I was trying to do an end run, save a little money and keep my power chair powered until I can get s new chair or something. I was going to give the reutilization project, I am part of, a try. I have been in conversations with tech and he assured me he had motors which would fit my chair and I should come over and we could check them out to be sure. I tried to go over yesterday but Jose was out on appointment so I sort of made an appointment for today. Jose assured me he would be into day but asked that I call to be sure that he was in just the same.
I waited until ten this morning before I made my first call to Jose, he did not answer his phone, which did not necessarily me Jose was not in—he could have been on the phone of with another consumer and surely would be free by the time I got to the Buffmire building. I was operating on faith but sometimes one has to. So, I took off to the bus stop for a ride to the Westside. I had been charging my chair since I got into the office this morning at about 10 minutes to seven so I knew I had the “Juice” to get where I needed to go. The morning had turned warm, autumn warm with bright sunlight showing. I waited for the 217 which runs on 15 minute head ways and the bus was there. One of the older vehicles which actually had a wheelchair lift. The new vehicles are kneelers with ramps. But I had no problems getting on the vehicle. I backed in and the driver tied me down or rather my chair down and we were off.
It was weird I had got the west side and to the street I needed to down load. The driver stopped the bus and walked back to me and undid my restraints and I turned on my chair but nothing happened. I just got “fast lights” blinking which means there is a problem somewhere in the electrical system of my wheelchair. No matter what I did I could not get my chair turned on so I could dismount the bus. The driver tried to be nice, as much as public transit operators can be but I knew she needed to get on her way. I decided that I was close enough to my end point if I could just get off the bus, and le the bust wander away I could call the Buffmire Building and I am sure the would send someone literally push me to the building. I showed the driver how to disengage the clutches which sets my power chair into “free wheel” allowing me to move by gravity or being pushed but having no control or my mobility. I was moved( excuse the pun) when the young man who had been sitting next to me volunteered to push me where I needed to go. This was quite a rave act for this young man—who’d to say I would not demand that h push me all the way back to my office. But he hopped off and he did push me the block to the Buffmire building where Jose was not but luckily we were able to run Jose down by cell phone and showed up in about ten minutes.
When Jose did get to the building he seemed a little distracted but was able to get me and my chair back to his work area. The time was about 11:30 and Jose then informed me he had a 12:00 pm doctor’s appointment. Here I was, once again, the kinda of consumer I hate, one who shows up for services thirty minutes before lunch or closing time. Jose worked hard and fast tearing my equipment apart trying to find the problem, trading part with other chairs and finally isolating the problem in the harness. Jose also indicated in the course of the search that my chair was newer then the chair he had harvested the motors from and those motors would not work on my chair. Sigh the trip had been in vane. I am glad, however that I chair decided to fail on my trip, at least there was someone there to assist me. The experience was a lesson. I am going to just have to accept the fact I am going to have to go through my durable medical equipment provider—pay the price what ever the price might be, and get on with it. I shall always be poor.
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