You are 1000% correct, Sybil. I have 3 lovely little grandbabies and i want to have fun with them. Starting my scooter search today. Damn the torpedos!
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So jealous of your wheels and confidence. You are my new role model!
Good for you!!! BTW It will take some training of the youngnâs They love to load your device with their stuff⌠Its hard to say no,
I confess that I was very self-conscious hiring a scooter to start with, but have got used to it now - although I donât do it more than I have to, it just depends on how far I want to go. I went to the local museum today in one and got around OK, although I have to say that I thought the fact that not a single door inside was electric was pretty disgusting in 2017. Have you tried pulling open a door in a scooter? Or even a wheelchair would be just as difficult, I would think. But I didnât run into any glass cabinets, knock into a wall so a painting fell off, or give a rude awakening to a Mummy - although, to be fair, she wasnât looking so healthy to start with.
Darin, that must have been a hire, was it? I just looked up mobility scooter hire in London, and it doesnât look like it would be a problem.
I can relate to your CD catastrophe: I was once in a large supermarket and misjudged a turn and I clipped the end of a display of ⌠wait for it ⌠red wine. I was mortified: there were several bottles broken. I offered to pay for them, but they wouldnât hear of it (fortunately, even though it was Chateau Interstate Embankment). LOL
Do tell, why canât you get a scooter into your flat?
Too cool! Iâm just wondering whether, with my knees, Iâd be able to stand up from it, or whether I would be forced to roll it so that Iâd end up on the floor, in order that I could do my world-famous twister/downward dog manoeuvre to stand up again. Iâm telling you, itâs a very impressive series of moves. ROFL
Good for you. There is a dizzying array of choices. Iâve had (and loved) a Pride GoGo Traveler Elite, but in order to travel really easily, I shelled out for a SmartScoot (smartscoot.com). There arenât too many places I cannot go now. Amsterdam is next on the list.
The problem with my block of flats is that there are two lifts. The first is a very slow-moving lift with a door that you need to swing open which takes you from the street entrance to the âground floorâ - which is about 8 steps in height. Itâs like one of those mezzanine lifts in a dept store. Then next to that is the ânormalâ lift which takes you the rest of the way. The problem is getting out of the first lift and trying to get into the second (or vice versa). The hallway outside of the lifts is so narrow that you literally canât move the scooter round - not helped by you having to hold open the door of the first lift while you get out! So you end up having to do what looks like a three-point turn but actually requires nearer 20. Itâs a stupid set up (especially as all the doors in the flats in my block are designed to get a wheelchair through!), but these places were built just a couple of years before the scooters became popular. The only option I have is keeping it in the meter cupboard outside - which, theoretically, is locked, but everyone in the block has a key. People keep their bikes there, so thereâs no reason why I shouldnât. But itâs something I need to look into. On the plus side, though, where I hire the scooter at the moment it only costs ÂŁ4 a day - so I would need to use my own around 100 times or more before it worked out the cheaper option. The downside is that I donât have one to take if I go away!
Wow, 4GBP a pop is a great deal!
I see what you mean about a scooter being difficult for you. Because you have some mobility, have a look at mini machines. I was on a cruise and saw a guy from the UK with one that was simply amazing. I will try to find it for you online. I saw it, and it make me want it! But thou shalt not covet thy neighbourâs mobility scooter⌠LOL
OK, the scooter is called a âDrive iWhizzâ, or Drive Smart in the UK. In other places it goes by different names. It is soooo cool.
A demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuE52A1E44c
See what I mean? Who wouldnât want a toy like this!
So Joy, howâs it going?
By chance, I found a MPV5 Hoveround on Craigâs List that was BRAND NEW. A son bought it for his dad and his dad passed away before he could use it. :(. I only paid $400 and all cables, joy stick, drink holder and backpack are still in plastic wrap. I used a Hoveround several years ago when my ankle was fused - an another gift from PsA - and it works beautifully in my house . The weight of it is a problem - however, my husband drives a huge GMC 4 door pickup and we have ordered a ramp for the Hoveround that fits in the hitch of the truck. The ramp looks easy to manage - Iâll pop a cover over the chair when we travel. I also have my eye on a couple of scooters by Drive and a Lumex model in a local home health store. My husband sells medical gases for the company that owns the store so I may get a deal there. I did finalize our trip to England last week and reserved a customized handicap Black Cab van to pick up us and all of our goods at Heathrow. The van will cost less than we have paid for a regular Black Cab fare to take us into London in the past. Life is good. Thanks for asking. When is your trip to Holland?
SCORE! There are often deals like that to be had if you have time to wait and see like you did. I think you will be amazed: travel with it will be easier than you think. Once you have travelled with that machine, you may want to consider something a bit different for heavy-duty tourism.
BTW, in London, all the cabs I came across are handicap accessible with a ramp that slides out from under the doors, so finding one to transport you from LHR isnât that special. But if you got a deal, so much the better.
Be sure to keep this site handy. And do enjoy the wonderful attitude the Brits have towards people with handicaps. Generally, they are incredibly helpful and kind. Smile a lot and thank profusely, and your days will be filled with sunshine whatever the weather.
Weâll be in Amsterdam over Easter. Really looking forward to it. Oh, that reminds me, I need to call the airline to let them know about my scooter. They like to know ahead, but I believe that by law they must take you anyway.
Iâm excited for you. Have fun! When are you going?
My husband and I visited England in May 2016 for 16 days and found the English to be exactly as you said toward handicapped people - like ME! While in London, we made the mistake of going to Picadilly Tube Stop vs. Green Park - the stops were equal distance from our hotel. Picadilly is not handicap accessible but by jolly, numerous men stopped and helped my husband carry my ride down the steps to the train. And, yes, I also used the ramps in the Black Cabs. On this trip in October, my daughter and granddaughter are traveling with us and I have my doubts that 4 people, a childâs car seat, a stroller, a Hoveround and luggage would all fit in a regular cab.! The price is about what we paid in 2016 for a taxi to Mayfair but we would have to take 2 separate cabs, if we didnât use the van. We will be in London for 6 days and then the Cotswolds for 4 days. Your trip should be wonderful also. Will it be too early for tulips? We almost froze in London last May. It snowed two different days in spite of everyoneâs garden being in full bloom. Not sure how they managed that.
Tullip day (the opening of the tullip season) is in januari⌠so Iâm guessing they donât need perfect weather? But itâs amazing here now and it will stay that way for the next 2 weeks⌠Easter is in 3 weeks right? Everything should be blooming nicely then (if we donât get winter again by then 
Iâm guessing thatâs what happened last may for you @Joyfulteacher57 )
Iâm glowing with pride for my country here! Not often that happens! I hope you have a fantastic trip.
However you might want to avoid Sainsburyâs Homebase. I limped to the checkout this afternoon carrying a large sack of compost 'cos I couldnât find a trolley or anyone to help. Then I waited ⌠and waited. Eventually another one opened and when the lad shouted ânext customerâ, the six people behind me dashed over. An extremely serious contravention of British Queuing Regulations numbers 1 to 5,000. So I let 'em have it with both barrels, loud and clear. Really enjoyed myself.
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And well you should. The UK has made such a wonderful effort at achieving handicapped accessibility, which is difficult when the country is so full of ancient buildings and infrastructure. My favourite, absolute favourite, most memorable, thrilling, heartwarming handicapped tourist experience was at Windsor Castle. HM Herself could not have been treated with more respect and good humour. Joyful, seriously consider a side trip to Windsor!
As for your experience at Homebase, Sybil, your problem is that you look far too fit and healthy. Just a bit of âpatheticâ would have gone a long way towards eliciting fawning behaviour and fellow shoppers calling you âLuvâ. On the other hand, you enjoyed yourself, and those bloody blighters got a much needed refresher course in the BQR. (Not to be confused with the LNER Renumbering Scheme of 1946.)
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I certainly hope so! This is where we are going, of course.
But Iâm well aware that winter can strike at any time in kikkerland (=âfroglandâ). LOL
Ooh Iâm sure it will be lovely there even when it does get cold again!
Itâs going to be warmer tomorrow then itâs been on Tenerife when i was there last weekâŚ
You total nerd Seenie!
âIn terms of locomotive taxonomy, the LNER had a superficially simple classification system that got a bit messy under close examination. Where it has been considered prudent therefore, subclasses have been identified rather than classes in order to link to the appropriate articles. The classifications given are the one in use at the time; i.e. reflects changes in classification up to that point but not subsequently âŚâ