...Compassion or the Lack there of...

I waiting at the traffic lights for the intersection of Montrose and George Ferguson when I noticed a gentleman standing at the corner pushing the button to activate the cross walk. He was wearing a hat and holding a pole with a fuzzy round end on it. I sat there wondering what the pole was about and why he looked like he was staring off in space.

He was pushing the button repeatedly with conviction. The my light turns green and the car in front starts to pull through the intersection and turn left onto George Ferguson. Slowly I might add. I roll forward still watching the gentleman push the button with seemingly increased frustration.

The car in front of me continues through the intersection and I slowly follow. The only [coherent] thought in my head being 'why isn't he crossing the street?'. And then it dawned on me as I continued through the intersection, that he is trying intently to hear the chirrrp or bleeep that is associated with the majority of the cross walks in the Abbotsford downtown area. A signal for blind people that it is okay to cross the street, only this crosswalk was void of any bleeeping or chirrrping.

Another series of thoughts came to me...
How long has this poor guy been standing at this light?
How many times has he pushed that button?
Why is there no audible signal at this light?
Why has no one yelled at him that the light was good or stopped to help?


...Why...
...am I not stopping to help him?

...I'm slightly ashamed to say I continued driving...