AN UNNERVING SIGHT — by Steve Nadis
I was chilled earlier today when I saw a woman dressed in a burqa, with only a tiny slit around her eyes, get into her car at a grocery store parking lot and drive off onto our city streets. Her field of view was extremely restricted and she had absolutely no peripheral vision. I like to be open-minded about things. People should be able to dress how they want, within reason. However, when those people are driving on public thoroughfares, it’s nice to know they can actually see and that their vision is not severely impaired due to a religious dress code. I say this as a guy who’s often on the side of the road riding his bike, trying to stay alive.
Posted by
at
03:21:52
Did you know that one-eyed people are legally allowed to drive? Also people who need sunglasses, but forgot them that day, and are squinting into the sun? Also people with elaborate or elaborately unkempt hairdos that fall into their eyes? Also people with baseball caps with low, curvy brims? Also people who really need to get to the optometrist and renew their prescription, but haven’t gotten around to it yet? Also people with neck or shoulder injuries who may not be able to swivel their heads around much? Also 16-year-olds, whose forebrains are not fully developed?
Perhaps you do know these things. But you don’t know the difference between burqa and niqab, that’s for sure.
You raise some good points, MD. I’m not sure that makes what I wrote “wrong,” but it does suggest that I might not have thought through the situation fully.
I’ll come to your defense on this 1, Snake… sorta.
Though it may’ve been better to refer simply to a Muslim woman’s head-dress or veil, she chooses to wear it out of respect for her culture, whereas 16 yr olds simply lack driving experience (or patience), people needing corrective lenses are technically breaking the law when driving w/ improper prescripts, people w/aforementioned neck/shoulder injuries are FINE w/ proper mirrors, & profusely ‘haired’ people can simply tie it all back.
Seems to me if these women want to be ‘unseen’, order tinted windows & lose the niqab (?) after they’ve closed the doors! Road safety is EVERY-one’s concern.
But she’s right in that ya shouldn’t pick on 1 group.
[One-eyed folk can get a license?? :O wow ]