Blind Sight: Why did the blind guy cross the road?

I live near a very busy intersection just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The stereotypes you may have heard about Boston drivers being overly aggressive are often true, and there have been numerous occasions on which I have feared for my safety while crossing this street, even when the "Walk" sign is on.

I am legally blind, but I have a fair amount of usable vision. Because of this, I don’t typically use a cane to get around familiar places. However, a cane isn’t just for the blind person. It’s also to alert those near the blind person so they can adjust course or move out the way.

One Sunday afternoon, I decided to perform an experiment to see if drivers would respond differently to pedestrians crossing my busy intersection with and without a cane.

Here’s what happened.

A couple notes:

• It’s legal for drivers can turn right on a red light, but this right is superseded by the Massachusetts White Cane Law, which requires drivers to stop for a blind person crossing the street. Violators of this law can face fines of up to $500. Massachusetts holds a White Cane Awareness Day Celebration every October to promote knowledge and understanding of this law.

  

• My city had recently repaved this intersection and had not yet painted its crosswalk lines. This may have made it challenging for drivers to tell where the crosswalks were.

• After crossing and recrossing the street with my cane, one gentleman approached me and asked if I needed assistance. I told him that I was practicing using my cane at the intersection, but I really appreciated his offer.