Gay-friendly zebra crossing ‘could cause hallucinations’
PLANS for Europe’s first permanent rainbow zebra crossing in support of gay rights could be abandoned over fears that it will give dementia sufferers hallucinations. The multi-coloured crossing was trialled last summer during gay pride week in Totnes, Devon, and was to be permanently installed this year. But councillors have been warned that it could cause side-effects for people with Alzheimer’s. Totnes councillor Carol Wellwood said: ‘Somebody who works with the elderly is concerned that people with Alzheimer’s might find a rainbow crossing troubling. ‘The claim is that it would cause them to have hallucinations.’ Mat Price, who runs the Proud2Be group which is spearheading the initiative, said: ‘I don’t understand why it is any different from putting a rainbow-coloured display in a shop window or lights up at Christmas. We already trialled it and no one got killed.’ So far there have been temporary rainbow crossings in London and Brighton, but the one planned for Totnes would be the first permanent one in Europe. The £15,000 crossing would be paid for by commercial sponsorship rather than taxpayers’ money, but Totnes council now wants to examine evidence from experts to see whether the crossing would have a negative impact on dementia sufferers. Yesterday Mr Price said: ‘I am concerned that if this keeps going backwards we will not be the first in Europe to do this, we will be the 40th.’ And George McNamara, from the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘Traditional black and white stripe crossings can cause just as much confusion as rainbow colours because the black could be perceived as a hole in the ground.’
‘Trouble people with Alzheimer’s’