[Quietcars] Let us reason together revisited

[Corbb O'Connor]

Hi again, Bob -- a few questions. I will preface by saying that I hope  
you don't read any animosity into my words. Like you, I am interested  
in solving this issue of quiet cars. I respect that you have a  
different mindset from many on this list, one as a hybrid car owner,  
two as a sighted driver, and three as an engineer who has been working  
on an idea to solving this dilemma. I thank you for providing those  
three viewpoints.

You wrote...

> alerting pedestrian, noise generator - effectiveness is 1 (same as  
> today)
> alerting driver, noise generator - effectiveness is 0 (noise blocks  
> other audio clues)
> alerting by-stander, noise generator - effectiveness is 1 (same as  
> today)
>
> alerting pedestrian, safety fob - effectiveness is 1
> alerting driver, safety fob - effectiveness is 2
> alerting by-stander, safety fob - effectiveness is 2

You note in the first set of effects that the noise generator gives  
the driver a rating of zero, i.e. no change, because the constant  
noise from a vehicle would block other sounds. This is the same as  
today, correct? What sounds are you hoping to hear in a quiet car that  
would be useful to you to know to hit the brakes? It seems that  
installing a constant noise in a hybrid is no different from constant  
noise emitted by yesterday's gas-powered, combustion engines.

You then talk about how including hybrid owners in discussion leads to  
inaccurate data, but then suggest we involve them. I may be mis- 
reading here, but I'm confused. I would agree that drivers are a key  
player in these situations and that their views need to be taken into  
account, but you're saying that when that was done in the past, the  
views represented didn't reflect yours as a hybrid driver?

Further, in response to knowing when the system fails...

> You might notice that vehicles are no longer 'bleeping' their horn.


I as a blind person would know that my device has failed when horns  
aren't beeping. But what if the system fails in an individual car?  
One, how is the driver to know that his system isn't alerting blind  
pedestrians, when he may not take time to notice there are blind folks  
around him who may have the receiver? Two, what will encourage him to  
get this fixed? Here's an example. I am crossing the street; a hybrid  
approaches, and my device is working but his is not. The horn doesn't  
beep, and--let's be optimistic--I narrowly miss being hit. How am I,  
as a blind person, to report that incident and link it to a specific  
driver? I can't see his plate, I can't see what kind of car he has, etc.

We can't throw out an idea on the basis of device failure -- after  
all, it's inherent in any technology. But these are some questions to  
which I hope you or others on this list may have some ideas about  
solving.

One more thing...

> Being a sighted, untrained pedestrian and cyclist, my direct  
> experience says we will have to disagree on this and I am not alone.

>
Are you suggesting that as a biker and pedestrian that you don't use  
sound emitted by vehicles when on the street? If you're biking, don't  
you hear that car coming from behind you so you know to move right,  
out of his way, or look to see if that car is trying to pass? I cycle  
too, and find that I use sound just as much as my sighted counterparts  
when vehicles approach from behind.

Thanks, Bob, for always responding to our questions.
Corbb O'Connor