I’ve used my Ramble Tag at least 100 times since I wrote you last! Everyone who tries the Ramble Tag (RT) likes it. I promote it at every opportunity. The Hearts for Sight/Sierra Club team conducts “white cane hikes” every month with upwards of 50 people, a mix of visually impaired people (VIPs) and sighted guides. On top of that, I guide several individuals on walks and hikes every week. I just finished leading seven hikes for Camp Bloomfield, a summer camp for VIPS in Southern California. So I know whereof I speak.
The Ramble Tag is useful in several ways. A typical hike covers several miles and lasts a few hours, often on uneven terrain. First, it’s tiresome for a VIP to hold onto an elbow for long periods. The RT loop is much easier to grasp loosely. Second, and oppositely, a VIP can hold onto the loop as tightly as they please, with no concern for hurting me. Third, my arm may get sweaty on a strenuous hike or in warm weather, which is no problem with the RT. Fourth, I don’t got pulled off-balance if someone stumbles because of the way the force is directed. They can lean on the RT without knocking me over. Fifth, it appears that passers-by first assume a romantic couple when they see us walking arm-in-arm. Then they spot the bright orange patch, and the arm placement, and they understand the actual relationship. The RT makes it clear that I’m a guide, not a boyfriend, just as the harness on a guide dog explains that relationship.
It’s not just VIPs who appreciate the RT. My aged stepmother, 95 years old, prefers to hang onto an RT instead of a metal frame walker. It allows her to walk smoothly while still having support if she wobbles.
Here are some photos . Liz and I are in Griffith Park with downtown Los Angeles. The other one has Hermilo and I on Thunder Mountain, Chino Hills/Carbon Canyon in Orange County. 
Best wishes,
Will McWhinney
