Often I hear, “Did ya see that, she made a perfect three point turn!”  Not so easy with a big, three wheel, candy apple red, mobility scooter. (No, not a ‘handicapped” scooter, nothing handicapped about it.)  Listen, this is the scooter that my husband brilliantly equipped with Harley mirrors, and a license plate. So, one asks, how do I do in an elevator?  There is nothing handicapped accessible in an elevator.  They forget that once you pull in, the electronic controls are behind you.  So, if you’re in there by yourself and you’ve forgotten to back in, you just ride up and down a few times until someone else gets in and presses your floor, or you luck out and the elevator happens to stop.  UNLESS, you can make the three point turn.  Practice, grasshopper, practice.  

One must always remember to pull in on a diagonal…never straight in.  If not all the way around, you can then, at least get sideways and control the electronics.  Once that door closes, and your straight in, it takes an inch-inch-maneuver, but you can do it.

And, as far as I’m concerned, the controls are never low enough.  I have used my cane (not pretty), a pen, my eyeglass stem, my scooter key, or anything straight, long and hard…watch out guys! One learns to get creative.

Then, if I’m sideways and it’s time to get off, as long as the elevator is long enough, I back up, turn my tiller and off I go!  Now, if I have to do the “Inch-by Inch” thing, then I simply stop the elevator, take my time, until I’m straight forward, flip the elevator back on and leave.  Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  Thanks, Otis.

Don’t let’s get started on bathrooms.