The Mercury News' Roadshow column hit upon something that I have been wondering about since the beginning of the Dot Era:
Q A friend fell on the yellow bumps on the sidewalk at Safeway and broke her leg in four places. She had no insurance and was in the hospital for three days.
A These truncated domes at curb cuts are designed to meet requirements by the Americans With Disabilities Act and are meant to inform blind pedestrians that they are stepping into traffic. But lawyers have had a field day with these. They've filed so many lawsuits that cities and corporations are going way overboard to insulate themselves from lawsuits. How so? Some make it difficult for people using walkers, canes and crutches to easily cross these dotted surfaces. Places like Costco and Target often run them the entire length of an entrance. Critics say they are also a huge headache for non-disabled folks.
I'm not sure how a city goes way overboard to insulate itself from lawsuits. It certainly doesn't work in other instances like this one! These things are all over the place and seem to get bigger with each new installation. This one is on Primrose.
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