Like most folk I always regarded walking from A to B as a fairly mundane but pleasant way of getting around, until recently. Now, sadly it’s a combination of challenge, risk and bloody nuisance, brought about by sight loss and relocating to Auckland.
The sight loss is courtesy of retinitis pigmentosa and the move to Auckland down to two grandchildren. There isn’t much I can do to change the sight problem or wish to do about the grandchildren, but maybe I am allowed a gentle swipe at the folk who share the footpaths.
I live in a quiet street in the central, popular shopping suburb of Ponsonby and usually I take a daily stroll up to the main street, Ponsonby Road, but it’s getting tougher to enjoy the outing.
Aucklanders, I've found, have difficulties when it comes to deciding the correct areas for cars and pedestrians. Cars enjoy a sort of squatters’ right, enabling them to occupy whatever percentage of the footpath their own property doesn't allow. Whilst my cane does pick up the bulk of the vehicle, my shins are living proof that it doesn't detect tow bars quite so well. Throw in a few wheelie bins here and there and it's safer to walk on the road!
Ponsonby Road presents a raft of new challenges all on its own. Here, serious white cane events fall into two categories: human and man-made. On a sliding scale, human obstacles start with cyclists, closely followed by skateboarders, kids with scooters, school kids walking five abreast and those unable to walk around without burying their face in a cellphone. The odd dog leash across the footpath doesn't strictly count as human, but it’s worth considering as another optional hazard.
