[nagdu] Drop Offs

Julie J. julielj at neb.rr.com
Sun Aug 31 11:54:48 UTC 2014


I've taken the bus home on the last run of the day and the bus driver 
decided to take a short cut.  I ended up getting off the bus around the 
corner from where I normally did, but he didn't mention it and I didn't 
notice for a few blocks.  Of course by that time I felt pretty lost.

I've been dropped off from a cab at the wrong address.  I learned to ask 
questions about my exact location before getting out after that.

I've left a building by what I thought was the same door I came in.  I made 
the street turns by where I thought I was until I came to an odd 
intersection I had never been to before.

I do not have GPS or an iPhone and I don't carry my iPad with me.

I went through blindness training that included drop offs throughout the 
training.  In the beginning it was stressful, but still challenging in a 
positive way.  Sort of like finals I guess.  They are a big deal, but when 
you finish them you feel really good, accomplished, I guess.  By the end of 
my training the drop offs were no longer a big deal.  I had learned that I 
could figure it out, no matter what.  I had the skills, ability to work 
through the problem and the level head to do what I needed to do.  that's 
the point really.

The drop offs aren't about how well you can use your cane or dog or how 
quickly you can get back.  It's really about knowing in your heart that 
there's nothing to fear.  I was definitely afraid of getting lost before 
then.  sometimes that would cause me to not go to a new place alone or to 
delay going until I could do recon on the place.   I'm not afraid of getting 
lost anymore.  It's not fun and I would certainly prefer to not be lost, but 
it doesn't prevent me from trying new things.

Julie


-----Original Message----- 
From: Raven Tolliver via nagdu
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2014 10:46 PM
To: debby phillips ; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide 
Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Drop Offs

Debby,
I agree completely. Drop-offs are not realistic at all because I have
the fortune of never being dumped out of a car or getting off the bus
at a mystery location. Even when I visit an unfamiliar area, I do a
bit of trip planning to learn more about the particular destination
and the nearby streets. And with GPS aps and things of that nature, it
is rare that a person is completely lost.

On 8/30/14, debby phillips via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Larry, I'd be one of those that would not like doing dropoffs.
> First of all, I don't think they're that realistic.  Most people
> (whether they'll admit it or not) go to certain places, and
> that's where they go.  Sure, we all visit unfamiliar places, but
> if we have had any good instruction at all, we know what sorts of
> questions to ask to get where we need to go.  Doing our solos is
> stressful enough for me.  (Grin).  But hey, if you like dropoffs,
> you should have the chance to do them.  Seriously, unless I live
> somewhere (and I don't live in Morristown), it's kind of a waste
> of my time to get totally oriented to the town.  Even if I did, I
> won't be there for another ten years (I hope) and would have
> forgotten everything anyway.  JMO, though.    Debby and Miss
> Neena
>
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-- 
Raven
"if God didn't make it, don't eat it." - John B. Symes, D.V.M.
http://dogtorj.com

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