Henry.Kasten@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.org (Henry Kasten) (09/20/90)
Index Number: 10479
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Howdy dan,
Sure wish I could quote you, but paraphrasing will have to do. In the
last message I read from you you said you did not want to start trouble.
come on dan, just about all of us are to cause trouble in one way or
another. You also said that we should be aware of what is going on at
these schools. I couldn't agree more. However, I rather doubt that the
the third party hearsay we have been getting from the school bashers
should have any reliability. Seems to me that there must be more to the
story about the poor woman who for more than a year and a half has not
been able to cross an intersection comfortably. I think a lot of the
conversations have been a little bit glamorized for publication. The
truthof the matter is that nothing is perfect (excetp maybe Willie, tandy
and me) and nothing worth having comes free of charge. To make any dog
work for you, you, will have to work with the dog. God forbid if the dog
should get sick, I think think you would have a difficult time claiming
built in obsolecence. Really, if we really wanted to scream about being
ripped off, I think the Dog Guide Schools who provide a service to the
blind for little or no money should be at the bottom of the list. Bought
any adaptive equipment lately? Was sold to you at little or no cost?
How long is expected work life? Is it's work life close to 10 years?
Can you use it 24 hours a day 7 days a week with little and inexpensive
maintenance? Will it lick you in the face when your felling down or
lonely or make you proud and good about yourself? when I look at all the
thousands of dollars I've got wrapped up in all this crap from abacuses
towatches nothing compare to the dog i got from a school who's only
concern wasmy wellfare not there wallet.
Whew, almost fell off my soap box, reckon I better quit while its still
safe.
Later, Henry
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!130!10!Henry.Kasten
Internet: Henry.Kasten@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.orgDave.Tanner@p210.f1.n273.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Tanner) (09/20/90)
Index Number: 10516
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
I loved your comments comparing a guidedog to access equipment in
price and reliability etc.
Being a new dog user I am sure I still have lots to learn, and a
lot of experiences to go through yet, but I wouldn't trade
traveling in a crowded metropolitan area with a dog for traveling
the same area with a cane now. Apparently I and my dog have done
an unusually good job of bonding quickly, and there is little that
I would not trust her for at this point. But, I have enough sense
to know what weakness still exist and am working on se. But, my
cane still does nothing more than tell me that there is something
in front of me; it still won't survey the situation and take me
around a post, a group of people in the middle of a sidewalk, keep
me from stepping in front of a car, or greet me each morning with
the affection of a child so willing to do what you ask of them and
only for the thanks of your praise. And, don't forget that many of
the dog guide schools get absolutely not one cent from many of
their students and they may even pay the student's transportation
to and from the school.
I'll never quit keeping my cane skills up, because the time will
come that they will be needed. But, I'll certainly not consider
sending my yellow lab back for a refund. Don't knock it till you
try it is what I think you were saying and that is exactly how I
feel now too.
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Internet: Dave.Tanner@p210.f1.n273.z1.fidonet.org