Today, when I got off the bus the road works were still there at the Elliott Street A690 T-junction. The problem for me was that the layout of the road works had changed since last week. Now, the pedestrian crossing I normally use was completely blocked by barriers and the yellow pedestrian box had been disconnected.
To get to the shops from the bus stop, I now had to negotiate what seemed like a complex pattern of barriers and cones. At the same time my ears were being bombarded with the loud noise of drilling and traffic. There appeared to be just one sign that said “pedestrians this way”.
If in doubt I normally use the spinning cone on the underside of the yellow box at pedestrian crossings. With the traffic lights having been disconnected, the spinning cone was also disconnected. For a moment I stood bewildered.
I drew a deep breath and, as directed by the "pedestrians this way" sign, crossed Elliott Street, unable to hear on-coming traffic, unsure if it was safe for me to cross. I have a visual impairment and I form maps in my mind of where and how to cross safely to the shops.
It makes me wonder what today’s experience would be like for a blind person using a white cane or a guide dog.