3 ms·

John Stossel really shows his hand in that piece when he uses "wheelchair access" as an example of government spending run amok. Why shouldn't disabled people s

John Stossel really shows his hand in that piece when he uses "wheelchair access" as an example of government spending run amok. Why shouldn't disabled people should be able to access facilities they pay for with their tax dollars? Why is complying with the ADA--a bipartisan law signed by George H.W. Bush--seen as a waste of taxpayer money?

j_walter 5y ago
He certainly does mention that and it doesn't seem clear why, but either way how does something as basic as a restroom cost that much to build? You think there isn't a lot of waste involved and at the tax payers expense?
oh_sigh 5y ago
The ADA might be generally a good idea, but that doesn't mean that everything it makes you do is a good idea. On my street, the city(near Denver) recently added 3 curb cuts for ADA compliance. I don't know how much those curb cuts cost, but they weren't free. Now - no one really walks down my street. There were curb cuts at both ends of the block. Every driveway has a curb cut. But more curb cuts needed to be added because of the ADA, even though there is no clear explanation of how anyone with a movement disability is going to benefit from these new cuts.
- simfree 5y ago
  Do you ever question why the sidewalk was unused? Without curb cuts, any potential sidewalk user with wheels is impaired with a detour through the street or a cumbersome stop and lift process. Does a parent with their kids in a stroller get discouraged by this? How about those with Rollerblades, non-electric scooters, or any kind of dolly? Curb cuts for cars are often a notable detour for other road users, many have a 1/2 inch lip (unlike sidewalk curb cuts).
  - oh_sigh 5y ago
    You're telling me all the reasons that curb cuts may be a good idea, but not why they are actually a good idea in my neighborhood(not that I blame you since you don't know where I live). Anyways - that is really my point. ADA has good general ideas, but it can be too generalized to be usefully applied to many neighborhoods. > Do you ever question why the sidewalk was unused? No, because it is clear. It is unused because the only reason anyone would walk down it is if they lived in the neighborhood. So people do use it, but the number of unique users is approximately how many people live in the 10 houses on the street. > Without curb cuts There are a ton of curb cuts. Literally every 70' is a curb cut for the entire length of the street before they did their work. Now there are three more curb cuts. > Does a parent with their kids in a stroller get discouraged by this? I'm a parent with a stroller and it has never been a problem. Hasn't been a problem for my wife either who is significantly weaker than me and has a bad back. > How about those with Rollerblades, non-electric scooters, or any kind of dolly? These are also me, and no, no problem. Also me on a skateboard without an issue. And it's not because I'm great at skateboarding, since I literally just started 2 months ago. > Curb cuts for cars are often a notable detour for other road users There's zero lip on any of the 12 curb cuts on the street. I know this because I've ridden my skateboard over them a bunch of times and have never fallen.
    - simfree 5y ago
      From what you describe you live on a dead end road or cul-de-sac that needs more pathways. This poor connectivity is part of why states and localities have banned cul-de-sacs and started enforcing road end connection ordinances. Here in Seattle there are many dead end roads that have a staircase down to the next road (usually a 2 story drop) to tie our hilly city's sidewalks together.
jxidjhdhdhdhfhf 5y ago
Should even a wheelchair accessible public restroom cost $2M and take years to finish?

j_walter 5y ago

He certainly does mention that and it doesn't seem clear why, but either way how does something as basic as a restroom cost that much to build? You think there isn't a lot of waste involved and at the tax payers expense?

oh_sigh 5y ago

The ADA might be generally a good idea, but that doesn't mean that everything it makes you do is a good idea. On my street, the city(near Denver) recently added 3 curb cuts for ADA compliance. I don't know how much those curb cuts cost, but they weren't free. Now - no one really walks down my street. There were curb cuts at both ends of the block. Every driveway has a curb cut. But more curb cuts needed to be added because of the ADA, even though there is no clear explanation of how anyone with a movement disability is going to benefit from these new cuts.

simfree 5y ago
Do you ever question why the sidewalk was unused? Without curb cuts, any potential sidewalk user with wheels is impaired with a detour through the street or a cumbersome stop and lift process. Does a parent with their kids in a stroller get discouraged by this? How about those with Rollerblades, non-electric scooters, or any kind of dolly? Curb cuts for cars are often a notable detour for other road users, many have a 1/2 inch lip (unlike sidewalk curb cuts).
- oh_sigh 5y ago
  You're telling me all the reasons that curb cuts may be a good idea, but not why they are actually a good idea in my neighborhood(not that I blame you since you don't know where I live). Anyways - that is really my point. ADA has good general ideas, but it can be too generalized to be usefully applied to many neighborhoods. > Do you ever question why the sidewalk was unused? No, because it is clear. It is unused because the only reason anyone would walk down it is if they lived in the neighborhood. So people do use it, but the number of unique users is approximately how many people live in the 10 houses on the street. > Without curb cuts There are a ton of curb cuts. Literally every 70' is a curb cut for the entire length of the street before they did their work. Now there are three more curb cuts. > Does a parent with their kids in a stroller get discouraged by this? I'm a parent with a stroller and it has never been a problem. Hasn't been a problem for my wife either who is significantly weaker than me and has a bad back. > How about those with Rollerblades, non-electric scooters, or any kind of dolly? These are also me, and no, no problem. Also me on a skateboard without an issue. And it's not because I'm great at skateboarding, since I literally just started 2 months ago. > Curb cuts for cars are often a notable detour for other road users There's zero lip on any of the 12 curb cuts on the street. I know this because I've ridden my skateboard over them a bunch of times and have never fallen.
  - simfree 5y ago
    From what you describe you live on a dead end road or cul-de-sac that needs more pathways. This poor connectivity is part of why states and localities have banned cul-de-sacs and started enforcing road end connection ordinances. Here in Seattle there are many dead end roads that have a staircase down to the next road (usually a 2 story drop) to tie our hilly city's sidewalks together.

jxidjhdhdhdhfhf 5y ago

Should even a wheelchair accessible public restroom cost $2M and take years to finish?