Can
you guess what is causing considerable anxiety among senior citizens when they
are walking inside Airports, Malls, lobbies of star hotels or hospitals and
even some recently renovated railway stations? It is the shiny granite flooring which I consider as one of
the most senior citizen unfriendly thing to have happened in recent years. No
doubt they look very attractive. But I find them very slippery and dangerous. I
always feel unsure of my grip on the floor whenever I am walking on them. Even if
I am taking careful short steps, I am not confident.
A
few years ago, the Corporation of Chennai decided to beautify the Bessy, as the
beautiful Elliots beach area in Besant Nagar in Chennai is known, with non
glossy granite on the walking path adjacent to the parapet wall running across
the beach front. Walking on this path I slipped & fell down a couple of
times, fortunately without any collateral damage to my body. I was lucky. I
have seen many others also falling, especially when the foot path is covered with
sand carried by the winds blowing from the sea to the land or after rains. I feel more comfortable walking on the main cemented
road, like hundreds of morning walkers do every morning.
If
you are a senior citizen and are travelling by flights, very often, you will
find that you have to walk long distances from the entrance of the airport to
the departure lounge inside the airport or from the aircraft to the arrival
lounge. I have always found such walks a nightmare because of the extensive use
of shiny, granite flooring everywhere. Invariably I would be walking with fear
in my heart and prayer on my lips.
Imagine the plight of physically disabled people when they are not able
to get the wheel chair facility at the airports.
These
days even the lobbies of the multi storied apartment complexes have granite
flooring. Many flat builders also proudly claim to have laid granite flooring
inside their flats. Why granite flooring inside homes? I think it is a crazy
idea. I am sure there are alternative floorings, equally good looking without
the risks involved in having granite flooring.
Talking
about flooring inside homes, I would like to share my own experience. During the
devastating floods which created havoc in Chennai city in 2015, I went through
the ordeal of water entering my independent home in Adyar. The entire ground
floor of my modest home was covered with one foot of water for over a week.
When the waters finally receded, I discovered to my shock that the entire
mosaic flooring in the drawing room and the adjacent study, laid 30 years
earlier, was completely ruined. While I
was averse to the idea of using mosaic flooring again because of the messy
& time consuming procedure, I decided to use the inexpensive and easy to
lay Linoleum flooring recommended by my
friendly engineer/contractor. The wooden
finish of the flooring looks as good as the imported laminated wooden flooring.
Visitors can hardly find any difference.
Though the flooring has come with only an 8 year guarantee, it is ok by me as I
can afford to replace the flooring every few years. It took only four hours to lay the whole
flooring without disturbing my routine.
I
believe while looks are important, safety also matters when it comes to things
used regularly, especially by senior citizens!
This article
has appeared in the 20-26th January, 2019 issue of Adyar Times,
under my column `Rajan`s Random Reflections`
The
slippery flooring
by
R.V.Rajan
Can
you guess what is causing considerable anxiety among senior citizens when they
are walking inside Airports, Malls, lobbies of star hotels or hospitals and
even some recently renovated railway stations? It is the shiny granite flooring which I consider as one of
the most senior citizen unfriendly thing to have happened in recent years. No
doubt they look very attractive. But I find them very slippery and dangerous. I
always feel unsure of my grip on the floor whenever I am walking on them. Even if
I am taking careful short steps, I am not confident.
A
few years ago, the Corporation of Chennai decided to beautify the Bessy, as the
beautiful Elliots beach area in Besant Nagar in Chennai is known, with non
glossy granite on the walking path adjacent to the parapet wall running across
the beach front. Walking on this path I slipped & fell down a couple of
times, fortunately without any collateral damage to my body. I was lucky. I
have seen many others also falling, especially when the foot path is covered with
sand carried by the winds blowing from the sea to the land or after rains. I feel more comfortable walking on the main cemented
road, like hundreds of morning walkers do every morning.
If
you are a senior citizen and are travelling by flights, very often, you will
find that you have to walk long distances from the entrance of the airport to
the departure lounge inside the airport or from the aircraft to the arrival
lounge. I have always found such walks a nightmare because of the extensive use
of shiny, granite flooring everywhere. Invariably I would be walking with fear
in my heart and prayer on my lips.
Imagine the plight of physically disabled people when they are not able
to get the wheel chair facility at the airports.
These
days even the lobbies of the multi storied apartment complexes have granite
flooring. Many flat builders also proudly claim to have laid granite flooring
inside their flats. Why granite flooring inside homes? I think it is a crazy
idea. I am sure there are alternative floorings, equally good looking without
the risks involved in having granite flooring.
Talking
about flooring inside homes, I would like to share my own experience. During the
devastating floods which created havoc in Chennai city in 2015, I went through
the ordeal of water entering my independent home in Adyar. The entire ground
floor of my modest home was covered with one foot of water for over a week.
When the waters finally receded, I discovered to my shock that the entire
mosaic flooring in the drawing room and the adjacent study, laid 30 years
earlier, was completely ruined. While I
was averse to the idea of using mosaic flooring again because of the messy
& time consuming procedure, I decided to use the inexpensive and easy to
lay Linoleum flooring recommended by my
friendly engineer/contractor. The wooden
finish of the flooring looks as good as the imported laminated wooden flooring.
Visitors can hardly find any difference.
Though the flooring has come with only an 8 year guarantee, it is ok by me as I
can afford to replace the flooring every few years. It took only four hours to lay the whole
flooring without disturbing my routine.
I
believe while looks are important, safety also matters when it comes to things
used regularly, especially by senior citizens!
This article
has appeared in the 20-26th January, 2019 issue of Adyar Times,
under my column `Rajan`s Random Reflections`
by
R.V.Rajan
Can
you guess what is causing considerable anxiety among senior citizens when they
are walking inside Airports, Malls, lobbies of star hotels or hospitals and
even some recently renovated railway stations? It is the shiny granite flooring which I consider as one of
the most senior citizen unfriendly thing to have happened in recent years. No
doubt they look very attractive. But I find them very slippery and dangerous. I
always feel unsure of my grip on the floor whenever I am walking on them. Even if
I am taking careful short steps, I am not confident.
A
few years ago, the Corporation of Chennai decided to beautify the Bessy, as the
beautiful Elliots beach area in Besant Nagar in Chennai is known, with non
glossy granite on the walking path adjacent to the parapet wall running across
the beach front. Walking on this path I slipped & fell down a couple of
times, fortunately without any collateral damage to my body. I was lucky. I
have seen many others also falling, especially when the foot path is covered with
sand carried by the winds blowing from the sea to the land or after rains. I feel more comfortable walking on the main cemented
road, like hundreds of morning walkers do every morning.
If
you are a senior citizen and are travelling by flights, very often, you will
find that you have to walk long distances from the entrance of the airport to
the departure lounge inside the airport or from the aircraft to the arrival
lounge. I have always found such walks a nightmare because of the extensive use
of shiny, granite flooring everywhere. Invariably I would be walking with fear
in my heart and prayer on my lips.
Imagine the plight of physically disabled people when they are not able
to get the wheel chair facility at the airports.
These
days even the lobbies of the multi storied apartment complexes have granite
flooring. Many flat builders also proudly claim to have laid granite flooring
inside their flats. Why granite flooring inside homes? I think it is a crazy
idea. I am sure there are alternative floorings, equally good looking without
the risks involved in having granite flooring.
Talking
about flooring inside homes, I would like to share my own experience. During the
devastating floods which created havoc in Chennai city in 2015, I went through
the ordeal of water entering my independent home in Adyar. The entire ground
floor of my modest home was covered with one foot of water for over a week.
When the waters finally receded, I discovered to my shock that the entire
mosaic flooring in the drawing room and the adjacent study, laid 30 years
earlier, was completely ruined. While I
was averse to the idea of using mosaic flooring again because of the messy
& time consuming procedure, I decided to use the inexpensive and easy to
lay Linoleum flooring recommended by my
friendly engineer/contractor. The wooden
finish of the flooring looks as good as the imported laminated wooden flooring.
Visitors can hardly find any difference.
Though the flooring has come with only an 8 year guarantee, it is ok by me as I
can afford to replace the flooring every few years. It took only four hours to lay the whole
flooring without disturbing my routine.
I
believe while looks are important, safety also matters when it comes to things
used regularly, especially by senior citizens!
This article
has appeared in the 20-26th January, 2019 issue of Adyar Times,
under my column `Rajan`s Random Reflections`
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