I know how to become invisible

[Wyndham]

As a child I often wished I could become invisible like one of the superheroes in my comic magazines.

Now I know how. Just get on a mobility scooter.

It is astonishing to me how I appear to be invisible to people when on my mobility scooter in my local shopping centre.

I have learned to drive slowly and have to continually expect people to almost walk right into me. On one occasion, I had a woman drag her young child behind my scooter while I was reversing. How I missed them is a miracle.

Being able to use a mobility scooter when in the shopping centre is a real relief, as I can't walk or stand for too long - my legs start to give way. The first time this happened and I almost collapsed, a shopping centre security person got a wheelchair for me and then wheeled me to Shopmobility. For those who don't know, you can borrow a mobility scooter or wheelchair (ordinary or powered) from them for free.

Since then I can now enjoy my visits to the shopping centre, except that I have had to realise that I am all but invisible, and have to drive very carefully.

[annasgonesailing]

Try and make eye contact with people and make it clear where you intend to go (often just looking that way). There is always odd people wrapped up in themselves but by no means the majority.

[xray25]

its alright trying to make eye contact but you are a lot lower and people have tunnel vision

[annasgonesailing]

I've used a wheelchair for the last 12+ years it isn't that difficult, I guess if you expect to be ignored you will be

[february]

Maybe a horn (I'm serious) would keep people from wandering in your way. Even though I use a cane, you'd be surprised that people run, or almost run into me too, especially children! ;o)

[wobblybee]

Moving in busy areas either using a wheelchair, mobility scooter, child's

pushchair or even a walking stick, needs care and attention.

Back in the good old days, I remember walking around gazing in shop

windows, ploughing blithely through crowds. Then I graduated to being

a mother and had to learn how to negotiate a pushchair without doing

any damage. Now I try to avoid tripping over my walking stick and

hope to keep it out of other peoples way.

Quite often you can't actually see the ground, never mind make eye

contact with someone.

I avoid crowds if at all possible, it's not pleasurable, I start to panic.

In a crowd I was once almost mown down by someone on a mobility scooter.

But, if I needed to use one, obviously I would. Just not in crowds xB