Boston Seventh Strangest City in U.S.
Sunday Happenings
Sports Redux: B's, Bergeron Get 2 More From Road
Gordon Willis, the Man Who Plays Peekaboo
Living in the 'hood of Beacon Hill is rough. The Charles Street Doggz must cope with prying eyes, envious gazes, pedestrians who aren't wearing Lilly Pulitzer, and now the noisy beeps made by crosswalks.
The Charles Street Doggz immediately investigated the situation and discovered those crosswalks were beeping so blind people would know when to cross the street. The Charles Street Doggz were faced with a tough choice--themselves or the blind. So they complained to the city brass and put an end to that racket.
According to a WBZ report from Joe Shortsleeve (what a great name!), "The city responded and lowered the volume. Now the chirping sound only happens if someone pushes the button, not every time the cross walk light illuminates."
Bostonist can understand why it is so hard to cope with that chirping. We're truly grateful that the police sirens, the beeping MBTA bus negotiating a tough turn, squealing brakes, and T-Pain's "I'm in Love With a Stripper" thundering from hot rods drowns out the sound so we can sleep at night.
Image of a crosswalk sign from azdot.gov.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
From the link provided:
"They made those volume levels on those devices for people without hearing not for the blind because people without sight have enhanced hearing they don't need to have it so loud (that) it is waking up people two blocks away," Young said.
Aside from the horrible grammar of the editor of that piece...
I love blanket statements. ENHANCED HEARING~! If you think the chirping is too loud, whatever, but don't throw in digs at blind people, you ass.
"Joe Shortsleeve (what a great name!)"
Unless I'm mistaken, Joe is one of many New Englanders descended from French Canadians. A hundred years ago, due to prejudice by Yankees, names were Anglicized in hopes of making employment more likely, ("Courtemanche" would be the original French). "Pied" became "Foote", etc. John Kerry isn't the only one with tangled Roots.