[nfb-talk] Discrimination in the City of Madison, Wisconsin

[John Heim]

There is this really busy intersection near my house and I have to cross 
it nearly every day. Even sighted people have trouble crossing the 
street there. So a bunch of people in my neighborhood got together a 
petition to get the city to install this device that helps them know 
when it is safe to cross the street. I guess what it does is it flashes 
different colored lights that both drivers and pedestrians are legally 
required to obey. If the light flashes one color, I think it's red but 
don't hold me to that, the drivers must stop and let the pedestrians 
cross. If the drivers do not stop, they are subject to some very hefty 
fines.

Likewise, the pedestrians are not allowed to cross unless the light 
flashes a different color, I think it is green but again, don't hold me 
to that. Of course, I am like, "Hey, what about me?" And everybody is 
saying, well you can just figure out what color the light is based on 
whether the cars are stopped or not.

Is that not the craziest thing you have ever heard? Isn't that the clearest example of discrimination you have ever heard of? Safety issues aside, the city actually has this law against crossing the street based on flashing lights and they're not even going to make it possible for me to know if I'm breaking the law or not. I have to guess based on traffic noises.  Theoretically, these laws exist for safety purposes, right? But I'm not even going to have a sure way to know if I'm breaking the law!

It's freakin' insane.

--
  John Heim
john at johnheim.com