[nabs-l] White cane law question

[Len Burns]

Jim,

First of all, if you have not done so already, I would ask her to 
clarify the contradiction.

I have never held my cane in that manner at an intersection, and in 
truth, I highly doubt drivers would frequently interpret this stance in 
the manner described.  Those laws are well and good, but anybody who 
takes them seriously is not living in the real world.

As regards not crossing if somebody stops to wait, I think that is a 
judgment call based on a number of factors.  I cross a very busy four 
lane road every day in a location where there is a cross walk, but no 
signal.  I have no illusions about the involved risks, but have been 
crossing this spot for almost 14 years now.  In this location, if you 
never crossed when people stop for you, you would never cross at all. 
You do always need to keep in mind that sighted people by habit 
communicate a great deal with eye contact.  This often includes whether 
or not somebody is about to step into an intersection.  One thing one 
must be very careful is to give clear signals if one is going forward, 
and be ready to pull back if the signals get crossed.

Another thing you have to watch, especially at an intersection such as I 
described above ist that although the people in one lane stop, does not 
mean the idiots in the next lane will do so as well.  I encounter people 
daily who are in such a hurry that they will even go between lanes 
around the stopped cards to avoid waiting for a pedestrian.

My philosophy is this.  I presume that I am invisible until I am certain 
that I am seen.  This has saved my life a lot of times over about 40 
years of swinging a white cane.  I have been hit three times, all 
probably avoidable if I had been more proactive, and none of them really 
my doing.  I have been fortunate, I have gotten banged up, but never 
seriously injured.  From each, I learned a lesson in proactivity that 
has saved me a lot of trouble at a later time.

-Len

Jim Reed wrote:
> Hey all, 
> 
> Yesterday my O/M instructor gave me some conflicting advice that is implicitly linked to the white cane law. On one hand, she told me that while I am stopped  at an intersection and waiting to cross, that I should have the tip of my cane near my toes, and that I should extend the top part of my cane outwards towards the street so that drivers can clearly see the cane (without being able to run it over) and then they will know a blind guy is trying to cross the street. Techniclly, based on the white cane law, drivers  are supposed to yield to a blind guy with an extended cane at an intersection. Then, a few miniutes later she told me to never cross the street when a driver has stopped to let me cross. She told me to turn my back on the driver if need be.
> 
> So, which is it? Do I stick the cane out forcing drivers to yield,  and then cross when they yield, or do I patiently wait at the intersection? It seems to me that I shouldn't stick my cane out there if I don't have any intention on crossing when I am yielded to.
> 
> Thanks, 
> Jim
> 
> "From compromise and things half done, 
> Keep me with stern and stubborn pride,
> And when at last the fight is won, 
> ... Keep me still unsatisfied." --Louis Untermeyer
> 
> 
>       
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