It used to be, in years gone by, that all you had to do to be heard was to take your little soapbox, down to a busy corner in town, get up on it, and start talking. That was freedom of speech, in it's purest form.Well, it is a sunny day,and in spite of the fact that I am speaking on the internet,I am climbing up on my soapbox. I see and hear all over the news right now that the powers that be are all up in arms over the social security thing, and I guess there is reason to be concerned. However. There is another problem you don't hear too much about, and sad to say, it has never been debated, never to my knowledge been addressed.Once again, the disabled fall through the cracks.I am talking about the blind, and the lack of the governments sensitivity to the problems they face every day, when it comes to money. When a visually impared person climbs into a cab,they must depend on the kindness of that driver to be honest with them when it comes time for them to pay the fare. In stores, or on the bus, or at the bank, there are others around to keep that clerk or teller or driver honest.But most blind customers are alone, just themselves and the driver,and I have heard stories that would curl your hair as to how often the cabbie takes advantage of the situation. The passenger cannot see the fare box, so he or she must depend on the driver to tell them what the fare is, unless they are a seasoned rider.Often, a bill is passed forward,and the rider says, what is that, or Is that enough? Even when the charge is honest,and the payment is proper, there is no guarantee that the change given back is correct,or that the customer, when disembarking, won't drop some money while trying to put their change away.
In some cases, the blind person has a system,all different denominations of bills folded a certain way, by a helpful bank teller, or a family member, or friend. And it is true that even a sighted person will sometimes loose money as they leave the cab.It is a common occurance, and one that the cabbie sometimes does not catch until much later, making it almost impossible for the driver to return the money dropped to the right person.But, there is something the treasury department could do, to make it easier for the visually impared to avoid being cheated.BRAILLE.If the money was imprinted with braille denominations, the sightless would have no problem knowing what they were giving to anyone, and no problem detecting what change they were being given back. It is a simple,and obvious solution, and one that should have been instituted years ago.So, what about it, America? What are we waiting for? Write or call your congressman today, and let's get this into law as soon as possible.Don't make the blind go another year with this inequality when it comes to their money. It is not fair. No one should have to live from day to day with this kind of uncertainty, when the resolution is so easily obtained.They are changing our money around anyway, so adding a few little bumps at the corners shouldn't be that big of a deal, should it?
Oh, by the way, Just in case your curious as to where this idea came from? It was suggested by a group of cab drivers, concerned for the welfare of the people they haul every day. Nobody knows better than they that there are unscrupulous cabbies out there, and they want the blind protected.And so do I.
oui?
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