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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this person may not be as blind as he says?

37 replies

SweetAudrina · 29/01/2009 14:53

I know a family, a very odd family ... but I'll leave the description there.

Anyway, the man is supposedly blind. Apparantly it happened in a car accident so he wasn't born like that. He has a white stick and wears big black goggles.

BUT ... At various times, I wonder if he really is blind at all.

For instance, a few weeks ago he was outside his house with the bonnet of the car up and he seemed to be working on it.

We have seen him in the local frozen food shop with his 3 year old grandaughter shopping (yes I know blind people can shop but to do this he has to cross a busy road, on his own, with a three year old and then he seems more than capable of choosing food from the freezers, despite the fact that they change it around every week).

The worst one is ... he drives the car. He has driven the car from his house to the school (includes a few busy, main roads) and around the school drive/carpark.

Surely, he cannot be blind, can he?

or am I being unreasonable to even think it?

OP posts:

MadMarg · 29/01/2009 14:56

Being legally blind and being completely bilnd are two different things. My friend is legally blind (and getting worse) but sees some things with periphery vision.

bruxeur · 29/01/2009 14:57

Erm - Marg - driving? Really? Even if only vision-impaired?

Original poster

SweetAudrina · 29/01/2009 14:57

But surely he shouldn't be driving if, one minute he's tripping up a curb, seemingly unable to see it and the next he's swanning around in a people carrier?

OP posts:

Blu · 29/01/2009 14:58

We-e-e-e-ell

I was going to say I know someone who has a particular kind of visual impairment whhich means she can see slight wedges of vision, as if she was looking through a crack in a door. Or her vision is very smudgy' and she can see if she peers at exactly the right distance. Which would enable her to see things in a freezer cabinet, a bit at a time rather than the whole cabinet.

She can certainly cross roads and get herself around.

She uses a cane, and dark glasses.

BUT no way would she drive.

tumtumtetum · 29/01/2009 14:58

If he is driving his vision can't be that impaired, I would guess.

norksinmywaistband · 29/01/2009 14:59

Being registered blind does not mean you can see nothing, apparently black blindness is rare.

I would be concerend re the driving though

tumtumtetum · 29/01/2009 15:00

If you think his vision is bad it may be that he is driving illegally, and really you should have a word/shop him before he kills someone.

PinkTulips · 29/01/2009 15:00

sounds dodgy as even a partially sighted person shouldn't be driving should they?

nancy75 · 29/01/2009 15:00

to drive legally you need to be able to read a number plate from a certain distance, if he cant see to cross the road i would say his sight is too bad to drive. if however he drives with no problem i would imagine his sight is not as bad as he makes out.

MadMarg · 29/01/2009 15:00

Oops, missed the bit about actually driving. No, if you're legally blind you can't drive.

nancy75 · 29/01/2009 15:02

The current standard for visual acuity for car and motorcycle drivers is the ability to read a car number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres or 20 metres if the number plate displays the narrower font. Drivers must wear spectacles or corrective lenses whilst driving if these are needed to allow them to meet the legal standard, but this does not include the use of bioptic devices.

In addition to meeting the standard for visual acuity, drivers must also have a field of vision of at least 120° other than in exceptional cases when adaptation to a permanent loss of visual field can be demonstrated and has been approved by DVLA. Bioptic devices can affect the field of vision to the extent that this field standard cannot be met.

This is what the dvla says

TotalChaos · 29/01/2009 15:03

The driving sounds concerning. Everything else though doesn't sound at all suspicious - my grandfather was registered blind, had a very little residual vision, and managed to do things with me well enough when I was small, including shopping and nappy changing!

donnie · 29/01/2009 15:04

what do you actually want to do about this?

onager · 29/01/2009 15:11

If he can see well enough to drive he wouldn't need the stick.

ThePgHedgeWitchIsCrankyBeware · 29/01/2009 15:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

SweetAudrina · 29/01/2009 15:41

The family apparantly had an anonomous letter from someone saying "we know you're not really blind and are committing benefit fraud so stop before we report you"

OP posts:

kitbit · 29/01/2009 15:49

how do you know about the letter?

Original poster

SweetAudrina · 29/01/2009 15:49

his wife was telling everyone!

OP posts:

CandleQueen · 29/01/2009 15:53

I'd consider shopping him. If he is blind he will kill someone with his car. If he isn't blind, he'sm taking the p**s

wotulookinat · 29/01/2009 15:54

Sounds dodgy to me. I would be more worried about him driving if he can't see properly than the benefit fraud tbh. The fraud is bad, but won't kill anyone. I'm not sure who you would tell, though. The police?

theresonlyme · 29/01/2009 15:58

Sounds like fraud to me.

Gorionine · 29/01/2009 16:05

Sounds a bit iffy to me, especially the driving bit. As other I am more worried about the safety of other road users than benefit fraud if his vision is really impaired!

edam · 29/01/2009 16:13

I agree with Blu and everyone who has pointed out blindness doesn't necessarily = no vision at all. But driving sounds mad! If you seriously think he does have poor vision and is driving then I'd get in touch with the DVLA.

Ebb · 29/01/2009 16:53

My friend is blind in one eye and she drives. She knows she has to be more aware of her blind spots ( no pun intended! ) on the side she cannot see with. She has been blind in one eye from birth though so her perception has never changed.

Is the man actually registered blind? If so I would ring the police.

TheThoughtPolice · 29/01/2009 16:59

Surely the white stick would suggest that the man is quite profoundly blind (is there such thing as 'quite profoundly' ?!!!), therefore surely that level of sightlessness must preclude him from driving ?

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