Wheelchair Grumbles

[davidgillon]

Wrapped up the eBay chair last night (bubblewrap and clingfilm), and damn-near killed myself just getting it from the lounge to the hall (having necessarily bubble-wrapped and clingfilmed the wheels in place). My god, that's an awkward package - only practical grip was to pick it up by the footplate and dangle it in front of me. God knows how eBay expect me to get it to the Post Office, my facetious 'balanced on my head' actually looks like the most practical method available!

I filled in the eBay Customer Service feedback form immediately afterwards. I snarked.

Current situation with eBay and picking up the return is the US eBay twitter team have prevailed on the UK side to look into it again. UK eBay's initial response was 'didn't the vendor say they would pick it up in message X', to which my reply was "message X actually says 'OMG you're three hours drive away, I can't do that'" and I'm waiting for a response.

I was explaining this to friends at lunch today and remarked "the only people I could ask are sitting round this table" - one works in London, one isn't really close enough to ask favours of, and in any case spends a lot of time babysitting his grandchild in London when he isn't haring all over the South East ringing bells, one is even less able to carry it than I am, and her husband said "I can do it if you need me to, but it'll have to be this week". It'll have to be 'this week' because next week is when he has his bone-marrow transplant, which is precisely why I'm not asking him under any circumstances!

And it's depressing going back to the old chair, it's so inefficient and uncomfortable and clunky in comparison to the eBay one, even though that was the wrong size :(

And what is it about wheelchairs that terrifies pedestrians? I was wheeling back to the car, someone came out of a doorway a good six feet in front of me, saw me, flinched two feet sideways and said "Sorry!" before giving me a wide berth! I was parked a little further out than usual and the two friends who were heading back that way actually decided to follow me back to the car after I'd said goodbye even though it's off their direct route home. Aw, sweet!

(Edited because apparently my spelling now sucks!)

Comments

[capri0mni]

And it's depressing going back to the old chair, it's so ineffecient and uncomfortable and clunky in comparison to the eBay one, even though that was the wrong size :(


Been There. Done That. My Condolences.

And what is it about wheelchairs that terrifies pedestrians?

I have no idea. But that sort of reaction is what inspired my "Monster on Wheels" icon.

[davidgillon]

that sort of reaction is what inspired my "Monster on Wheels" icon.

Aha! And {grimace}

[capri0mni]

Well, that was part of my inspiration.

I came up with the original design as a tee-shirt for a five-year old kid (my aide's other client), who is non-verbal, and has slow reflexes, so he had no real defense against adults patting his head and calling him a "little angel."

... meanwhile, his favorite humor is the Three Stooges, and his favorite spectator sport is Monster Trucks -- he's no angel. I figure he needed a warning label/truth in advertising. ;-)

[davidgillon]

Nods approval!

I've only had the patting on the head thing once. I was too damned startled to take his hand off at the elbow! Anyone else who tries it is likely to regret it.

A friend actually got patted by a senior government minister - IDS, the one with ultimate responsibility for disabled people. He knew she was one of the leading disability campaigners, opposed to everything he stands for, and he patted her and told her 'it'll be all right'. Condescending arsehole.

[capri0mni]

Hey, don't insult decent body parts by comparison with self-serving ignoramuses!