I have written emails on numerous occasions to the New Britain Housing Authority about their maintenance personnel parking the authority’s vehicles on the sidewalk.
Some years ago a blind man walked right into a parked truck parked on the sidewalk by the Columbus Blvd. entrance to the garage and was sent to the hospital. I warned the Authority of this occurrence to no avail.
A week ago I stopped to help a blind man who was attempting to cross the street, with the passing traffic ignoring his white cane, does indicate that there are blind persons walking on our sidewalks and with the continuance of parking the authority’s trucks on the sidewalk areas causes a horrible hazard to these handicap persons.
When entering the D’Amato building subsequent to my taking the pictures shown herein, of the authority's vehicle, a Housing Commissioner was leaving the building with her gentleman friend raising no alarm to the parked truck on the sidewalk.
Adding to this complex issue was allowing the home inspector, hired by HUD, to also park on the sidewalk.
The complacent attitudes of the Housing Authority personnel should be redirected with a better regard towards people with the handicap I described.
On 1/27/09, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteDemocrats on the NB Council should spend more time trying to work on positive ventures to help the NB residents instead of the petty nonsense constantly being spewed by Sherwood through his lapdog, Guinness. Mister Schroeder needs to do some purging of sorespots (staff) at The Herald.
Frank: (1/27/09)
ReplyDeleteIs a "secret society" simply a group that keeps secrets or a group whose members are unknown? What secrets does Rich Marzi want exposed? I thought he already took credit for exposing everything about the Willow St. Park. Didn't Ken Malinowski tell him enough?
Where was the parking authority's enforcement officers or the police department while all these trucks were parked illegally on the sidewalk?
ReplyDeleteIf you or I did that, we would have gotten a big fat scary $10 parking ticket!
I would like to remind everyone who operates a motor vehicle of their responsibility to yield the right of way to blind pedestrians.
ReplyDeleteSec. 53-211 of the Connecticut General Statutes requires the operator of a motor vehicle to “reduce speed or stop if necessary” to grant the right of way to a person using a white cane, a white cane with red tip, or being guided by a guide dog.
Here in New Britain, we have several residents who are blind, and I have witnessed near misses when motor vehicle operators ignore them as they are attempting to cross the street. I have also stopped to yield to a blind person, only to have other motorists on the road pass me right in front of the blind person who is in the middle of the road at the time.
In addition to it being illegal to park on the sidewalk, it is also very hazardous to blind persons whenever you park your car on the sidewalk. Blind people are trained to memorize their surroundings and they become familiar with the locations of sidewalks. When you park your vehicle in the middle of the sidewalk, this is very hazardous to them as they may walk right into the vehicle—causing them serious injury. This is not only rude conduct on your part, but you may also be civilly liable for any injury they receive as a result of your violating the law by parking on the sidewalk and causing their injury.
As you can see from the photo, even some city employees need to learn to keep their vehicles off the sidewalk!
Sec. 53-211. Use of white canes by others than blind persons prohibited. Vehicles to reduce speed, grant right-of-way. (a) No person, except one wholly or partially blind, shall carry or use on any street or highway, or in any other public place, a cane or walking stick which is white in color or white tipped with red.
(b) Any driver of a vehicle who approaches or comes into the immediate vicinity of a person wholly or partially blind, carrying a white cane or a white cane tipped with red, or a person being guided by a guide dog, shall reduce speed or stop if necessary to grant the right-of-way to such person.
(c) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.
Maybe someone should hits these employees over the head with a white cain and maybe they will show respect towards the blind.
ReplyDelete