June 9 - Speak Up, Please!

I find it very disconcerting to have someone walk right beside me when I have no idea that they are there until ...there they are! Come and gone without a whisper of sound. It would be so much nicer if the approaching person could speak up and alert me to their presence. A simple Hi, or Hello or How’s it going? would be sufficient. Just some sound to let me know that they are there before we almost bump elbows.

I have two examples of this from my walk yesterday. I was crossing the footbridge when I heard someone coming. I heard this because this person was humming a little tune. I immediately moved further to the side knowing that there were now two of us on the bridge. This was a good thing.

Further along, I was walking along a more narrow sidewalk when out of the blue, a bicycle passed me by. Yes, the cyclist was indeed close enough to rub elbows and I jumped in surprise. I was walking at a reasonably brisk pace and the bike was moving quickly in the opposite direction. I had no idea that anyone was coming until the bike was beside me. My heart did a little thump, thump and behind me I heard a voice trailing away in the distance. “Sorry,” he said.

So my plea to those of you who are sighted is this. If you see someone coming your way and if that person is using a white cane, please speak up! If you are riding a bike, perhaps you should stay on the road, or at least ring your bell.