 |
 |
Barbara Mallut wrote: > I'm rather startled to hear that people > notice ya less in a powered chair then they would in your > non-powered chair. Kristen and I talked about this and she reminded me thatuntil the powered chair we held hands every where we went. This gave me a physical presence in a crowd that I now lack. *Grin* we actually got separated in a crowd for the first time since we've been married. Scared us both silly. > Soooooo.. will ya please enlighten me and tell me what > I'm overlooking here? WHAT is it about the powered chair, > in your opinion, that makes you less visible than you'd be > in your non-powered chair? Size of the chair? Noise > difference between the two chairs, or lack thereof? What's > the difference in the two chairs that causes ya to be less > visible in what I'd consider to be the better of the two? > There are a number of differences other than the obvious.First, let me say that I hate crowds. I can't see beyond a few feet and my reaction is to go in any direction that will get me out. After 35 years the manual chair was a part of me. I moved without thought. When on my own in a crowd, I dodged and weaved between pairs of feet like a down hill skier. I knew where my wheels were and was not afraid of hurting someone. The powered chair weighs 250 pounds. Add my 180 pounds and I'm bigger than most football tackles. I have not yet learned where my wheels are. The chair does not turn as smoothly as the manual one so I tend to move in straight lines rather then dodge. The powered chair cannot be heard in a crowd and Kristen has remarked that it looks more like an office chair than a wheelchair. Add these things to a total hight of 4 feet 3 inches (130 cm) and the fear of hurting someone and I guess I could be over looked in a crowd. Thanks for making me think and realize that I have not given myself enough time to adapt to being afootball tackle (if a rather short one) instead of a downhill skier.