Thursday, April 30, 2009

U-Park

They all thought I was crazy, but I insisted because I was sure that I'd figured it out correctly. We hit DisneyWorld today taking a 'special bus' over to the park. On the bus we had both my scooter AND my manual chair. There were two reasons, one selfish, one selfless, that I wanted my regular chair.

Selfishly, I have to admit to finding the scooter a bit isolating. In my power chair I can sit at a table with everyone else, in the scooter it feels like the front tire is a barrier between me and others. I like to get out of the scooter and into my manual and sit with everyone else.

Selflessly, I figured we could use the wheelchair as a carry-all to hold bags and the piles of stuff that you gather in places like this. Too, I figured Ruby would tire and could use it, Joe would be able to rest while we waited for others to ride tea cups and flying elephants. I know a wheelchair to be a wonderful assistive devise for me, why wouldn't it be for others.

It turned out exactly like I thought. Everyone used the chair at different times. At one point Mike said to me, I thought that bringing the chair would be a bother but thank heavens we had it. We had a place for people to sit while watching shows and parades and marching bands. When it was hot we could pull under a tree and create a cool place for people to catch their breath.

I love my chair, and now, I might have to wrestle others to get it back!
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11 comments:

  1. Glee30 April 2009 at 01:58

    Hey Dave does your scooter have a swivel seat? There may be a lever under the seat that you can operate and the seat swivels so that you can park the scooter side on to a table and then swivel the seat so that you are facing the table. I hope so. Much better.

    Sounds like you are having fun. It's getting cold here in dear old Adelaide. Got the lekky blanket on some nights. AND don't want to get out of bed in the mornings. UGH and it's just the beginning of winter. At least it doesn't snow here!!

    cheers
    Glee

    ReplyDelete
  2. FridaWrites30 April 2009 at 03:28

    I'm with Glee--swivel the seat, and turn the chair sideways (180 degrees) to sit at a table. I.e., Pull all the chairs out on the side you want to sit on so you can parallel park next to it, turn the seat to the face the table, then someone can replace one of the seats next to you so that the front tire/basket aren't between you and them.

    Yes, that front tiller and wheel can feel like a wall, plus real wheelchair cushions are a lot more comfortable. Taking off the basket with company/visiting can make a significant difference, more than you'd think, though then your friends and family lose that extra carrying capacity that they all love about scooters. :)

    I used to love friends' big strollers for carrying a few things when my back was getting really bad pre-scooter.

    My question is whether people treat you differently or walk differently around you when you're using a scooter versus a wheelchair. I think a lot of people don't perceive me as disabled and see the scooter as a disposable object that can be clambered over. The front tiller acts as a barrier in one dimension, but sometimes I have to wonder if people would be climbing over my lap if I used a wheelchair.

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
  4. Glee30 April 2009 at 06:49

    Frida, They sure do bloody well climb over you when you are in a wheelchair! Grrrrr....

    But yes, I believe, from close observation that ppl do treat w/c users and scooter users differently. Can't explain how/why right now as my mind has gone blank hmmmm

    Glee

    ReplyDelete
  5. CJ30 April 2009 at 10:03

    I'm so glad you guys had a good time.

    I had never even thought of a swivel seat!

    ReplyDelete
  6. theknapper30 April 2009 at 20:55

    And normal has become a little bit wider...

    ReplyDelete
  7. theknapper30 April 2009 at 20:55

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dave Hingsburger1 May 2009 at 05:53

    It does have a swivel seat, well, I'll be ... thanks all

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rosemary4 May 2009 at 17:11

    Did you have trouble driving the scooter onto the bus and parking it just so? I kept crashing into the bus, as my scooter brakes seemed to lag behind my pushing the control to stop. I still have nightmares of driving on and off the bus. LOL

    ReplyDelete
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