[nagdu] Issues

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

That's annoying!  The phone call is..  The bit that started with "we knew
you were planning to come, so we've been talking about it ..."  Well, I
don't think I would even notice my tact at that point as it leaped headfirst
out the window shrieking.  /evil grin/  Perhaps the woman thought she was
being nice and even thoughtful, but ....  How RUDE!

Well, sounds like you have the matter in hand.  I've never had the joys of a
"we heard you were coming" phone call, but I've shown up to an event or two
to be greeted at the door with something along those lines...  Even when I
had the cane pre-dog.  /lol/  Used to be I could just show up at a place and
find a seat and do what people do and be very happy under the radar.

Can't you just picture them all sitting around saying, "Cindy is coming!
Cindy is coming!  By land or by sea... "  /lol/

Well, I wonder if I'll ever get used to that sort of thing, since I'm sure
it will happen again.  Here, we made sure there's a clear path for you so
you can just sit here and be comfortable and Susie Q will bring you a plate,
and here's a rug for Mitzi ..."  I actually have -- and probably will again
-- end up sitting where they put me because my own internal conflict over
the contrast between their apparent intended thoughtfulness and kindess
towards poor little blind me is so horrifically offensive and just downright
hair-raising.

Ain;t it fun?

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Cindy Ray
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 4:32 PM
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List
Subject: [nagdu] Issues

Well, I think I'll bring up a new issue just for grins. Let's imagine you
are going to give blood one day. Let's imagine that you are planning to give
blood at this blood drive. OK, I don't have to imagine this because I am. I
haven't been able to give for a couple of times because of an infected
tooth, but that's TMI. So I am truly looking forward to it. My phone rang,
and the lady on the other end of the line identified herself, and she was
from the blood center. She said, "I understand you are planning to gie blood
at the Westminster Blood Drive. Now, we understand you have a service dog.
[I think that was her terminology.] We are going to be using a blood mobile
and the aisles are narrow in there. We've been talking about it and
wondering if you could leave the dog at the refreshment end so he won't get
stepped on." Who was talking about it. Why wouldn't they assume that I had
been using a dog long enough to know how to handle situations like that?
Truth be told, I had had him in there when I accompanied Bob in the next to
last time we were going to give. I don't doubt that the dog is btter off
left in a more comfortable place, but I don't need someone explaining to me
why that might be and asking me if I would mind to not bring him in there
because of the narrow aisles. I have a feeling I would have thought of it on
my own, and I did actually express my displeasure. I told her the fact that
she assumed I wouldn't figure out the best place for my dog was rather
annoying. She said she was sorry, she had just wanted to make it better and
guessed she had not. Before anybody tells me I might have been more tactful,
I would say that they would be right, but I think after you've used a dog
six months or less, and especially after twenty-two years, you are likely to
know how to handle the dog in a tight situation.

Cindy Lou


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