Guide sounds, Braille, and drop-off lines at bus stops in the U.S. are ‘convenient’
Each city is slightly different… “There is only Braille instead of the induction sound.”
I felt like the driver said, ‘It’s okay to make mistakes, don’t be anxious.’
One Shot Hansol, “I wish there was a culture like this in Korea too”
Kim Han-sol (30), a visually impaired Korean YouTuber with 760,000 subscribers, was moved by the American bus system and social awareness of the mobility rights of the disabled.
On the 19th, the YouTube channel ‘One Shot Hansol’ posted ‘Wow… To go through something like this… A video titled ‘Did I hear wrong?’ was posted.
Hansol Kim, operator of One Shot Hansol, visited a bus stop in Washington, USA. There was a button installed there that allowed you to hear bus arrival information in audio. The button also had Braille for the visually impaired, and as soon as you pressed it, the destination and number of the soon-to-arrive bus were announced audibly.
He, who used a bus in Chicago, Illinois, USA last year, said, “Even in the US, there are differences between cities. In Chicago, it’s in sound, and in Washington, it’s in Braille. “Can’t it be both?” he explained, adding, “It would be better if (Braille blocks, guided sounds, and Braille) were available in Korea as well.”
Braille blocks are a convenience facility for the visually impaired that provides walking information such as warning points and destination points. Last November, it was found that out of 10,000 places in Seoul that needed Braille blocks, about 350 had not installed them. In addition, it was pointed out that the blocks were worn out and could not be read, or that there was a roadway in front of the linear straight ahead block, which was pointed out for poor management.
The amazing things about American city buses don’t stop there. Every time it stopped at a bus stop, the bus number and destination were announced audibly from the front of the vehicle. He said, “There is a sound from the head of the bus saying ‘what time and where’. But I was standing there and missed the sound. But fortunately, I was able to follow the place where the sound came from,” he praised, adding, “Thanks to this, it was easy to find the location of the ride.”
Then, the bus he had been waiting for arrived, and the driver, who saw him pointing his cane here and there to get on the bus, lowered the height of the bus and announced “number 54.” He hurriedly got on the bus, looked for a card in his pocket, and asked the driver, “Please wait a little while.” The driver said, “You can take it slow.” He responded kindly by saying, “You can ride without having to swipe your card.” He also instructed his passenger to “go inside and lower the chair (where Kim Han-sol will sit).”
Kim Han-sol, who was sitting in the disabled seat, said, “I feel anxious because I am the only one who has adapted to Korean buses. ‘If I don’t take out my card quickly and sit down quickly, what will the driver say?’ (I thought) “I’m sorry” was on my lips. “After hearing the explanation, I felt like even visually impaired people were respected.” “I’ve never felt so comfortable riding a bus,” he confessed.
He then explained the long ‘get off line’ installed near the window of the disabled seat inside the bus. The drop-off line is a drop-off bell installed so that disabled people can sit down and easily prepare to get off. He demonstrated by pulling the drop-off rope himself and said, “It makes a sound. It has a string, so no matter where you hold it, it is a bell. It’s so comfortable. “It’s the best,” he praised.
Also, when he got off the bus, he couldn’t contain his surprise and continued talking. He said, “I got off with peace of mind. “I thought, ‘What if it doesn’t get off quickly?’ but they kept waiting,” he said. “In Korea, if it doesn’t get off quickly, they say, ‘Oh, what are you doing?’ Get down quickly!’ This phrase sounds familiar. Are you waiting this slowly? “I wonder if the bus was this easy,” he said with joy.
And then, “Does this make sense? I was feeling anxious alone. But the driver had kindness in his relaxed tone. “The attitude was like ‘It’s okay to make mistakes’ and ‘Don’t be anxious,’” he said. “It felt like my speed was being recognized. “I think it would be good to have this kind of culture in Korea as well,” he said.
Netizens said, “Because our country is so hurried, angry, and intense, we seem to be living under the impression that this is normal,” “I, too, had a hard time due to the speed and haste I was forced to endure while living in Korea, so I even had bad thoughts,” and “We worry about citizens suffering when buses are delayed.” “It seems like no one is waiting to be on time because the number of complaints is increasing and the drivers are at a disadvantage.” “Korean buses are being criticized too much for the disabled. “I once rode with a bandage because I had an injured leg, and when I got on it slowly, the driver said something and other people noticed,” he sympathized.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.