Over the years, I’ve learned many people have never had a meaningful conversation with a person who is blind, so I do my best to be approachable and transparent when in conversation with an inquisitive community member.
There are always so many questions, and I welcome anyone reading this to shoot me a note if there is anything you’d like to know about blindness… I am an open book!
Traveling seems to be of particular interest to people. I often get to the plane’s gate early, and while awaiting my flight, fellow passengers are curious just how in the hell I got there! Moving sidewalks are also of serious curiosity for a lot of people.
It all starts with communication. My guide dog knows a very specific set of commands and as we journey to the terminal, he listens intently for my directions. He can see everything I can’t, but he doesn’t know where we are going. I know where we are going but can’t see the obstacles in our way. We make up a very complimentary team!
Together, we combine our skills and abilities, transforming something that would be impossible for either of us to do alone, and turning it into something that is not only achievable, but nearly effortless.
It is honestly no different from you directing your colleagues on a particular project or accepting guidance from a manager.
It starts with a little bit of planning before arriving at the airport. At this point, I have become familiar with several major airports, and ask my Uber driver to drop me off at a specific location or door. Doing so helps me establish orientation so we can begin our journey with the first step headed in the right direction.
As I say so frequently, life is a set of doors for my dog. We use the doors as checkpoints or sub-destinations that he looks for and drives towards. I ask him to find the entrance door, and we are off and on our way!
From there, I direct my guide dog by saying “Right, find the garbage.” A garbage can is typically at the entrance to the security line, and I already know, based on where I was dropped off, that it is over towards the right.
We drive to the garbage can and are greeted by a TSA officer who then guides us to whatever line they want us in by walking towards that line himself. I direct my dog to “follow,” and we make our way to security.
The security lines are all the same. I just join the cattle call and follow the person in front of me, placing my backpack on the conveyor belt once I am close enough to reach out and feel it, put my shoes behind it, and wait for instruction from the TSA officer.
I then leave my dog with one officer, walk through the scanner, get frisked if necessary, then call my dog once I have permission to do so. Not appreciating our momentary separation, he comes bounding towards me with excitement.
I take my things off the conveyor belt, and ask the TSA agent, very specifically, where my gate is located.
If for example she tells me my gate is C49, I ask her in which direction that is, where the first gate within eyesight is located, and what number that is.
Logan and I proceed onward, counting each gate we pass along the way, starting from the gate number disclosed by the TSA agent, and concluding once we hit 49. Along the way, I can hear the moving sidewalks warning people of their presence by way of the weirdly sounding electronic voice.
Speed and height of the rail are nearly uniform, so I ask my dog to “find the escalator” and he drives us towards it. Interestingly, he always finds the one that is moving away from us… After all, no one wants to be approaching the end of a moving sidewalk or escalator only to see a blind guy stumbling at the end of it trying to get on at the off ramp!
When the electronic voice gets close enough, we literally hop on and away we go. I can hear the hustle and bustle at the gates with planes and notice the emptiness of those that are unused. Continuing to count, usually by twos because even numbers are typically on one side and odd numbers on the other, I make my way down to my gate.
Upon arrival, I direct my dog to “find the counter” and he takes me there. The attendant asks if I can be helped, and I start by verifying I am at the correct gate. I get it right quite a bit, but if I miscounted, I ask him to point me in the right direction, and I use the same process to finish our journey to our destination.
Once verified to be in the correct place, I ask my dog to “find the chair,” then take a seat, pull out my computer, and usually use the time to get some work done until they begin boarding.
More than once, I’ve been told I was being followed by a fellow passenger headed to the same gate, who eventually confesses to me her stalking was first out of curiosity and then out of amazement.
It’s my life, so it’s hard for me to understand what’s so interesting, but I have to admit my traveling style is not something most people see every day.
When they inevitably ask how all this is possible, I highlight the content of this blog: It is all about communication, maximizing my skills and those of my dog, and minimizing each of our limitations.
Professionally, it is called “Focused Productivity,” as we communicate clearly, maintain a well-established goal, encourage each other along the way, check for accuracy when possible, deal with mistakes rationally, and take pride in our accomplishments when we complete our mission.
Really, it is not so dissimilar from the way successful professionals work with their colleagues, great parents teach their children, and the best teams routinely win the Super Bowl.
The airport can be a challenging environment for anyone, myself included. Keep your wits about you, control the stress level, and enjoy the flight! And don’t forget to say hello to your friendly man and his guide dog embarking on their journey to their next destination!
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