Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!12!700!Bill.Freads
From: Bill.Freads@f700.n12.z1.fidonet.org (Bill Freads)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: electric mobility
Message-ID: <18182@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 15 Mar 91 22:10:41 GMT
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Index Number: 14021

> Not that I'm a cynical old man but it seems like most things that we
> get these days aren't as good as their predecessor.  I bet that you
> caused quite a fuss when you ran into that government window. I

Well, they were more concerned with my welfare than the windowpane,
as a matter, all I was asked to was, to wait until the OPP could
come to take a report, that way they would have no problems to have
the Glasspane re-installed, I offered to pay for the thing, but
they wouldn't hear of it since the Scooter failed on me, it was an
honest to goodness accident and the door that I had to come through
(sort of doubledoor) you open one door and had a second door right
in front of you, the Scooter didn't even fit into the lobby between
the two doors, but it was nevertheless anaccident, like one I had a
week before here in my apartment, the damn machine was siting there
to go out, pointed at my apartment door, and all of a sudden I
heard a crash, I looked and here the damn thing went all by itself
and crashed into my door, a couple day's later,(while I was on the
machine) I pushed to go forward and instead it went backwards,
weird machine that is, so when I called them to come and repair
it... well, I needed a loaner, they told me I would have to wait a
few day's to get one, that is when I hit the Window in the Court
building... well, it is fixed now... I hope... I haven't had any
problem since...

> not be able to use your cart.   I also liked the variable speed >
control on the old Fortress 2000.

Well, that is no longer working since they FIXED? it, I only found
out the other day, since I usually go into everything full tilt, I
very seldom used the Speed control, but when I tried it a while
ago, you know to keep up with a person walking, it didn't work...
bloody ripoff that is.

>> know the Fortress has wide Tires compared to the other models on the
>>there are those that have such tiny wheels and the go click, click, click,
> We looked at an amigo that has wider tires than the older front wheel
> drive models.  In fact the tires are about the size of the Fortress
> 2000.  One of the other benefits of the amigo is that it is shorter
> then many of the other models and Jeanne can get right up to the

Och Mon, how would I do any shopping on a short thing, I need to
have them long and roomy, I was lucky, I found a perfectly good
manual Wheelchair in the Garbage pickup here, that thing is the
best for indoor use, I used to have an office type of swivelbase
chair for the Computer, yoi know the ones with casters on them?,
well, if you look into the papers, you should be able to get an
manual chair for about $100-150 used, look into the "Used Articles
for sale" column, I see many of those type of ADDS in there,
wouldn't she be better off using that inside the house?

>>Well, that is quite a hassle I must say, I thought it depended on your
>>needs rather what THEY think she should drive, when I went, the
>>Threapist asked me "what I would be doing with the machine in every day
>>life," I told her, so she recommended a heavy duty machine
>>had the insert installed on the floorboard of the machine,

> Well, it was more her doctor that wanted her to use a scooter rather
> then a wheelchair.  The other problem is the insurance company wants
> three different bids on the scooter of our choice.  I guess that is to
> show that we are getting the most for their money.  I wish that Jeanne
> could have used the insert on the floorboard but we would not have
> been able to get it into our van.  It was quite uncomfortable for her
> since she had to scrunch herself into a small area.  She will be using
> the chair both inside and out so it complicates the matter somewhat.

Hmmm... I only have a small Hatchback Car, but the machine comes
apart into 3 pieces and the two batteries and it fit's in nicely,
mind you, I still can stand on my two legs, walking is another
story, as long as I can hang onto something, I can stand, the only
problem that I have is the Motor section of the Cart, it's a heavy
thing, but I usually wrestle the obscenity into the trunk if no one
is about to give me a helping hand, when I reach the place where I
want to go, I very seldom have problems to find a sucker to heave
the Motor section out of the car, from there on, the rest is easy,
since most of it is all plastic, it's very light 'cepting the
batteries... oh yea, my rearsets fold forward, so it converts into
one flat trunk surface.

In any case, I would tell the Doctor a thing or two, if my Doctor
would have told me what type of machine to get I would have told
him to {deleted} himself, it's my life, my body, my pain, I do it
my way, mine just told me to get whatever I was most comfortably
with, and so I did... hell man, ther HAS got to be something that
you can do to make Jeanne can be more confortable on the bloody
thing, go and fight them man, don't be a softy, give them a run for
their money, hell, I would be there virtually pounding the Desks
and screaming on top of my voice "DISCRIMINATION!!!", I have done
so and will do so, I mean, what in hell do they know what my needs
are, only I can determine that, I'm the one that has to live with
my disability and I'm the one that has the pain, not them, what do
they know, tell them (Insurance) "You go and ride on a Scooter for
a week and see what you think is best for you," make sure that they
imitate the problems that your wife has during that time as well...
you see, they don't think about it, like most people, they simply
can't fantom what it is like to be disabled in any way, to use a
mode of transportation as we do, even I was not aware of the
problem that would pose itself until I got into this contraption,
but I'm not about to give up my determination, I go and pound
desk's, treaten them with my Cane too (sort of) they never know
what to make of me when I get mad and whem I'm determined to have
my way...

Anyway, enough of my gabbing...

you be good no and take care... say "HI" to Jeanne for me.

 Bill

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