Five-Star Disability

Hello readers again!

Do you remember the first time you drove a car? Your first flat tire? Your first fumble in the backseat… to find a dropped sippy-cup that your overexcited toddler dropped? (What? Were you thinking of something else? This is a G-rated blog!) Do you remember your first accident? Speeding ticket? Wrangle with police?

For those who are licensed to drive: I am sure you do. And, if you are a permanent passenger, like myself, I’m equally sure you can remember.

Now, driving a car and driving a power wheelchair are not the same, yet you need to focus and be alert. I remember the first time I drove a power chair, it was a crapper of a power chair, that someone donated. It stank, was cumbersome, and I drove it into a window. I also keeled over like a drunk elephant. Read full details here: a funny thing happened on the way to the station!

Now, I have a new – saying Thank You to my wonderful wife – power wheelchair, CJ-3, I have had a few memorable accidents to remember!

• In the back roads of Port Moody, I zoomed off the leaf-covered sidewalk in mid October. Yes, I was going too fast. Yes, I cleared the curb. No, I did not tip over!
• Chugging up the hills in New Westminster, I ran into a pole. It was the same colour as the sidewalk, which was super narrow. I was cautiously slow, yet the pole came outta nowhere and ended up between my footrests. Yes, I know how erotic that sounds. I had to have maintenance fix the footrests.
• Driving down three steps. I was paying attention, actually stopped before the stairs, looked at the pavement, didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Then zoomed off… clunk clunk… there was no yellow marker to indicate edges.
• And, then, there was the first near-collision! This happened in my old hometown of Maple Ridge: The essence is that a person in a SVU almost hit me. I was crossing the road, the intervenor was behind me, we were in the crosswalk, and the SVU was coming up to the intersection at a fast rate. They did not really stop until the middle of the crosswalk, and then kept going. I think this is called a “rolling stop.” The driver, a short senior, apparently didn’t see me until I was safely from the other curb! While they didn’t see me, they did hear me: I was loud, and did not spare the profanity!
  • This wild yelling alerted a plainclothes police officer to run across the street to ask if I was alright. Note: this incident happened right in front of the police station!
  • Of course, I was full of bravado, I told the cop that “I am fine, No problems.” The cop tells me that they have video or photo footage of the incident.
    • Damn: I should have said: “I am not fine, this person caused me to have a minor coronary attack. Please change the person with the full extent of the law.” Damn bravado!
• Oh, I also remember the several times I had to use CJ-3 to get around my community after a snowfall that left roads clear, but sidewalks and traffic islands a mess. Have you tried to move a 1,000 kilo machine through a foot high snowbank? No? Please try it. It is a struggle right?

Friends: Thank you for reading, liking, sharing, and donating!

Until tomorrow, I bid you adieau!