[nfb-talk] Why I Can't ignore the NFB

Sat Mar 20 15:29:59 UTC 2010

Another thingy to add to this, and I understand completely that I'm just fanning the flames here, but here goes.

John states that the students in his guide dog class were all good travelers, because you can't be a guide dog user unless you are evaluated to be such. I'm a guide dog user (well, between dogs at the moment), have been for 13 years. And, while the ideal would be that a guide dog user does have good orientation skills and all, the reality is that the screening in this regard isn't always as thorough as one might suppose. I've seen people in guide dog school who got lost in a very straightforward building (i.e. the school dormitory), even after several days of living there. Beyond that, I recall here my own Juno walks, my first one in particular. I had elaborate routes picked out that had street crossings, lights, turns, obstacles, and the like throughout. Yet, we didn't take that route. Instead, we walked a straight line, crossed one unlighted street, and came back. This proves--what, exactly? 

Another point: as someone else said, everyone makes mistakes. We've all crossed against the light, or were in a hurry and hit the end of a cycle and it changed mid-crossing. Sure we have. Does that mean that all crossings everywhere should have audible signals? I agree that there are some that do need them. Thinking of midblock crossings, complicated intersections with several streets coming into one junction, and so on. I remember the streets in San Rafael. They were all very straightforward intersections, and the sidewalks were all but flawless. I remember being somewhat disappointed in this. I can't think of a single intersection that we used in guide dog training in San Rafael that would benefit from an audible signal.
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY

On Mar 20, 2010, at 9:44 AM, Brian Miller wrote:

> Without proper training, crossing can be hazardous with or without audible
> signals.  
> 
> You can never rely solely on the signal -- audible or otherwise -- and this
> applies to sighted people as well.  
> 
> Brian\
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Michael D. Barber
> Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 7:48 AM
> To: 'Tanna G. Shoyo'; 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Why I Can't ignore the NFB
> 
> While I know there are those who rely on the audible signals, we had a case
> a few years ago here in Iowa where a lady crossed a street when the signal
> indicated she should and was almost hit by a car who was running the light.
> She listened to what the audible signal told her and ignored the traffic
> patterns.
> 
> Michael 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Tanna G. Shoyo
> Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 8:39 PM
> To: qubit; NFB Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Why I Can't ignore the NFB
> 
> I find those traffic signals to be more of a pain in the neck then helpful. 
> That would be one extra thing that our tax dollars would be paying for.
> 
> Tanna Shoyo
> Lincoln, NE
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "qubit" <lauraeaves at yahoo.com>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 5:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Why I Can't ignore the NFB
> 
> 
>> and that is why drivers must always yield to a person with a guide dog 
>> or white cane -- but of course drivers make mistakes too...and 
>> sometimes they don't study the driver's manual...but those same 
>> drivers also don't pay attention to traffic signals, right?
>> Go flame on another list. You've already filled enough mailboxes on 
>> this topic several rounds over.
>> --le
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "John G. Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 12:49 PM
>> Subject: [nfb-talk] Why I Can't ignore the NFB
>> 
>> 
>> from
>> 
>> http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm03/bm0301/bm030103.htm
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- begin quote --
>> 
>> Mike Freeman: "We didn't need audible pedestrian signals, nor did we 
>> need detectable warnings to walk the streets with safety and grace."
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- end quote --
>> 
>> 
>> Man, this really steams my wheaties. I was recently in San Rafael, 
>> California getting a new guide dog from GDB. After one night training 
>> session, the instructor told us that about half of the students 
>> crossed against the light at a particular intercection. These are 
>> people with proven mobility skills as GDB checks that out before the 
>> admit students.
>> 
>> The point is that anyone can make a mistake.  You might think that as 
>> new guide dog trainees, the students were distracted or not at their 
>> best. But that's not unusual. People are sometimes distracted or 
>> distressed and they cross streets anyway. That's life.
>> 
>> People aren't perfect. They make mistakes. Most likely, everyone 
>> reading this message has crossed against the lights at one time or 
>> another. And even if you haven't, others have. You may be perfect but 
>> that doesn't mean you should dismiss the needs of those who aren't.
>> 
>> The truth is that audible walk signals make us safer. The NFB, with 
>> its bizarre, capricious policies has helped make this world less safe 
>> for the very people it is supposed to protect.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
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