[nfbwatlk] Alert about increase in audible traffic signals

[Mike Freeman]

Carl:

I agree that traffic has become more perilous during the past forty 
years -- if only because there are more of us (homo sapiens sapiens 
can't seem to keep from procreating!).

And I grant you that the aging process can cause us some difficulties. 
But to my mind, this doesn't justify audible traffic signals for, shorn 
of all extraneous reasoning, all justification for them amounts to 
saying -- or at least implying -- that the signals make it safer to 
travel. In essence, for example, this is what is implied (at least I 
think so) when one says that audible signals help those who did not 
receive good travel training. And, as I've previously said, to me, such 
reasoning is not only bogus, but it is doubly in error because it 
encourages belief in a falsehood. If audible signals actually prevented 
vehicles from disobeying the traffic lights, I'd feel differently and 
would whole-heartedly favor them. But since, in my view, they merely 
offer a false sense of security -- even for those with few travel 
skills -- then, again in my view, it is not a wise use of the taxpayers' 
money to install them.

I'll go further: both in NFB and in ACB, it is tacitly assumed that with 
the proper devices (vibrotactile signals, for example), the deaf-blind 
can be taught to travel safely. Yet this assumption embodies the same 
false reasoning as is employed to justify audible traffic signals. I'm 
sure that the deaf-blind (whether in NFB or ACB) will argue strenuously 
with me but, in the end, I wonder whether it is truly safe for them to 
travel independently. I'm not saying they shouldn't -- if a person 
wishes to take his/her life in his/her hands, it's no business of mine. 
But I worry that we are falsely raising hopes and expectations.

How 'bout that for unorthodoxy? (grin)

Mike

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Carl Jarvis
  To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
  Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 8:59 PM
  Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Alert about increase in audible traffic 
signals


  Point well taken Mike,
  no one should be teaching folks that they are safer because traffic 
signals
  emit some sort of noise.  I would never tell a student that they will 
be
  safer when they learn to use a white travel cane.  I tell them that 
they
  will be more efficient travelers.  But that cane will not protect them 
from
  some stupid, drunk or reckless driver.
  Nor will the beeping, chirping, coo cooing signal.
  But properly placed it can be one more tool to assist us in an ever 
more
  congested world.
  And with such innovations as roundabouts, quiet cars and idiot 
drivers, we
  need all the help we can get.
  When I was a younger man, working in the Orientation and Training 
Center, I
  traveled from home to work by public transit, and often I took 
students into
  Seattle for one purpose or another.  My travel skills were about as 
good as
  any totally blind persons, and better than many of my partially 
sighted
  friends.
  But age plays tricks on us.  I now enjoy a condition called Meniere's
  disease of the ear.  My hearing has become somewhat distorted and my 
balance
  is impacted, too.  Where I once could focus in on a sound, pinpointing 
its
  exact position, now I'm lucky to hear it, and I'm never sure just 
where it
  comes from.   Once upon a time, I must confess, that in my secret 
heart of
  hearts, I thought other folks just weren't trying hard enough to learn 
good
  travel skills.
  One thing I can say about the aging process.  It is very humbling.
  Once upon a time I was a fierce opponent of audible traffic signals. 
I
  worked hard to get Seattle to take down the signal that rang out on 
the
  corner of Rainier and South Alaska Street.  We even tried to get the 
city to
  remove the signal at Walker and Rainier, where many multi-disabled 
people
  crossed to work at the Lighthouse.
  Why, all they needed was to learn better travel skills.  We over 
looked the
  fact that for many of these folks just riding the public transit and
  crossing that street was a major, heroic accomplishment.
  Finally, the sad fact is that the vast majority of folks in our blind
  community have received no travel training.  Since the government 
can't seem
  to scrape up the money and staff to provide this training, then my 
heart
  doesn't bleed a bit if they are pressured into spending 20 thousand 
dollars
  to put in a noise maker in the corner traffic light.
  And finally, finally, that's like, PS and PPS, when I was young, every
  traffic signal in the city of Seattle rang each time the light 
changed.
  There was no yellow light.  It went from green to red, with a loud 
ring.
  There was a light on every corner rather than hanging from the center 
of the
  street.  Also, there were no free right turns.
  Even in a driving rainstorm you could hear that signal ring.
  But as pedestrian's safety became second to the need to speed up 
traffic,
  changes were made that actually put foot traffic in great peril.

  Carl Jarvis


  _______________________________________________
  nfbwatlk mailing list
  nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
-------------- next part --------------
Carl:
 
I agree that traffic has become more perilous during the past forty years -- if only because there are more of us (homo sapiens sapiens can't seem to keep from procreating!).
 
And I grant you that the aging process can cause us some difficulties. But to my mind, this doesn't justify audible traffic signals for, shorn of all extraneous reasoning, all justification for them amounts to saying -- or at least implying -- that the signals make it safer to travel. In essence, for example, this is what is implied (at least I think so) when one says that audible signals help those who did not receive good travel training. And, as I've previously said, to me, such reasoning is not only bogus, but it is doubly in error because it encourages belief in a falsehood. If audible signals actually prevented vehicles from disobeying the traffic lights, I'd feel differently and would whole-heartedly favor them. But since, in my view, they merely offer a false sense of security -- even for those with few travel skills -- then, again in my view, it is not a wise use of the taxpayers' money to install them.
 
I'll go further: both in NFB and in ACB, it is tacitly assumed that with the proper devices (vibrotactile signals, for example), the deaf-blind can be taught to travel safely. Yet this assumption embodies the same false reasoning as is employed to justify audible traffic signals. I'm sure that the deaf-blind (whether in NFB or ACB) will argue strenuously with me but, in the end, I wonder whether it is truly safe for them to travel independently. I'm not saying they shouldn't -- if a person wishes to take his/her life in his/her hands, it's no business of mine. But I worry that we are falsely raising hopes and expectations.
 
How 'bout that for unorthodoxy? (grin)
 
Mike
 
----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:carjar at olypen.com Carl Jarvis
To:
mailto:nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
Sent:
Monday, September 24, 2007 8:59 PM
Subject:
Re: [nfbwatlk] Alert about increase in audible traffic signals
Point well taken Mike,
no one should be teaching folks that they are safer because traffic signals
emit some sort of noise.  I would never tell a student that they will be
safer when they learn to use a white travel cane.  I tell them that they
will be more efficient travelers.  But that cane will not protect them from
some stupid, drunk or reckless driver.
Nor will the beeping, chirping, coo cooing signal.
But properly placed it can be one more tool to assist us in an ever more
congested world.
And with such innovations as roundabouts, quiet cars and idiot drivers, we
need all the help we can get.
When I was a younger man, working in the Orientation and Training Center, I
traveled from home to work by public transit, and often I took students into
Seattle for one purpose or another.  My travel skills were about as good as
any totally blind persons, and better than many of my partially sighted
friends.
But age plays tricks on us.  I now enjoy a condition called Meniere's
disease of the ear.  My hearing has become somewhat distorted and my balance
is impacted, too.  Where I once could focus in on a sound, pinpointing its
exact position, now I'm lucky to hear it, and I'm never sure just where it
comes from.   Once upon a time, I must confess, that in my secret heart of
hearts, I thought other folks just weren't trying hard enough to learn good
travel skills.
One thing I can say about the aging process.  It is very humbling.
Once upon a time I was a fierce opponent of audible traffic signals.  I
worked hard to get Seattle to take down the signal that rang out on the
corner of Rainier and South Alaska Street.  We even tried to get the city to
remove the signal at Walker and Rainier, where many multi-disabled people
crossed to work at the Lighthouse.
Why, all they needed was to learn better travel skills.  We over looked the
fact that for many of these folks just riding the public transit and
crossing that street was a major, heroic accomplishment.
Finally, the sad fact is that the vast majority of folks in our blind
community have received no travel training.  Since the government can't seem
to scrape up the money and staff to provide this training, then my heart
doesn't bleed a bit if they are pressured into spending 20 thousand dollars
to put in a noise maker in the corner traffic light.
And finally, finally, that's like, PS and PPS, when I was young, every
traffic signal in the city of Seattle rang each time the light changed.
There was no yellow light.  It went from green to red, with a loud ring.
There was a light on every corner rather than hanging from the center of the
street.  Also, there were no free right turns.
Even in a driving rainstorm you could hear that signal ring.
But as pedestrian's safety became second to the need to speed up traffic,
changes were made that actually put foot traffic in great peril.
Carl Jarvis
_______________________________________________
nfbwatlk mailing list
mailto:nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk