python hangs on raw_input

I cannot overstate now new I am to python, so bear with me...

haven't had this before; one particular bit of raw_input is causing my pyscripter to just hang and never come back; I need to stop it in order to carry on:

import easygui
import arcgisscripting
import re
import dbfpy
from dbfpy import dbf
import sqlite3
import os

# create the geoprocessor object
gp = arcgisscripting.create(9.3)

# hangs on this for some reason, WHY?
workingfolder = raw_input('working folder please')
print workingfolder
#gp.workspace = workingfolder

# so do this instead for now
#gp.workspace = "I:\PDtest"

#easygui.fileopenbox(msg=None, title=None, default="*.shp", filetypes=None)

layer1 = easygui.fileopenbox(msg=None, title=None, default="I:\PDtest\*.shp", filetypes=None)
layer2 = easygui.fileopenbox(msg=None, title=None, default="I:\PDtest\*.shp", filetypes=None)

I just want the user to drop in a working directory that can be used from then on for the easygui stuff, fine, but, after printing the workingfolder string (which it does), pyscripter never carries on and I need to stop it manually. the string doesn't matter.

thanks for your help guys...

cj