Al.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Al Hoffman) (04/11/91)
Index Number: 14704
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Have you ever had your cane broken by a stupid bike riding messenger
person? Have you ever had your cane broken by some fool in a hurry
passing you on the corner and then turning into your cane, against the
corner, crack, break, crunch crunch. Don't you just hate it when, the
door slams on your cane and creek, crunch, etc?
WEll, the hell with telescoping canes for me. I just bought a
$35.00 new "carbon-fiber," cane from NFB. Supposed to be the best cane
since toasted bread. It isn't. It can't be repaired, and they don't
seel repair kits. Don't buy one, unless you inted to use it
infrequently.
Why can't anybody make a telescoping cane that works well? I don't
understand, is it just plain stupidity, disinterest, or both and more?
I want a nearly indestructible cane, within reason.
For example, if I am stupid and lean on it too hard in a fit of
balancing pressures because I am drunk and wondering blindly home, well,
it shouldn't break like a piece of cheap trash left in the street. It
should at least break in such a way that the offending section can
easily be replaced from a similar cane, even one not the same length.
I had two canes of the same model, not the same length. Parts
don't fit! Now thats just plain stupid design.
Next, how bout a cane that has pressure joints, so that after a
given amount of pressure, they let go and give way, you have to put them
back togather yourself, rather than the section getting smashed.
Wouldn't that make sense?
How bout a titanium cane, that even when run over by a truck, will
not be bent, at no offense to the cane owner of course.
To you dog owners out there this is probablly a good msg. Don't
buy telescoping dogs either, they'll break, and replacing parts on a dog
is probablly even more tricky, but its in the same league.
Yes, to those critics out there, there are kits for the NFB 3 cane.
Sure, I didn't buy a kit for that cane, but rather I had two canes,
and when they were both broken, I thought, geez, spose I can make this
into one cane of some height or other--think again, gotta buy a kit for
both canes if I want a cane to work again.
Now, the new improved canes come along, $35.00 great machines of
modern science and engineering. They break, (no maintenance required I
suppose.). No kit is available, and the lady at NFB actually told me "I
don't know where we buy them from."
Now I'm not angry, just amazed. Maybe she was just a yoyo from the
street who answered phones and sold canes--but who does make these rip
offs, hell maybe I'll start making canes myself!
How bout it anybody want a reasonablly priced cane that will be
easy to repair, and hopefully not break much? Lets hear it for the
invention of the telescope, where the hell is that Italian guy who
discovern Jupiters moons anyway?
OK, gotta go now, look for those lenses for the telescope maybe.
... grumble grumble frigin fargin grumble frac arg arg grumble...
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