Lauren Merryfield

October 7, 2002

I take a harsher stand than some about these signal doo-whoppies being discussed, from experience.

If a person's only disability is blindness, then for the most part, they are not needed.

Another factor, however, is the level of training of some blind persons in travel skills, and in that regard, there is some differing of opinion. There are, it seems, some blind persons who are angry at the idea of being more independent. So they want beeping, buzzing stuff telling them everything so they don't need to think and can be felt sorry for because they're so pitifully dependent. EEEWWW!

Most blind persons with good travel skills and good self-esteem really do not depend on coo-coo-chirpos and trip-ups to get around. For one thing, Mother Nature herselfknew they weren't necessary so she didn't plant them at every intersection just for those who either couldn't see or weren't paying any attention.

Now, for me, they *are* dangerous. I have less hearing in my left ear--it was reconstructed about 12 years ago and the hearing is really pretty good, but it is not as directional as my right ear's hearing.

So when bombarded by electronic birds and buzzers and other aMEWSement-park sounds, I am at a great disadvantage because I cannot hear the cars. And after all, if we don't hear the traffic we are in worse than deep doo-doo--it's more like deep six.

The electronic stuff might work on schedule but traffic does not always work on schedule, and when it comes to pedestrians, some drivers do not function on schedule or, quite often, drive so carelessly that there is no reason to suggest that they should even be operating said vehicle. Some Drivers cannot be trusted! Period!

Whether coo-coo-buzzosis sets in all over this land or not, some drivers *are not careful; are not consistent; are not to be trusted by any pedestrian*.

Well now, as to the trip-ups, well, I've come across some of those, too. My balance is not as good as it could be due to the ear problems and fibromyalgia syndrome and bad feet and stuff and such and everything, and those bumpety-whoa!-thingies are not safe for one such as me, either.

Now I know that the world is made up of people who are not at all like me, but i am saying that for most people, I think that requiring this stuff all over the place, besides being expensive--send a few disabled people to school or work on that money) besides that, they could also be seen as dangerous if one trained in a area where those birdie-tweet-tweets and stub-toe devices were "normal", then when they got out into the country or other territory, maybe even perhaps Mars or the Moon, someday, how would they function? They'd be dependent on out-of-brain experiences and they'd have to, for Heaven's sake, *t h i n k* and what would they do?

I know I'm taking a silly slant to my letter, but actually my concerns are very very serious--like, life-threatening.

If you allow this stuff to besmear our beautiful landscape, you are actually condoning danger and perhaps death of some individuals, who really need to function without this stuff.

In the subject line of this note, I asked you not to delete this message. Well, now I am asking you not to delete human beings.

Please do delete the PURRvasive, blanketing ideas of audible traffic signals and tactile warnings! But please do not delete us!

Thanks.
Lauren Merryfield