At times of maximum danger, panic may seem like a rational response. Jess didn’t panic for long, but she was aware of an urgency. She wasn’t the only one facing this dilemma. There were a number of MS sufferers like her (and others who were slow walkers or who needed aids like sticks and wheelchairs) who viewed navigating the hectic road and cycle lane to reach the shops, community and health centres with trepidation.
There was already a zebra with a middle island but this depended on the speed and courtesy of drivers. What with cars parked on pavements and few ramps, life was fraught for those with mobility challenges. So, Jess was on her way to discuss what could be done to make the act of crossing the road less of a problem.
Around twelve had come for the discussion with greater or lesser visionary acuity.
‘ That sounds more like the layout in Trafalgar Square to me. The Council will laugh at us,’ Molly was trying to inject some realism after a particularly Disneyesque version of a safe crossing.
Jess ventured her own thoughts:
‘I think first we should draw attention to the problem. Maybe get some publicity and on the back of that, ask to talk to someone in the Roads and Traffic Department,’
She went on…
‘We need a list of changes that would make crossing safer for everyone. Plenty of children use the zebra and you can see them balancing on the middle bit because cars aren’t stopping for them. So maybe a light saying slow down. And there’s the ramp business. No one can get down in a wheelchair.’
These experts in mobility and safety had no great problem drawing up a list of measures they would like to see. Stan was adept at the publicity angle:
‘Leave it to me. We need to organize a demo and try and get the telly people to cover it . Papers too. I’ll get some flyers done with our demands – make that requests – to appeal to everyone. Parents will buy in; a kid was badly injured last year on the crossing. Anyone decent will sympathise.’
‘You say a demo?’ piped up someone at the back, ‘ Like a march with banners and all that?’
‘No, we need a static demo. We could try and block the road, both sides, with people in wheelchairs and the rest of the walking gear. We could certainly have a banner with something like Equality through mobility, plus the flyer.’
So that’s what they did. About fifty people, including those with mobility aids and parents with their children, flocked to the site at the appointed hour. The TV news carried part of a background chant:
‘What do we want?’
‘Ramps, warning lights, decent drivers, safety crossing the road’
‘When do we want it?’
‘Now, before anyone else gets hurt.’
It was a lot more effective than writing all those letters to the Council had been. And so much more fun.
