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From: Walter.Siren.@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Walter Siren )
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: dogs
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Date: 4 Oct 90 19:07:12 GMT
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[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 AH>  canes.  I have questions that haven't been answered yet.
 AH>  1.  What can you do with a dog that I can't with ease and speed with 
 AH>  my cane.  I am not unimaginative.  I won't even mention the things 
 AH>  that limit a dog, but is the limit on a cane--thats the limit of the 
 AH>  user, as you will no doubt say holds for the dog as well.

Al, you have opened yourself to more reading than we have time for
on here.  While I am not Henry, I am a cane user, and I did use a
dog once.  I would have to write a book to tell you what you could
do better with a dog.  Here are just a few things you can do better
with a dog than with a cane.

1, you can cross busier streets more safely; 2, if you go shopping
with a dog, I guarrantee you you will get waited on quicker with a
dog.  It might be, because they want to gget you out of there, but
who cares.  3, you can get to places that you are use to going to,
and the dog will automatically turn in, expecially if it is a
harder place to find, and your cane will not turn in
automatically.  Don't count on this for getting to a vet though.
4, You can travel faster. with d a dog, not to mention safer.  5,
many a time I was crossing a street, and did not hear a car, and
the dog would stop, and let it go by.  6, I got side s wiped  by a
bus once, with my cane, and that wouldn't have happened if I had
been using a dog.  7, With a dog, people will be faster to get out
of your way.  8,  once my wife and I were trying to get on a bus
during peak traveling time,  and she had her dog, and the bus was
full, and she did not think that we could get on, and I said we
will not wait for any more busses, because they will all be
filled.  When we got on, the driver had been telling everyone to
step back, but they did not listen to him, and when we got on, they
went back so fast, that there was enough room in front that I could
have laid down.  We asked him, if he would like to borrow the dog,
and he said he should would.

That just scratches the surface.

Now, with anything comes disadvantages, and you have to weigh
them.   The better cane traveler you are, the better dog traveler
you will be.

After all of that, you might ask why I don't use a dog any more.
Well, it is simple, I don't do enough traveling to warrant the use
of a dog.  My cane will get me there, but if I had to do a lot of
traveling, I would have another dog, and I am not what you might
call a real dog lover, but I can certainly realize their value.

               Walter

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