Detectable Warning Strips

Do electric cars operate silently? If so, how does the advice of “Barnie the child hero” apply? You know, haven’t you heard it… “Look both ways when you cross the street to left and to the right… “Stop, look and listen”… “Listen”?

The most unpredicted event happened about twelve years ago. I worked weekends at a local store located near an intersection on a quiet street. Every Saturday I could see “Charlie” (who was blind) stop at the corner across the street from the store, bend forward while tilting his head to left and right listening for traffic. Every now and then one of the people I worked with would open the door and yell to Charlie that it was safe, no cars were coming and to go ahead and cross the street. Well, one day three young guys were pushing this car down a small slope on the street past the store. The car apparently had ran out of gas and they were pushing it to a near by ESSO to refuel. As they were approaching the intersection we could see Charlie about to step off the sidewalk because he couldn’t hear any traffic. Yeah, you guessed it. Two guys ran to the door screaming at Charlie to and not to cross. Well, poor Charlie got so worked up that he just froze with his cane in the air, knees bent and turning his body left and right not knowing which way to go. One of the guys pushing the car ran for the driver seat to apply the break and stop the car before it hit him.

It seemed to be the craziest event that you could only imagine would happen. The thing is; it did happen and Charlie suffered a heart pounding scare. I guess that day the Detectable Warning Strips were the two guys screaming at Charlie from the store. They definitely were different types of detectable warning strips, but, hey they worked.

By Ron O’Neill
Engineered Plastics Inc.

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