Last week my hubby and I went away for a few days.I hadnt been very well for months and the same 4 walls were getting VERY samey if you know what I mean.
We thought we would go to Weymouth,have been there many times before.We know our way around,its flat to go out and about with my scooter and we know which shops and eating places are accessible on a scooter.So It meant not having to get to know a place from scratch.
We had good accomodation at the Premier Inn on the seafront with a Brewers Fayre restaurant just across the car park.We would normally take our own caravan but not just for 5 days .This was ideal.
Weather was terrific even though we had an abysmal forecast.What could possibly go wrong ?
I have to say I pride myself on my manoeuvring skills on my scooter,I can usually park it on a postage stamp.But well I really dont know what happened last week.
Most of the time there wasnt a problem,but 2nd day we were there we were coming out of a sweet shop in the main street .My armrest was still up from earlier and it caught a display of toffees.Down came at least a dozen boxes with a clatter.After a lot of apologetic crawling by me,the kady in the shop understood it was an accident and there was no permanent damage done to the goods.
The following day we went into Dorchester.We were in a charity shop looking at books when I saw one I Wanted a closer look at.I reached forward to pick it up but I hadn't turned off the key.I Leaned on the handle,it shot forward over my husbands foot and he started shouting in pain as I was on his foot on the scooter.I add at this point I am no Twiggy.
Following that we found a quiet out of the way cafe.They said it was ok to bring my scooter in and showed us to a table easy to negotiate a route to.I cannot walk more than 6 feet so that is why I need my scooter to be near me.We had lunch,but in that time a group,of 8 people came in,moved 2 or 3 tables together to accommodate their group but made exit for me impossible.Theyre food arrived as we were still eating.We held on for as long as we could so as not to disturb them but it got to the point where we had to leave. The cafe proprietor had to ask them to move the tables .I felt bad but they didnt ask to rearrange the tables to suit themselves when they came in,they just assumed it was ok.
My husband would not let me go into the glass and china store that day-- really cant think why not ??
Following day we went to Monkey World,no incidents all day but then we went to the gift shop on the way out.Hubby turns around from the till to ask for some small change. I move forward to hand it to him and BINGO ! My fingers slipped on the handle and I shoot forward demolishing a basket of soft toys.The girl on the till did say it was a silly place to put them.But I think she just felt sorry for me.
Anyway on our last day we went into Holland and Barrett in Weymouth.While I was in there a lady came zooming in thru the door on her scooter and completely wiped out a display of plastic bottles of vitamins. The young man in the shop was not happy at all. The lady on the scooter says "ooh sorry,its my first day on this I think it may have to go back " At this point I am sat on my scooter looking very sanctimonious with that "you wouldnt catch me doing a thing like that" look on my face. If only he knew.
So not very good really-- must try harder.Hubby says I need to go on one of those retraining courses that bad drivers are sent on -- cheeky devil !!
Not sure what went wrong last week,hubby says himself what a good driver I am.
But joking apart, in the wrong hands these can cause some serious damage if not used carefully.
So Take care and safe and happy scootering.
Crusee
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Crusee
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I am sorry your escapades just made me howl with laughter. They are definitely lethal weapons in the wrong hands. Mind you the way alot of goods are positioned they are just begging to be demolished. How were you when in charge of a Dodgem car?
My dear friend doesn't like borrowing one from the stores as she honestly doesn't know her right from her left. I am so glad she isn't a driver.
I saw a lady who totally demolished railings of pale clothes in the local M & S. Of course she then backed out demolished another display and left all these clothes with tyre marks over them. She said it was the first time she had ever borrowed a scooter and it would be her last I felt so sorry for her.
I can commiserate with hubby as I have been barged into with scooter several times and also had my foot run over but fortunately the lady was only a light weight in a light weight scooter so it could have been worse.
Mind you we all have those days I admit I was an absolute rubbish driver this morning when taking OH to hospital. I stalled the car twice. In the 12 years I've had her I have probably stalled her 5 times in total so twice in one day was a record. I have put it down to having two nights with 4 hours sleep which is very unusual for me I think my head was still in bed.xx
Tiredness certainly has a great deal to answer for.I sometimes get so bad I am hallucinating.
I never have a problem with my scooter and reversing etc and l am just flabbergasted that every day that week something happened. Ok I didnt cause damage in the cafe but it was awkward.I didnt cause damage in the charity shop but hubby may not agree with that,and I had to feel proud of myself and smug that it was not I that demolished Holland and Barrett- lol !
I put it down to tiredness, and still being poorly and not knowing it. I had another major incident on the way home I will put up a post on that in a day or two, which may explain some of the errors or misjudgement of the previous week.
In response to the bumping car I rarely got in one I was scared of them,and yes you are right some shops are just asking for trouble the way things are positioned,some more than others. I have got myself in a right pickle in the past trying to get out of some of them without knocking stuff over.
The trouble with scooters is they have no brake, you just release the go lever. This means your own momentum takes you another foot or more past where you wanted to stop.
The most annoying things are when they stack displays at the end of aisles with little turning room to go around them, have narrow checkouts so you have to go right back to the entrance to get out, and people who stand and gossip, who know you are there but still refuse to make way!
I had that experience kay but I was in my wheelchair with my son pushing me we were looking for cheese and there was a man standing just staring my son said excuse me he ignored us so my son asked again he step back and nutted something about a wheelchair in which my son said to him one day you might need to use one of these and I hope you get treated like you've just treated my mum there's some ignorant people I think it stands out more now obviously I've been hit with handbags I shout did you not see me.
It took ages for my children to undersatand that there are no brakes on a biddy buggy, as I call them. I'm ashamed to say that they learnt the hard way that this was the case 😳 Stopping dead in front of one doesn't end well. Now they steer clear, bless them.
Hi @Tabby-Cat the one I have comes apart into 5 pieces and takes about 5 mins to put it together.It fits nicely in the boot of the car and my husband puts it up,and takes it down for me.It has,a little lever on the handlebars to propel forward and one going the opposite way for reverse but sadly no brake lever !
I use it In shops restaurants hotels but always ask first if its ok. I dont just assume they wont mind.
The top speed on mine is 4 mph - walking pace which is handy, my hubby and I can move along at the same pace.
If yours does 8 mph then it is one of the bigger ones designed for road use .i dont think these can be taken apart for easy travelling ,but I may be mistaken .
Well Crusee firstly I must say well done for putting pic on 😂 secondly I did same thing last year on my holiday only I chipped the bone in my ankle which is still sore to this day I also went into gift shop which I managed really well until a group of 16+ year old came charging into shop pushed passed me knocked me forward and my hand got stuck under the shelf it was same shop as ankle hence I didn't go back as for a China shop think we both need to avoid them. Some shops are not cut out for wheelchairs let alone scooters which is wrong you should be able to get in and out without killing yourself or causing chaos which is embarrassing. If you didn't laugh you would cry
Thanks bam. Bambamsnan Think I have the pic thing licked now. Think youre right about the china shops,not sure if my personal liability insurance covers me to that extent -- lol !
When I was in Dorchester I was waitng outside a shop for my hubby,as some of them have steps to get into them.Another lady was waiting for her son and we got chatting, and she asked if it was easy getting in and out of shops etc with my scooter.I said with this shop no because I cant get up steps,I then mentioned when some shops had things in the way so it makes getting round it difficult.She was saying that she used to work in a retail outlet and they were told by the management to deliberately place displays in the way so as not to encourage "that kind of customer"-- I ask you what an attitude.She didnt tell me which retail outlet it was or I may have just paid them a visit.
So bam we will laugh not cry,and make do with paper plates--- lol!
It only travels at 4 mph which is walking pace and believe me people who are walking on pavements not looking where they are going but messing around texting can do the same damage.
So if it makes the difference between going out or staying in then you give it a whirl.
When I first got a mob. scooter, it seemed it could fly! So I took it slowly round the block, which was quiet, a few times to get used to it. It had a top speed of 6mph. I loved it, and still had a few incidents similar to your own. lol but mostly people were understanding and if requested would give me space. Crowded, or just a feeling of being hemmed in was sometimes enough for it to take on a mind of it's own. I kept watching peoples' feet. lol When the arthritis in my neck got worse it became clear it was no longer safe.
Summer is coming (she said optimistically) so get out there and enjoy it, have some fun because it's been a long, cold winter! xx
You are right,a lot of people are understanding,and open doors for me,and offer to reach things for me off high supermarket shelves. But there are others too.
I often think as well that perhaps some people just dont know what to do.By that I mean theyre not sure if they would offend you by offering to help .So the good intention is there they just don't know if its appropriate.
But like I said there are the others and I think they are readily identifiable.
So rumour has it summer is on the way.I Will look out for it ,and make the most of it if it turns up.Are you still able to get out in your mobi.scooter tulips ?
Take care.
Crusee
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Oh you have just had me in stitches.😂😂😂. Oh my goodness. I'm trying to tell OH and crying. Bless you. Xx
I had to return it because I was an accident waiting to happen. + they were playing around with DLA at the time and could not guarantee Motability renewal for the next 3 years. I now have a power chair, but it's rare everything falls into place necessary to venture out. Hopeful I will make it out now that the weather is improving (it will, honestly, it most def. will!! lol)
I used to smile a lot and ask people to pass me things, even ask them to put it back again lol. As you say, people aren't sure which way to jump, just preferably not under my wheels lol
I laughed so much that i made my ribs hurt more than they do already!
Sadly, i can also see myself in this, my biggest problem is that go forwards to look at something, and then can't turn my neck far enough to see to reverse out so I get stuck!
The other thing is that the I keep forgetting to set the dial to the tortoise, so I pull the lever and go hurtling forward, then I panic and let go the lever to stop and nearly go head first over the handlebars, I have electric kangaroo juice in my scooty!
Didnt mean to make your ribs hurt but that is exactly what happened to me on the scooter.,I just cant believe so many incidents in one week.Someone up,there doesn't like me.
I forget about the tortoise setting too ,but then I Do prefer to kerp it on max so I can get a move on out on the streets.
I think hubby will be wearing steel toed caps everywhere I go with my scooter from now on -- what a fashion accessory !--- lol !
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