[nfb-talk] Speed of walking, dog vs cane

[David Andrews]

In a crowded area you slow down, and hold the cane in a more vertical 
direction.

As to restaurants, it is sometimes easiest to use a sighted guide 
temporarily, depending on the situation, your skills how much you 
know the are etc.  As to finding an empty seat -- no pat all 
inclusive answer either, you are gentle so you don't whack people, 
use hearing, etc.  How do you do it with a dog?  Is there a "command" 
to find an empty seat?

Dave

At 03:32 PM 4/22/2008, you wrote:
>I can explain why guide dog owners generally go so fast. It's not entirely
>showing off. In fact, you don't really have much choice. You have to go at
>the dog's normal pace or they get distracted.  It's nice to go fast but it
>can be a problem too. For instance, if I'm walking somewhere with a group of
>sighted people, I either have to go sighted guide or I have to shoot out
>ahead and then periodically wait for the group to catch up. My dog simply
>will not go the same speed as a typical group of human beings.
>
>Which reminds me of another question... What do you do on crowded sidewalks?
>I work for the University of Wisconsin and there are 40,000 students here.
>Between class times, the sidewalks are jammed. How the heck do you use a
>cane in situations like that? Another thing I've never figured out is how
>you go through a restaurant where you seat yourself without wacking
>everybody's chairs or their legs. How do you find a seat at McDonalds for
>example?  i don't know how to do that without my guide dog.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 3:07 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Speed of walking, dog vs cane
>
>
> > John:
> >
> > How fast a person walks has many variables.  Whether you are a dog
> > user, or a cane user, each of us falls somewhere on a continuum from
> > slow to fast.
> >
> > My observations, while anecdotal, say that in general, most dog users
> > walk faster than most cane users, but there are many exceptions both
> > ways.  My observations also tell me, having traveled with a number of
> > dog users, that part of it is that the dogs themselves tend to be
> > fast walkers and urge their handlers to walk somewhat faster then
> > they might otherwise do.
> >
> > I am a good cane user, and walk fast.  I have kept up with most, if
> > not all dog users I have walked with, although some of them do walk
> > at a good clip.
> >
> > Personally I do not consider overhanging branches and the like to be
> > that great a hazard.  It isn't to say they aren't, but for most
> > travelers, in most areas, they aren't that common.
> >
> > No mode of transportation, walking, riding, swimming, flying, is risk
> > free.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > At 02:39 PM 4/22/2008, you wrote:
> >>Some questions occured to me when my guide dog let me run into something
> >>while we were passing a construction site last week. It occured to me that
> >>he hadn't let me run into anything for years and it got me thinking.
> >>
> >>Am I mistaken in thinking that I can walk faster with a guide dog than I
> >>can
> >>with a cane? The reason I think I can walk faster with a dog is that the
> >>dog
> >>keeps me from running into things. He's not perfect but as a rule, he
> >>keeps
> >>me from hitting things at sholder level or above which you cannot do with
> >>a
> >>cane. If you're walking along at 3 miles per hour with a cane, aren't you
> >>taking a unacceptable risk? If you hit a low hanging tree branch or a
> >>piece
> >>of lumber sticking out of a pickup truck parked in a driveway, you could
> >>seriously hurt yourself.  Also, my reaction time doesn't seem to allow me
> >>to
> >>respond quicly enough to walk as fast with a cane as I do with my dog. If
> >>I
> >>know the sidewalk ahead of me is clear, I can walk as fast with a cane as
> >>I
> >>do with a dog. But if there is an obstacle, I'd hit it because I just
> >>couldn't stop fast enough.
> >>
> >>
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> >>
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