Got out of work early today

[giza]

Early in the afternoon, our building was hit with a blackout. (The generators were still powering the webservers and network. Don't get nervous!) Since there was no power to the main office space though, they let us out early.

With such awesome weather today, I walked around the city for a bit, and saw this guy begging for money in the PATCO Station at 8th and Market:



Now, the guy was supposedly blind. He said so when I walked by him. So, can someone please explain to me how he managed to get halfway up the stairs? Could someone explain to me why he positioned himself on a staircase, of all places?

In case I didn't mention it, we're having really awesome weather in Philly right now. :-)

Comments

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

If he really is blind, he's probably sharpened his other four senses. That, and he can feel the edges of the steps with that cane.

[giza.livejournal.com]

I figured similar.

The thing is: that glass structure behind him is an escalator. And not 20 feet to the right of him is an elevator.

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

but you can't stand on the landing of an escalator and catch people walking up or down.

[tryphina13.livejournal.com]

IF he's really blind he can't see those :-)

[ilthuain.livejournal.com]

One of my clients is a blind, developmentally disabled mute who can get up stairs without a cane.

[wildw0lf.livejournal.com]

The weather has been GREAT today here too. Wish I could have been so lucky to get out of work early today, but oh well...

[delphi-of-clf.livejournal.com]

Sure blind people can do stairs.

(warning, evil, do not attemtp!)

Want to test them for sure? Hold a ten in one hand and a thumb tack in the other, ask them which they'd rather accept. Trade hands, and ask again. :P

Generally speaking, aren't security supposed to keep people like that away?but then I'm a sucker for people like that and usually end up giving them something.

[giza.livejournal.com]

That is evil.

As for security/police, there is a really fine line to walk there, with regards to First Amendment issues. And since this is in the city, he could just as easily claim he was passing through.

Generally speaking, police officers will tell folks to move along after they've been in one spot for long enough. Of course, if he physically touches someone, then it is a different story.

[randomzen.livejournal.com]

I would pass him on my way to Ascentive down those very stairs every morning (this was 2 years ago abouts), but never on the way back for some reason. I was always mad that he got done work before I did.

[tgeller.livejournal.com]

Why couldn't blind people can't climb stairs?

I'm sincerely puzzled... it never occurred to me that stairs would be a problem for the blind. Hell, *I* can climb stairs with my eyes closed, and even find the first one with my foot without using a cane. Am I missing something?

(Plus there are many levels of "blind". If my vision were uncorrectable, I'd be legally blind, since my vision is beyond 20/600.)

[giza.livejournal.com]

Based on yours and others comments, I suppose they could.

Now my next question: why?

[tgeller.livejournal.com]

Why what? Why climb the stairs? Seems like a canny place to beg, if everyone has to pass by that way. :)

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly. Stairs aren't really a challenge to blind people at all, no more than to a regular person anyway.