[nabs-l] White cane law question

[Hope Paulos]

Wow. I have never been taught to hold the cane in this way. When I used a 
cane, I was taught to do an arc when I was about ready to cross the street, 
so that cars could see me. I agree totally with Len- try, if you can, to be 
certain that you are seen. Although I use a guide dog, now, and she's taught 
"intelligent disobedience", I don't step off of that curb without ensuring 
that people have seen me.

Hope and Beignet
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Len Burns" <len at gatamundo.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] White cane law question


> 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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