[NAGDU] Malls

Sat Feb 9 00:20:18 UTC 2019

hi Tracy:

yes, malls have always been a challenge with cane or dog.  my funniest story was when my laptop had some issues so I had to take it to the Microsoft store in our biggest mall in Vancouver.   we actually got to the store with only one directional assistance from another store.  so leaving should be as easy?  I get directions from the tech who worked on my computer . we take the escalator up and turn right but then his next direction never happened or made sense. I tried asking Bogart to find he way out.  first we found the food court, surprise surprise!  then he showed me every exit , all fire / emergency exits in that area.  what a good dog.  so I'm back in a middle area where there is a fountain.  hmmm, the fountain was key.  we wandered around that area a bit. finally I give in, pride be damned, and ask someone . he says sure, we're heading that way just follow us.  in two steps we hit a ramped area.  if I had found that myself I knew the rest of the way, just two steps to make left was my big clue.   oh boy, what an experience.

I had  taught Bogart to find the CD store back when they still existed but that was only thing I really went into that mall for. 

gary

On February 8, 2019 10:34:28 AM PST, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>Thanks guys.  Yes, shopping is a lot more fun when it's sociable, with
>someone to discuss things with and compare thoughts on stuff.  I must
>not be
>living right.  My shopping friends are all moving away, so now I just
>want
>to get in, get my thing, and get out.  Aira or Be My Eyes could be
>helpful.
>Tracy
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Melissa
>Allman
>via NAGDU
>Sent: Friday, February 08, 2019 11:32 AM
>To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>Cc: Melissa Allman
>Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Malls
>
>I think Julie makes great points here. If you're working with your dog
>and
>not a cane and you're relying more on spatial and maybe a bit fewer
>tactile
>cues, hearing store openings, smelling the smells, and listening to the
>various types of music can be useful. Sometimes you can hear hangers
>moving
>around on clothing racks. My favorite was in class when I was sent to
>look
>for ... I forget what store ... and I ended up in the Verizon store. It
>had
>no music, not a lot of traffic, and a nondescript chemical smell so
>until
>the staff member told me where I was I wouldn't have had a clue. I'm
>not a
>mall fan and usually when I go it is an agreed-upon  social activity
>and
>specific shopping excursion so I tend to be with people anyway.
>
>Melissa R. Allman
>Senior Specialist, Advocacy and Government Relations
>The Seeing Eye, Inc.
>P.O. Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07963-0375 (mail)
>10 Washington Valley Road, Morristown, NJ 07960-3412 (deliveries)
>973-539-4425 ext. 1724,     Fax:  973-525-1081 mallman at SeeingEye.org  
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie
>Johnson via
>NAGDU
>Sent: Friday, February 08, 2019 11:09 AM
>To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>Cc: Julie Johnson
>Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Malls
>
>These ideas are from when I traveled with a cane and lived in a city
>with a
>mall.  No malls where I live now, but lots of country roads!
>
>Anyway, I found it helpful to walk closer to the edges of the huge open
>areas.  I didn't need to be so close to shoreline the wall, but close
>enough
>to hear the echo.  Walking this close made it easier to hear when there
>was
>an opening indicating a store.  Also a lot of the stores play music
>unique
>to that store, different than what is played in the non store areas of
>the
>mall.  Some of the stores also have a identifying smell, the Victoria's
>Secret is the obvious one here, but some of the gift shops type places
>sell
>potpourri and other smelly things that can help and the food places are
>easy
>to locate.
>
>When getting directions I found it the most helpful to ask at the
>customer
>service counter.  Malls have anchor stores, the really big department
>stores, usually located at the far ends of each hallway.  I had an idea
>of
>where these larger stores were so getting directions relative to these
>landmarks made it easier to get reasonably accurate directions. 
>Otherwise
>I'd only get directions based on visual landmarks that weren't helpful.
>
>If you don't enjoy malls, have little interest in learning the layout
>and
>just want to get your stuff and get out, then I'd second AIRA.  Even if
>you'd like to relive your teenage years, AIRA could be really helpful
>in
>learning the layout to make future trips easier.
>
>Happy shopping!
>Julie
>On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com
>http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
>also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall
><https://www.blindmicemegamall.com/bmm/shop/Directory_Departments?storeid=19
>16046>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mike Hingson via NAGDU
>Sent: Friday, February 08, 2019 9:55 AM
>To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>Cc: mike at michaelhingson.com
>Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Malls
>
>You might explore Aira, www.aira.io.
>
>
>Best Regards,
>
>
>Michael Hingson
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via
>NAGDU
>Sent: Friday, February 8, 2019 7:11 AM
>To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
><nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
>Subject: [NAGDU] Malls
>
>I live in New Jersey, where we have some seriously big malls.  I want
>to get
>something at my nearest mall, but I really hate going there without a
>sighted friend.  It's a big, loud, echoing space, and I can't make much
>sense of it.  I recognize sometimes when we're going back from where we
>just
>came, but mostly we just trot along passing mysterious things,
>following my
>friend.  I did go once by myself, but it was hard to get anyone to give
>me
>coherent directions.  I eventually found what I wanted, but it was not
>easy.
>
>
>
>I also want to go to a couple places at an outdoor mall-one of those
>places
>where the stores are in a big circle around a parking lot.  That's less
>confusing than an inside mall, but can I use GPS to find what store I'm
>close to, or isn't it specific enough for that?
>
>
>
>Anyway, I'm wondering if people have strategies for dealing with
>finding
>things in really big, loud malls.
>
>Tracy
>
>
>
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