>
> CL
>
> On Jul 9, 2013, at 6:58 PM, Danielle Antoine <singingmywayin at gmail.com> 
> wrote:
>
>> Buddy,
>>
>>
>> Ahahahahaha! So right I knew there was something I wanted to add to
>> Dar's message! It's unforgettable the mad rush to elevators. I learned
>> to hang back a few minutes. I've been to national once with a cane and
>> once with my guide. At that first, someone actuallly lost there cane
>> down the elevator shaft because of this. When I went with my dog
>> guide, I remember having to remind folks trying to sandwich me in
>> while waiting for said elevators that I have a dog with me. He handled
>> it all well like we were working in New York! Only thing is he
>> wouldn't park with the other pups so I had to find a quiet off-limits
>> area. Has anyone else notived this with there dogs?
>>
>> trying to catch an elevator right after general sessions or the
>> banquet, a sight to behold and an experience to be had!
>>
>> How about we start a thread: You know you're at an NFB convention when:
>>
>> Danielle and eden, who are glad to be back after a long absence
>>
>> On 7/9/13, Larry D. Keeler <lkeeler at comcast.net> wrote:
>>> Yes, Cindy they do. I regularly talk to a good friend of mine who says 
>>> they
>>>
>>> charge something like $25 for every dog handler. I here its supposed to 
>>> be a
>>>
>>> donation but I am really not sure. Maybe are ACB readers can clarify 
>>> that
>>> for us.
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 5:27 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>>>
>>>
>>>> Does the ACB charge for the dog users to have the privilege of having
>>>> relief areas. Also, there was more than one relief area, yes? I thought
>>>> they used wood chips, not sand.
>>>>
>>>> Cindy
>>>>
>>>> On Jul 9, 2013, at 2:55 PM, "Margo and Arrow" 
>>>> <margo.downey at verizon.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi, Danielle.  I know what you mean by the topics you raised.
>>>>>
>>>>> A C B uses a company or two whose only job is to deal with relief 
>>>>> areas.
>>>>> I'd like for Nagdu to figure out how to do the same thing.  I 
>>>>> apprecaite
>>>>>
>>>>> the
>>>>> work our national Center does to ensure adequate relief areas, but, 
>>>>> I'd
>>>>> like
>>>>> to see a company who does this type of work do this type of work for 
>>>>> us.
>>>>>
>>>>> Margo and Arrow
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle A.
>>>>> Creapeau
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 3:47 PM
>>>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>>
>>>>> It was awesome meeting some of you at convention last week. Valla and 
>>>>> I
>>>>> didn't attend Monday night's NAGDU meeting because she got snapped at 
>>>>> by
>>>>>
>>>>> not
>>>>> 1 but 2 dogs. I'm the first to admit that she did distract on these
>>>>> other
>>>>> dogs but I corrected and we were almost past them when they jumped out
>>>>> from
>>>>> under their handlers' chairs and tried to come at her. Needless to 
>>>>> say,
>>>>> she
>>>>> was way too wound up to go anywhere after that.
>>>>> Anyway, I noticed a lot of things during the week that shocked me, 
>>>>> made
>>>>> me
>>>>> think and made me very happy. First of all, I'll say that this was my
>>>>> first
>>>>> convention so I don't know if some of these things are commonplace at
>>>>> convention or not. I was sort of shocked by the size of the park area
>>>>> for
>>>>> the dogs. It was about the size of a single parking space and from 
>>>>> what
>>>>> I
>>>>> understand, there were a couple hundred dogs in attendance. I felt 
>>>>> that
>>>>> this
>>>>> was way too small of a space for all those dogs. Not to mention that
>>>>> it's
>>>>> filled with sand which gets pretty sludgy with waste and rain water.
>>>>> Valla
>>>>> wouldn't set foot in the box and I didn't blame her. As I understand 
>>>>> it,
>>>>>
>>>>> the
>>>>> White Cane fund takes care of the park areas and I also am aware that 
>>>>> it
>>>>> costs money to set up these relief areas. Is there anything that we as 
>>>>> a
>>>>> division can be doing to make the area bigger or cleaner? Furthermore,
>>>>> as
>>>>> the week went on, I noticed a lot of accidents near the escalators 
>>>>> that
>>>>> were
>>>>> just left behind for someone else to clean up. Valla had her accidents
>>>>> as
>>>>> well; I'm not saying that they don't happen but I thought we were
>>>>> supposed
>>>>> to try to clean them up and tell someone from the hotel staff about 
>>>>> it.
>>>>> I
>>>>> know that these were near escalators but I feel like that's no excuse.
>>>>> If
>>>>> you're at the bottom of the escalator when it happens, step aside and
>>>>> let
>>>>> people through but don't just walk away.
>>>>> That being said, I'm sure there were plenty of handlers who did stand 
>>>>> by
>>>>>
>>>>> the
>>>>> messes and did their best to clean them up.
>>>>> I was really surprised by the amount of people who were on phones,
>>>>> eating,
>>>>> talking or goofing off while working their dogs too. again, not trying
>>>>> to
>>>>> imply that these things don't happen but it was frustrating when 
>>>>> someone
>>>>> else was too busy doing something else while his or her dog distracted
>>>>> on
>>>>> other people or dogs.
>>>>> I did, however, meet a whole bunch of people who genuinely inspired me
>>>>> with
>>>>> the bonds they have with their dogs and the way they worked as a team.
>>>>> Valla
>>>>> and I just met in October of 2012 so we're still feeling each other 
>>>>> out.
>>>>>
>>>>> It
>>>>> was just amazing to see teams that flow together so beautifully.
>>>>> anyway, that's just my take on the week. Hope everyone's having a good
>>>>> Tuesday.
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
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>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/margo.downey%40verizon.ne
>>>>> t
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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>
>
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