Couple of months back, while walking home from town, I witnessed a mobility scooter going very slowly up a steep hill climb on the opposite pavement that I was on.
A few paces on I looked back at the scooter to see an elderly woman attempted to push her scooter up the hill, back tracking to where she was I asked If I could be of some assistance?
She thanked me for asking, no problem I said presented myself behind her scooter, asked her to jump back in, an steer while I pushed.
50 yards or so later hill ran flat and we was presented with a downward slope too a Park not more than 3/4 mile away, that both myself and scooter lady were heading for.
Keeping an eye on her proceeding to steer and what little power left in her batteries managed the slope, almost traffic free luckily.
On reaching the park, I pointed to the electric plug in point which there was only one at the Park car park, and we aimed for that target, I pushed her scooter to that point.
This was an unknown problem I quickly found out, seemingly they do not provide any way of a charging her or other mobility scooters at any pay as you use charging point.
How stupid is that, when there as so many scooters of her type going to and fro from a beautiful free to use public park.
My immediate plan was to call a neighbour, friend and owner of a disabled wheel chair compatible taxi, to take her and scooter to her residence, not far from where I lived.
Some 10 minutes of chatting and discussing weather and other topics she quickly calmed down from being an extremely anxious old woman to a more calm pleasant elderly lady, and was now talking like a couple of long lost pals.
Taxi arrived, wanted to check why her scooter was low on power, but no tools to get into the back of it, and to make matters worse the canopy fitted was even too high by about 2 inches for us to get inside the taxi's rear ramp. Kept hitting the back of the taxi raised door frame, no way it was going to fit and with no tools could not remove it. Great, now what?
My response, I do not suppose your a member of any breakdown company are you, No she replied, okay scrub that idea, allowed taxi friend to get back to his work.
We was left with only one thing to do. I would have to help her get home, as she did not wish to leave her prized old scooter, at the park.
Through the park over a bridge, up a steep hill, round a corner, along a straight level road, round another corner, up a slight hill, finally reaching her home some 1.5 miles away, sweat dripping off me, from pushing when power was drained after leaving the park.
Got her home, scooter plugged into charger at small front garden shed, I said my cheerio's as by this time I was knackered but did not want to show, wished her well with getting it looked at by her own private mechanic. I made my way back home some 1/2 mile to my own house.
Why do people with wheel chairs and powered scooters not have compulsory breakdown cover or at least means of getting safely back home in case of a similar incident happening too them in the future like this elderly lady had?
Image of a similar scooter mentioned above:-
A few paces on I looked back at the scooter to see an elderly woman attempted to push her scooter up the hill, back tracking to where she was I asked If I could be of some assistance?
She thanked me for asking, no problem I said presented myself behind her scooter, asked her to jump back in, an steer while I pushed.
50 yards or so later hill ran flat and we was presented with a downward slope too a Park not more than 3/4 mile away, that both myself and scooter lady were heading for.
Keeping an eye on her proceeding to steer and what little power left in her batteries managed the slope, almost traffic free luckily.
On reaching the park, I pointed to the electric plug in point which there was only one at the Park car park, and we aimed for that target, I pushed her scooter to that point.
This was an unknown problem I quickly found out, seemingly they do not provide any way of a charging her or other mobility scooters at any pay as you use charging point.
How stupid is that, when there as so many scooters of her type going to and fro from a beautiful free to use public park.
My immediate plan was to call a neighbour, friend and owner of a disabled wheel chair compatible taxi, to take her and scooter to her residence, not far from where I lived.
Some 10 minutes of chatting and discussing weather and other topics she quickly calmed down from being an extremely anxious old woman to a more calm pleasant elderly lady, and was now talking like a couple of long lost pals.
Taxi arrived, wanted to check why her scooter was low on power, but no tools to get into the back of it, and to make matters worse the canopy fitted was even too high by about 2 inches for us to get inside the taxi's rear ramp. Kept hitting the back of the taxi raised door frame, no way it was going to fit and with no tools could not remove it. Great, now what?
My response, I do not suppose your a member of any breakdown company are you, No she replied, okay scrub that idea, allowed taxi friend to get back to his work.
We was left with only one thing to do. I would have to help her get home, as she did not wish to leave her prized old scooter, at the park.
Through the park over a bridge, up a steep hill, round a corner, along a straight level road, round another corner, up a slight hill, finally reaching her home some 1.5 miles away, sweat dripping off me, from pushing when power was drained after leaving the park.
Got her home, scooter plugged into charger at small front garden shed, I said my cheerio's as by this time I was knackered but did not want to show, wished her well with getting it looked at by her own private mechanic. I made my way back home some 1/2 mile to my own house.
Why do people with wheel chairs and powered scooters not have compulsory breakdown cover or at least means of getting safely back home in case of a similar incident happening too them in the future like this elderly lady had?
Image of a similar scooter mentioned above:-
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