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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hi, Scott:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Re your second point…<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I spent most of my life in <st1:City
w:st="on">new York City</st1:City> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Washington</st1:City>
<st1:State w:st="on">DC</st1:State></st1:place>, 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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I am intrigued with your first suggestion,
however.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Best, Peter <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Best, Peter <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
missouri-l-bounces@moblind.org [mailto:missouri-l-bounces@moblind.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>kcagape@aol.com<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Sunday, January 17, 2010
8:33 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Missouri-L@moblind.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> the_aaron@charter.net<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Missouri-l] Hybrid Cars'
Musings</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>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?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>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?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Scott<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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