[Blindtlk] [nfb-talk] tips about canes

Graves, Diane dgraves at icrc.IN.gov
Wed Apr 23 12:43:57 CDT 2008 

Hi Jim,

It does kind of depend on your circumstances, and there are pros and
cons to both types of cane. 

I have a job where I find myself in a lot of meetings, and I also ride
public transit daily.  Of course, in these situations you could lay a
rigid cane down on the floor  under a table or along the front of a seat
on a bus, in an attempt to keep it out of the way, but then you run the
risk of someone stepping on it and possibly hurting themselves, or
causing damage to the cane which is irreparable.  Let's face  it,
sighted folks don't always watch what they are doing.

A precaution one could use on a bus, is that you could sit, holding the
rigid cane upright, but then you don't have hands free to do much else.
I typically like to use this transit time to read, or make phone calls,
or knit.  If I'm holding onto a cane, I don't have a free hand to do any
of these things.  

A precaution one might take in a meeting is that you could stand a rigid
cane up against a wall or in a corner, but then, depending on the layout
of the room,  you don't have immediate access to it when it's time to
move.

I also like my canes long enough that it would be difficult to fit a
rigid cane into the cars of most of the folks I occasionally ride with,
or most any car for that matter.

The down side to the telescoping canes however, is that you do run the
risk of them folding up on you, which can be extremely exasperating,
particularly if you are in a hurry, and I'm sure could be dangerous, if
you are a really fast walker.  I am not a particularly fast walker by
nature., which make sit even more frustrating when these canes fold up
and I'm in a hurry. (smile)

I'm afraid that just about the only thing you can do to eliminate all of
these complications is to go to a heavier,non-telescoping folding cane
Those can be stowed away when you need to stowed them, and they don't
fold up until you are ready for them to fold.

You also, don't have to replace these heavier canes nearly as  often.
The fact is that, whether telescoping or rigid, one fast moving, clumsy
person who isn't watching where they are going is all that it's going to
take to render it useless.

I don't know if this makes any sense or not, but I guess you just have
to weigh all the pros and cons and decide what will work best for you.
Because of all of my aforementioned considerations, and because the
heavier canes tend to give my wrist a workout, and slow me down even
more, my current choice is the carbon fiber telescoping cane.


Diane Graves
Civil Rights Specialist
Indiana Civil Rights Commission
Alternative Dispute Resolutions Unit
317-232-2647
 
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."--Winston
Churchill
 
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-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces+dgraves=icrc.in.gov at nfbnet.org
[mailto:blindtlk-bounces+dgraves=icrc.in.gov at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Jim
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 11:44 AM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Cc: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] [nfb-talk] tips about canes

Good morning,

Perhaps I should also clarify something.  I whole-heartedly agree with
the long rigid cane bit for good long fast walking.
Lately though, I've found myself in a lot of different sized cars, many
a crowd, and many a folk and bluegrass festival.  So, I was just using
it as a matter of convenience for both myself and the people with whom I
did these things.  
So, that's why I was asking these questions.
Jim

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David" <davidb521 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 4:49 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] tips about canes


>I also use a straight NFB cane.  However, I've noticed one 
> problem.  Suppose I'm in a food court at one of those small round 
> tables.  What are you supposed to do with your cane? I'm worried 
> that people will trip over it when it's just lying in the floor 
> like that.  Also, I have to be very careful when I put my cane 
> under a table or row of seats not to hit somebody.  But the 
> benefits of the NFB straight cane are far greater than the 
> disadvantages I think.
> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Brian Miller" <brian-r-miller at uiowa.edu
>>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>Date sent: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:31:32 -0400
>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] tips about canes
> 
>>Hi Jim,
> 
>>I use a straight cane for all the issues you note below about 
> telescoping
>>canes.  I keep a telescoping cane around as a spare.
> 
>>Brian Miller
> 
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Jim" <jp100 at earthlink.net
>>To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>; <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>; 
> <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:37 AM
>>Subject: [nfb-talk] tips about canes
> 
> 
>>Howdy,
> 
>>I have a question about canes and what you'd advise.
> 
>>I believe this is the second (maybe even third) carbon fiber 
> telescopic cane
>>where the following happens.  Either the bottom section breaks or 
> the screw
>>for the cane tip comes off.  There are even times when the tip 
> just becomes
>>something that feels loose or moves around; although, it is still 
> useable.
>>Anyway, if that happens, and if I have spare bottom joints, I 
> replace them
>>but end up needing to use something like a rainshine tip because 
> I am not
>>sure what I can do with the screw for the regular tip.  I would 
> have thought
>>that the rainshine tips would make those canes even lighter.  
> Well, what
>>ends up happening is that a lot of times, the cane and sections 
> end up
>>loosening up and wanting to collapse on me.  I am always finding 
> myself
>>needing to tighten things up, and I don't know why.  When I first 
> buy one of
>>these canes, I am fine with them and they work very well.
> 
>>Any ideas of why this happens and what I can do about securing 
> the screw
>>back in the bottom section to fit a regular tip?
> 
>>Gee, so much for these canes being convenient, eh?  I'm a fast 
> walker but
>>end up maybe feeling a bit less safe when I'm always having to 
> tighten the
>>cane up because of these rainshine tips, and canes aren't cheap.
> 
>>What do you guys think?
>>Jim
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