[Missouri-l] Hybrid Cars' Musings

[kcagape at aol.com]

Dear Peter,
 
I have been to New York City, and lived in Los Angeles, and perhaps there  
can be some sort of audible signal a driver may use to indicate their  
presence.  I realize New York City can be extremely noisy - many honkers,  but I 
saw cars pull to the side of a street when drivers heard a siren, so why  
can't there be some sort of universal sound car makers can agree on?  
 
My first point, I thought, would stir more controversy.  People who  are 
blind or have low vision tell me, they would be inconvenienced by wearing a  
device such it is hard enough, they say, walking with a cane or using a 
service  animal.  I respectfully disagree.  I am not the most tech-savvy person  
in the universe, but there have been so many innovations in this field, why 
not  invent a micro chip be placed in a hybrid car and when it nears a 
pedestrian  wearing a similar micro chip, it would make a sound to warn the 
wearer of  an approaching vehicle?  Not only would it beep, but as the car 
travels  away, the sound would decrease, sort of like the Doppler Effect (or 
Shift) -  That is, as objects get closer to a stationary source, the volume 
increases, but  the farther away they are from that stationary source, sound 
decreases.   Besides, of all my travels, I haven't too many hybrids on the 
roads, but, again,  this part of Missouri (Kansas City) and Kansas seem not too 
green.
 
Scott
 
 
In a message dated 1/17/2010 10:50:18 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
paltschul at centurytel.net writes:

 
Hi,  Scott: 
Re your second  point… 
I spent most of my  life in new York City and Washington DC, and believe 
that your horn-honking law  is a bad idea for two reasons.  First, there is so 
much horn-honking and  general noise around that it would be easy to ignore 
another horn honk as just  another irritant.  Secondly, I am not as 
confident in the good will of  sighted drivers as you appear to be; true, most are 
good-hearted, but there  are enough miscreants out there that I’m not sure 
the law would work (ever  mingled as a pedestrian with NYC cabdrivers?).  And 
enforcing the law  would be a problem. 
I am intrigued with  your first suggestion, however. 
Best, Peter   
 
Best, Peter  
From:  missouri-l-bounces at moblind.org 
[mailto:missouri-l-bounces at moblind.org]  On Behalf Of  kcagape at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 8:33  AM
To:  Missouri-L at moblind.org
Cc:  the_aaron at charter.net
Subject: [Missouri-l] Hybrid Cars'  Musings
 
I have been thinking  about the issue some of you have that hybrid cars 
create no noise, and are so  quiet, you are not aware they are coming.  There a 
couple of things I  am curious about, and please set me straight because 
isn't the purpose of  a hybrid to be quiet in the first place?
 

 
When I worked for  the Army as a civilian, I recall they were in the 
process of making a device  that could be worn to hear the "signature" or the 
sound of an  approaching vehicle.  Of what I understood, the device was not  
cumbersome.  Perhaps this device has been perfected and be worn  by the general 
(blind and low vision) public to alert when a vehicle is  coming when it 
can't be seen?
 

 
Here is another  concept.  Since many visually impaired people use canes or 
service  animals, make it the law to have drivers honk at the pedestrian 
who is  visually impaired because the cane or service animal will serve as an  
"identifier," and the driver will know they are approaching someone with a  
visual impairment.  I understand this might startle the service animal,  
but would you rather be safe than hit or killed?  By honking, this would  
eliminate having constant noise device on a hybrid.  Drivers I  observe are 
extremely conscientious about pedestrians who are blind or have  low vision, or 
any other pedestrian who might be in harm's way.  It is  part of the driving 
experience to watch where you are driving, not just the  other drivers, but 
other potential hazards, including people.   
 

 
I suspect some of us  in the so-called blind community don't give sighted 
people credit  in terms of how they - those who are not visually impaired - 
relate  to us, and vice versa.  I am not "selling out" to the so-called  
sighted world, because I am cognizant of both sides of this  argument since I 
have quite a bit of eyesight, yet I am still  considered to be legally blind. 
 

 
I am not suggesting  I am against hybrids that make some noise because I 
don't care one way or the  other since this issue doesn't impact me, although 
I do know several people  who are blind or have low vision, and am concerned 
about their  safety.
 

 
Scott



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