If you were in a wheelchair... part 7

Dear readers,

1. Something very interesting and original happened to me one evening in Rotterdam. I was on my way home after I had accompanied a friend back to her place when it started raining. Under the rain, your hands can slip off the handrail and it becomes really tenuous to control your wheelchair. I was getting off a pavement when my wheels got stuck in the gutter and my wheelchair tipped forward. I managed to restore my balance, and before I was on my way again, a police van stopped and the two policemen inside kindly offered to drive me home. This act of kindness really touched me then and I wanted to express my gratitude.
2. What about a nice evening in a restaurant? I never say no: there’s nothing like not having to cook and discovering new flavours. But I always feel a bit embarrassed because I know that the space between tables is limited and moving in the restaurant is a real pain in the neck. The only way for me to get through with my bulky wheelchair is to ask other customers to move their chairs forward. It annoys me and I understand perfectly that people can get annoyed, so I am really thankful for most people’s sympathy and patience in these cases.
3. We haven’t really talked about pavements yet. They can be a real nightmare when they are too high, whether you have to get on or off them. It is physically impossible to get on a pavement without help if it’s too high. Getting off the same sort of pavement is a pain all the way down your spine. Most often, wheelchairs are condemned to get off the pavement when there’s a pedestrian crossing because it’s the only spots where you find accessibility facilities. That’s why a car parked on a pedestrian crossing shows the selfish and condemnable attitude of its owner.

See you next friday some new stories...