I had a very interesting conversation with my boyfriend today. As some of you may know, from now on I will be studying in the capital, Budapest, and I need route planning, GPS and everything related to it on a daily basis. There's an app for Android called Osmand that shows you very well where to go and how to go, but you need to have your phone in your hand all the time.
When I found this out, I immediately started to have doubts. I, in Budapest, on almost the busiest streets of Hungary's capital, will not be picking up my phone, let alone holding it in my hand in broad daylight, while I concentrate on going in the right direction. To be honest, I'm totally freaked out by navigation software designed for the blind that they would want to help in this way.
Say what you will, I'm paranoid. I will not make it public that I have a phone and am a free target. I'm not going to turn my phone around in a spectacular way and then have people very nicely want to come over and help you, and then after giving you help, twist your arm off and take your phone, which you never see again. Because in Hungary, unfortunately, people are afraid of gypsies, excuse the expression. Because of this, on the one hand, fewer reports are made to the police, and on the other hand, if someone indeed does make a report, the police do nothing because they are afraid of physical abuse. People with Russian mentality try to defend themselves by saying: but that is Europe! This should not happen there! But Europe is not Canaan either, and I have heard several stories in Hungary where blind people simply could not do anything because they had their bags or their phones or whatever taken away. We also had a story, sometime a year ago, that someone hit a guide dog and its owner with a car, the owner died, the dog survived. And as far as I know, there were only articles from that, nothing else really. Maybe there also was a police matter, I can imagine.
In short: what do you think about this? I am also attaching a poll asking for your opinion.

what’s wrong with having your phone in your hand and if you don’t have it in your hand it’ll be harder to hear the directions. also you’re blind. People are going to steal from you regardless, hands or not

Yeah but with your phone being in your hands, you, in fact show something like hey! Looka me, I'm the cool blind guy with a great phone, it's not important I use it for navigating but I go this way, looka me.

how is that any different from going hey I’m this cool blind guy with a phone in my pocket, Like I said it’s gonna happen eventually it’s inevitable.

It is very strange for me to hear things like "Ooooh navigation apps! they are bullshit! no no! does not woooork!"
Everything works fine for me.
A few days ago I needed to walk to a post office to send some items to my friend.
I remember how to get to the office entrance but couldn't find the exact point where the door is located.
I have started Osmand, found this post office in the search and started a route.
When i was about 20 meters away from door it started to beep for a direction and announce something "15 meters", "10 meters".
And only by using this Osmand feature i managed to get straight to the door.
When i found door stairs with my cane Osmand said something like "one meter".
So i do not know which smartphone and which app do you all use, but for me with my Xiaomi mi 10 and very very old Osmand with modification for blind users I have wonderful and very exact result.

On IPhone i know that there are not so many apps for navigation which are blind friendly. But on Android we have Osmand, DotWalker, Google Maps.
In Russia we also have 2gis and yandex maps, but as i know they do not work in europe.

I've never used this kind of software, so can't comment. Unfortunately phones do get stolen, so it's encouraged to keep your phone hidden. At least some sighted people don't show it. The worst is when they are walking and texting, then crash right into you, which is another topic altogether.

Guys and girls, please if it is public, mention in what country do you live.
Because in Russia I never heard about such stories when your phone is stolen at the street.
But i know that in some Brasil cities it happens almost every day. So it would be interesting to know how goes the situation in each country.

Yea, this texting thing @luisa mensioned is another thing, but I even walk arround with my airpods all the time, so tbh I would not worry about someone steals my phone or whatever!

And I talk about germany, yea same for me, I never heard from or had myself such a situation, also not my friends, so yea. idk how it is in america or wherever you life.

Well, maybe I've overreacted a little, but here in Hungary, parents definitely teacch their kids NOT to use their phone on the streets, beccause it's dangerous. I believe it's about mentality at this point, a lot of children grow up with such paranoya.

Hmm. Or maybe just because they don't want them to be on their phones and be careful on the streats? And not like all the other young people these days who just walk arround and crash into you because of their phones. Also, do you talk about parents with blind kids or what? Its a difference. I mean, meh, I still can't believe how this should happen, basically everyone has a phone, and wals arround with it, and you are grown up or? I mean you can't tell me you always go on the streat and worry that someone steals your phone if you use it?

-- (khalil2009):
what’s wrong with having your phone in your hand?

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Maybe you never tried to go somewhere by only yourself.
Imagine: You need to do a shoping or transport something eg pack from post or whatever else. You have phone in your right and cane in your left hand. How do you get this thing when you don't have a third hand or a backpack?
Draw your own conclusions. Good luck.

Again, thing is ur phone can get stolen by anybody so I won't really put this entire O I'm blind into it

Lol. just put your cane in your right hand and phone in left

Depends on what side of the street/sidewalk but right. I mean it works. And in huge cities like capitals I wouldn't even move around by walking in the first place. Vehicles exist. Especially in big cities you can often get transported free, bus or something. So I don't know, it really isn't that big of a deal. If we talk about how good navigation apps are we're writing on another peace of paper there.

If the shop is 10 minutes away from you, why to travel by bus?

Did you completely readed my post?
How do you cary the pack, shopping net whatever when you have phone in right hand and cane in left? You don't have a thirt hand. xD
-- (khalil2009):
Lol. just put your cane in your right hand and phone in left

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Well, arctic, your choice. Just saying if you want to do it that way then don't be scared.

Or whatever. And also some people just take a 2 minute bus ride to get things done quicker, bruh it's not unnormal. If you want to do it or not that is nothing I need to care about at the end, it's not my life that I'm controling there. So what is the ishue then.

Maybe you can try getting a neck pouch and putting it in there if you don't want to have it out. But I agree with others. The paranoia is unfounded because there's still going to be a big bump in your pocket where the phone is going to be, and if someone wanted to steal from you they would do so regardless. I'm not saying that someone is going to steal from you, I'm just saying the argument that having your phone out is going to make it more likely that someone steals it is unfounded. @Marc IDK about you but sometimes there may be some places that the bus won't be able to carry you and you just have no choice but to walk, so it's not a bad question.