I’m mad, and in pain!

So, I’m sharing my experiences with you now!

Friday, after DeafBlind Social in City of Burnaby, I decided to go for a drive on my power wheelchair, CJ-3, as it was a beautiful afternoon.

I drove westbound on Kingsway in central Burnaby, passing the tricky intersection of Grange Street & Kingsway and a couple more side streets before Smith Street.

Smith Street is a one lane, one-way northbound connector route.

It has a ramp, but not at the corner, instead, it is 10 feet from Kingsway. This could be because Smith is roughly 45 degree angle. *I could care less what the angle is, I no engineer!
I knew this ramp was in a weird spot, as I have gone this way a few times.

So, why was I mad on Friday afternoon?

Because there is a stupid pole at the corner!

I did not see it, then it hit me!

I drove right into the pole! I felt its cold steel bounce off my head, crunch my leg!

I was briefly pinned between pole and chair. I wrestled my leg free, checked the robin’s egg on my head. Then I got out of the chair, I was pretty wobbly!

I emancipated CJ-3 from the pole by switching to manual, I pushed the chair back a few feet.

I also picked up the snapped-off footrest (third one in two years!).

I switched the chair back to normal and tried to start the device up.

Like an out-of-gas lawn mower, CJ-3 would not start!

CJ-3’s display screen was flashing something, but I couldn’t read it.

Now, I am sitting in the chair, and I notice the joystick is open!

Like a clam, the inside of the joystick housing was on display! No pearl, however!

Eventually, I was able to read the screen, it was flashing 0808 Joystick…

Ah hell, the joystick was malfunctioning!

Now, I was really mad!

Yes, I was driving at four (out of five), I slowed down to take the corner, yes, I had my driving glasses on. Yet, I still crashed!

As I sat there, texting chair maintenance and my wife, I realized that I had, in the past, clipped this very pole!

Maintenance informed me 0808 meant a bent gimbal! Which is part of the joystick, a chain reaction occurred!

My wife arrived, and we took a cab home, I had to fork out over $100!

For the rest of the day, and most of Saturday, I was more wobbly than normal, and most likely concussed!

In the coming days, maintenance will come and fix, again, my wheels! Costing me anything between 150 to 500 bucks!

My rant: Why are street poles the same colour as the pavement? Grey and grey! Ugh! So difficult to differentiate!

Why can’t they be like the poles on subways the world over?Yellow would be nice, or why not Arancio Xanto! That would be so eye catching and different!

I am sending this to the city of Burnaby, thank you for listening, reading and liking!

**This is my tenth post in seven days!