Post Classifieds
To the Editor:
On April 7, 2012
I never thought I would have to explain city politics to my daughter at the age of six. But there we were
in the car, coming back to campus up Richmond Avenue when a severely disabled adult in a wheel
chair veered into traffic. My daughter Zuli screamed, and I slammed on the brakes. Luckily there was
no one behind us.
As it turns out, the person in the wheel chair knew exactly what she was doing, and she was never
actually in danger of being in the path of my car. She had done this many times before. The side walk
she had been riding on with ease had turned into a mess of broken and uneven sandstone so sharp it
could pop a tire. For this person it seemed to be a trade-off between death by sandstone or death by car.
Buffalo, how have we come to this? We should be ashamed of ourselves. The Americans with
Disabilities Act is over 20 years old! It clearly states that accessible sidewalks take priority over
any other city improvement. Besides the uneven sidewalks I see construction companies blocking
sidewalks without any warning, telephone poles right in the middle of wheelchair paths, and most
infuriating, government employees parking their government cars on the sidewalk.
So I explained to my daughter that the city has had over 20 years to fix the sidewalks but they didn't.
Why? Because politicians are dishonest, I told her. I also explained to her that to walk is a basic human
right. To drive is a privilege. The right thing for the government to do would be to tend to the basic
rights of its citizens - like being able walk, roll or run down every single sidewalk in the city.
I would hope and expect that we here in Buffalo would be a little more advanced than this.
Dan Ruisi
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Record News Articles
Kids give new outlook on college
I think I speak for many college students, male or female, when I say that being a college student is hard, but balancing school with ...
Kerry's comments carry credibility issues
It appears as though John Kerry needs a vocal filter. In his first address to a foreign nation since assuming his current role as S...
Bathroom messages inspire hope in hard times
I have always struggled to understand the "bathroom stall graffiti" phase. Like most things that seem to be exciting for everyone ...
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE RECORD NEWS
- We've Moved to www.buffstaterecord.com!
- Obama divulges new higher education initiative during visit to UB
- Ailing Podolefsky steps down as president
- SUNY appoints Cohen interim president
- President Podolefsky announces leave to fight cancer
- Rappers put Pepsi in a bind
- Congrats to grads: take next step with gratitude
RECENT THE RECORD CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Don’t Let Diabetes Shortchange Your Golden Years
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
- BookTrib’s Bites: Four Reads to Kickoff Spring
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE
