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THE NORTHEAST CORNER
by Steve Albro
This month we consider the effect of wind on outdoor travel. March is often thought of as the windy month. Wind, like rain and snow, is an adverse weather condition and can present problems for the independent traveler.
The major effect of wind is on hearing. Higher winds diminish the ability to hear traffic sounds. The most obvious adjustment is needed in crossing streets. A quiet street cannot be crossed until the wind dies down and the person knows that the intersection is clear. At busy crossings, winds can drown out the sound of traffic at side streets or the sound of starting traffic at traffic lights. Be patient and wait until safety cues can be heard.
Another adjustment to traffic is in orientation to an approaching street. Traffic noise heard at a half-block away on a calm day may not be heard until a quarter-block away on a windy day.
The other downsides of wind can be classified as distractions. A stiff wind can make it harder to control the arc of the cane when using touch technique. It seems that the cane needs to be pushed harder into the wind to get enough coverage and then the wind pushes the cane into wider coverage than the user intends. There are times when it feels like the wind is pushing the cane all over the place. From one who has watched many canes on windy days, coverage feels a lot more distorted than it looks. However, it is true that more conscious attention needs to be paid to cane coverage when it is blustery. The same can be said for the traveler’s balance. A feeling of beginning to tumble when the wind suddenly lets up can follow leaning into a headwind. A good tail wind can push someone faster than is comfortable.
The important thing is not to let these distractions take away from the big things like obstacle detection, orientation and monitoring traffic.
