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For context, is Crystal City much more than an enormous mall/office building and a Metro stop? It's not great to have an accessibility failure, but that doesn'

by mbg721 5y ago

For context, is Crystal City much more than an enormous mall/office building and a Metro stop? It's not great to have an accessibility failure, but that doesn't strike me as a place where it would make that much difference.

bobthepanda 5y ago
Blind people have jobs and shop. The point of accessibility is to enable citizens to have a normal life.
- mbg721 5y ago
  While that's true, my memory of Crystal City is that it's meant for you to get inside the complex first, and then walk six city blocks or so.
lallysingh 5y ago
It's right across from the Pentagon.
- mbg721 5y ago
  I thought Pentagon City was right across from the Pentagon, and Crystal City was in this no-man's-land after the immediate Pentagon services stopped but before you really got into walkable Arlington.
  - exhilaration 5y ago
    All true, but I'd like to add that - after having stayed at Crystal City Doubletree - that hotel is full of service members and what appears to be higher ranking Pentagon staff.
  - jffry 5y ago
    What do you mean by "walkable Arlington"? If you mean a more house-and-sidewalk residential neighborhood, then neither Pentagon City nor Crystal City meet that mark. And Crystal city is fairly walkable even before you account for the underground part. They're both mixed-use urban developed areas with large towers, although Crystal City actually seems to have more of those. Both are in the same place, south of Interstate 395 and west of the airport (the Pentagon is just north of 395). edit: and for reference Wikipedia says: "Crystal City includes offices of numerous defense contractors, the United States Department of Labor, the United States Marshals Service, and many satellite offices for The Pentagon. It is also the location of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport."
tabtab 5y ago
It could be worse: hacked to tell unsighted pedestrians to walk even if there is through traffic. There was an X-Files episode with a guy causing car accidents by messing with traffic lights. However, it was via ESP instead of digital hacking.
- silicon2401 5y ago
  > unsighted funny that this is ostensibly being used as a positive euphemism for blind, when all it does is put the emphasis on what blind people lack. the euphemism treadmill never ends
snowwrestler 5y ago
A lot of people live there; quite a few of the buildings are condos and apartments.
JPKab 5y ago
A far, far higher percentage of pedestrians than normal are blind/visually impaired in Crystal City. I lived there for several years, in a high rise that had numerous blind people living there. There are several offices/agencies there that employ blind/visually impaired professionals. It was a fluke for me to walk the few blocks to work and NOT encounter at least one blind pedestrian. Hell, taking the elevator in my building had a high chance of a blind person (red tipped cane and all) being on my elevator.

by mbg721 5y ago

bobthepanda 5y ago

Blind people have jobs and shop. The point of accessibility is to enable citizens to have a normal life.

mbg721 5y ago
While that's true, my memory of Crystal City is that it's meant for you to get inside the complex first, and then walk six city blocks or so.

lallysingh 5y ago

It's right across from the Pentagon.

mbg721 5y ago
I thought Pentagon City was right across from the Pentagon, and Crystal City was in this no-man's-land after the immediate Pentagon services stopped but before you really got into walkable Arlington.
- exhilaration 5y ago
  All true, but I'd like to add that - after having stayed at Crystal City Doubletree - that hotel is full of service members and what appears to be higher ranking Pentagon staff.
- jffry 5y ago
  What do you mean by "walkable Arlington"? If you mean a more house-and-sidewalk residential neighborhood, then neither Pentagon City nor Crystal City meet that mark. And Crystal city is fairly walkable even before you account for the underground part. They're both mixed-use urban developed areas with large towers, although Crystal City actually seems to have more of those. Both are in the same place, south of Interstate 395 and west of the airport (the Pentagon is just north of 395). edit: and for reference Wikipedia says: "Crystal City includes offices of numerous defense contractors, the United States Department of Labor, the United States Marshals Service, and many satellite offices for The Pentagon. It is also the location of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport."

tabtab 5y ago

It could be worse: hacked to tell unsighted pedestrians to walk even if there is through traffic. There was an X-Files episode with a guy causing car accidents by messing with traffic lights. However, it was via ESP instead of digital hacking.

silicon2401 5y ago
> unsighted funny that this is ostensibly being used as a positive euphemism for blind, when all it does is put the emphasis on what blind people lack. the euphemism treadmill never ends

snowwrestler 5y ago

A lot of people live there; quite a few of the buildings are condos and apartments.

JPKab 5y ago

A far, far higher percentage of pedestrians than normal are blind/visually impaired in Crystal City. I lived there for several years, in a high rise that had numerous blind people living there. There are several offices/agencies there that employ blind/visually impaired professionals. It was a fluke for me to walk the few blocks to work and NOT encounter at least one blind pedestrian. Hell, taking the elevator in my building had a high chance of a blind person (red tipped cane and all) being on my elevator.