scotty1024
07-01-2008, 11:35 PM
So this is what really prompted my "How do you deal with:" series....
I'm on my way home having just crossed the Microsoft campus and I'm waiting at the southern most traffic signal for the walk signal to flash white and make that nice little "beep" that confirms the signal for us blind folks.
A shiny black low slung blob glides (nothing noisy about this baby) up but doesn't come up to the nice fat white line. It immediately attracts my attention because its acting different and I'll have to cross in front of it.
The shiny black low slung blob pulls a U turn and heads back into the campus but pulls over to the far side and someone gets out. The walk signal has turned white and I've started across as the person gets out. I have to focus more on where I'm going but as I reach about half way I see a blob moving down the sidewalk towards the corner.
The part of the human brain that can do differential equations without using calculus announces I'll get there well before the blob: the curb cut is mine.
I relax.
The blob moves faster, still not running (blob isn't bouncing) but moving more quickly.
I get tense again, I still beat blob but not by as much.
I stop: to see what blob will do.
Blob stops.
I look a little more to my left and shiny black low slung blob is getting slowly bigger. Cross walk sign begins to blink red. Blob begins to move slowly.
The curb cut is new so it has the yellow mat.
I crouch, aim for the mat and lean forward for quick acceleration and ignore both blobs.
I pop up on the sidewalk and do the hip and lean thing to go around the light pole and once I'm clear of the pole I look over my left shoulder. The blobs are merging and I'm headed down the street away from them.
About half way down the block I look over my right shoulder and can just see a shiny black blob behind other blobs. As I reach the next light the cross walk is already white. Half way across the cross walk I look back again. Fewer blobs and shiny black blob is bigger.
The annoying thing about the current iPhone: no GPS. You call 911 and they don't know where you are. I know where I am from the next major street I know the name of but only by how many and what kind of curb cuts. But I'm rolling up to my first "snippy spot".
Having been a little insecure about snipping I'd found a place next to the parking lot adjoining the snippy spot that was behind some bushes.
I did a left into the parking lot, quick stopped, hopped off and walked my Segway back behind the bushes again.
About 15 seconds later shiny black low slung blob pulls into the parking lot and slowly drives around it (its sort of square shaped).
About this time my CHF is becoming quite a bother. I'm not supposed to get this excited. Pulse rate is way too high and I'm starting to breath too hard.
Evidently the window(s) get lowered as I suddenly can hear music (rap) and conversation.
"Where the F is he?"
"S I don't know."
"Well I F saw him come in here, he has to be in here!"
I slow my breathing and think about the Garmin.
"S man, you and 'I wanna talk to Segway dude!'"
"Well I do! Gas costs a Mother F now."
"Tell me about it, I keep driving your *** around."
"Well I was thinking about getting one."
"Ha ha won't you just look the slick F dork on a Segway!"
Music disappears and shiny black low slung blob pulls back out into traffic.
I discover you can't really sit on a Segway: console gets in the way.
Downside to being a legally blind Segway owner: groupies. Crazy groupies.
They're fun when you're unlocking your Segway and they stop walking by to ask you a friendly question about it. But chasing you down the street I could do with out.
I'm on my way home having just crossed the Microsoft campus and I'm waiting at the southern most traffic signal for the walk signal to flash white and make that nice little "beep" that confirms the signal for us blind folks.
A shiny black low slung blob glides (nothing noisy about this baby) up but doesn't come up to the nice fat white line. It immediately attracts my attention because its acting different and I'll have to cross in front of it.
The shiny black low slung blob pulls a U turn and heads back into the campus but pulls over to the far side and someone gets out. The walk signal has turned white and I've started across as the person gets out. I have to focus more on where I'm going but as I reach about half way I see a blob moving down the sidewalk towards the corner.
The part of the human brain that can do differential equations without using calculus announces I'll get there well before the blob: the curb cut is mine.
I relax.
The blob moves faster, still not running (blob isn't bouncing) but moving more quickly.
I get tense again, I still beat blob but not by as much.
I stop: to see what blob will do.
Blob stops.
I look a little more to my left and shiny black low slung blob is getting slowly bigger. Cross walk sign begins to blink red. Blob begins to move slowly.
The curb cut is new so it has the yellow mat.
I crouch, aim for the mat and lean forward for quick acceleration and ignore both blobs.
I pop up on the sidewalk and do the hip and lean thing to go around the light pole and once I'm clear of the pole I look over my left shoulder. The blobs are merging and I'm headed down the street away from them.
About half way down the block I look over my right shoulder and can just see a shiny black blob behind other blobs. As I reach the next light the cross walk is already white. Half way across the cross walk I look back again. Fewer blobs and shiny black blob is bigger.
The annoying thing about the current iPhone: no GPS. You call 911 and they don't know where you are. I know where I am from the next major street I know the name of but only by how many and what kind of curb cuts. But I'm rolling up to my first "snippy spot".
Having been a little insecure about snipping I'd found a place next to the parking lot adjoining the snippy spot that was behind some bushes.
I did a left into the parking lot, quick stopped, hopped off and walked my Segway back behind the bushes again.
About 15 seconds later shiny black low slung blob pulls into the parking lot and slowly drives around it (its sort of square shaped).
About this time my CHF is becoming quite a bother. I'm not supposed to get this excited. Pulse rate is way too high and I'm starting to breath too hard.
Evidently the window(s) get lowered as I suddenly can hear music (rap) and conversation.
"Where the F is he?"
"S I don't know."
"Well I F saw him come in here, he has to be in here!"
I slow my breathing and think about the Garmin.
"S man, you and 'I wanna talk to Segway dude!'"
"Well I do! Gas costs a Mother F now."
"Tell me about it, I keep driving your *** around."
"Well I was thinking about getting one."
"Ha ha won't you just look the slick F dork on a Segway!"
Music disappears and shiny black low slung blob pulls back out into traffic.
I discover you can't really sit on a Segway: console gets in the way.
Downside to being a legally blind Segway owner: groupies. Crazy groupies.
They're fun when you're unlocking your Segway and they stop walking by to ask you a friendly question about it. But chasing you down the street I could do with out.