In the speech President Obama was talking about construction jobs, hammering in the first nail is the first step in Rebuilding America, The U.S.A..Soap on a Rope
We have all heard about “Soap on a Rope”. Here are two pictures of my soap on a rope.
Here is my version of “Toilet Paper on a Chain”.
There are so many toilet paper holders out on the market today. I hope that everyone can see the humor in having toilet paper on a chain!
Cruising down the sidewalk on 3 wheels with a flat – wheelchair lifestyle
The story of my Invacare Power Chair [electric wheelchair] that I received on June 30th, 2010.
It all began on the first day I had my Invacare Power Chair. I was test driving it in my house, everything went “ok”. Then I went out side with the Invacare Power Chair, that is where the fun began!! Driving the chair around in the grass was good, there were no problems at all. There was a little bump going up from the grass to my cement driveway. I decided to go to dinner. In leaving my property I crossed the street in front of my house, went up the driveway apron diagonally
and the [left caster tire] Semi-Pneumatic Casters Lt. Grey, popped off the wheel. Turned around drove the chair back to my house. Took a picture of the left tire that had popped off of the left front caster. 
Sent a copy of the picture to the dealer via e-mail. Then the next week the dealer came out picked up the Invacare Power Chair and took it back to their shop, where they put the tire back on the caster. The chair was returned to me in that same week.
In the meantime, after I sent the e-mail to the dealer. I used my Quickie P200 electric wheelchair [my backup chair] and went to dinner. In the first month that I had my new Invacare Power Chair, I was very careful in operating the electric wheelchair, going up and down curb cuts and driveway aprons.
A month had gone by, I was coming back from dinner. While crossing the street about 4 blocks from my house, I went up the ADA’s approved curb cut 
and the tire popped off the left caster again!! While sitting in my Invacare Power Chair, I took a drink of my hot tea and quietly laughed at myself. Wondering how I was going to get my Invacare Power Chair back home. Here is what I did, on 3 wheels I drove the Invacare Power Chair home on the sidewalk I had to be careful of cracks and bumps . Driving my Invacare Power Chair on 3 wheels was almost like riding in a hydrofoil boat. When crossing the street, the only thing that I had to be careful was cracks and bumps in the street and going down driveway aprons and curb cuts, there is no way of stopping the chair. If you go down the curb cut, driveway apron forwards all of the weight goes to the front casters and there is not enough weight on the rear wheels. The best way to avoid sliding down the driveway aprons and curb cuts, is to go down backwards. Keep in mind that people walking might not know that one of the wheels is broken on your electric wheelchair, so be careful!! You can go up the curb cut, driveway apron forwards, because all of the weight is on the rear wheels. When I returned home, I sent a copy of the picture to the dealer via e-mail.
Then the next week the dealer came out picked up the Invacare Power Chair and took it back to their shop, where they put more of a heavy duty tires back on both of the casters. This time I was without my Invacare Power Chair for about a month while the dealer order heavy duty tires,wheels and inserts. I was not without any electric wheelchair, I had my Quickie P200 electric wheelchair as my backup chair.
How ever I do have an on going problem with the footplates, they keep on breaking on my Invacare Power Chair. It is not the footplate that breaks, it is the little bracket that the footplate is bolted onto. That same little bracket is also bolted onto the hanger. So far this past year they have broken about five different times now!! I just wish that I could buy replacement parts over the internet, counter or mail order.
Lost Package, Found Package, Delivered Package
In the past I have read on different websites and blogs on what I call horror stories about packages being lost or even been dropped off the end of the earth, which is not true. When a package is late getting to a buyer, most likely the package was accidentally misrouted. Don’t be upset about it. I know it is easy for me to say this, think about all of the people, employees and machines that handle your package. When it happened to me, this is what I did, I took a big deep breath of air, exhaled it, then went into the kitchen and drank a big cold glass of ice water.
As an ebay seller, back on June 8th, 2011 I sold an item to an ebay buyer. On June 9th, 2011, I sent the package out via Priority Flat Rate Padded Envelope with a Delivery Confirmation Number, the U.S. Postal Service Sort Facility received this package on this date. Then on June 17th, 2011, through ebays message system I received a message from the buyer telling me that they have not received their package. On June 20th, 2011, via snail mail I sent a copy of the buyer’s message [to me], and shipping label with the delivery confirmation number to the U.S. Postal Service Sort Facility that handles my packages that I ship out. On June 22nd, 2011, as backup I also sent a copy of the buyer’s message [to me], and shipping label with the delivery confirmation number to my Senator. On June 30th, 2011, I received a letter from the Manager at the Post Office Operations Center, saying that the package was in route to the buyer. The package was delivered to the buyer on July 2nd, 2011.
Priority Flat Rate Padded Envelope & Legal Envelope
In January 2011 the U.S. Postal Service introduced into service the “NEW” Priority Flat Rate Padded Envelope & Legal Envelope. You can obtain these free envelopes [Padded & Legal] from the U.S. Postal Store. The flat rate cost for shipping with these envelopes is $4.95 for the padded envelope and $4.95 for the legal envelope. The U.S. Postal Service has updated their shipping calculator to reflect the cost of these envelopes. As I am a ebay seller, to comply and be covered under the eBay Buyer Protection Policy. I use PayPal.com to collect the payments and print out the shipping labels. PayPal’s shipping calculator does not reflect the cost of the new U.S. Postal Service Priority Flat Rate Padded Envelope & Legal Envelope. After I print the shipping label through PayPal, I like a lot of you, add the $0.20 makeup postage to equal the correct amount, when ever I use these envelopes. I hope that someone from PayPal.com will read this post and have their shipping calculator updated. In the past I have contacted PayPal.com about this, but have had no success!! In the meantime I will continue to buy the $0.20 makeup stamp from the U.S. Postal Store, until PayPal.com has their shipping calculator updated.
Taking The Bus to The Movie Theater
Continued from What is Discrimination?
While I was boarding the bus in my electric wheelchair, the operator ask me where I wanted to get off at. I explained to the operator that I wanted to please get off at “A” Blvd. All of the time while we were in route to “A” Blvd. the operator was socializing with other passengers. Before we arrived at “A” Blvd. I pushed the red button, to signal the operator that I wanted to get off at the next stop, “A” Blvd. [ In the wheelchair area of the bus, when the red button is pushed, to signal “Stop Requested” the bell rings two times]. The operator did not hear the signal because the operator was socializing with the other passengers.
Because I’m a person with a disability I did not want to be accused of interrupting the operator while they were socializing with the other passengers, that is why I did not speak up. However another passenger did speak up and the operator got mad at me, because I did not speak up.
When ever I have my electric wheelchair with me, I really do not care what bus stop I get off at. I know and understand that sometimes their might be other activities going on around the bus stop. As an example, maybe road construction or police activity.
This bus ride down to the movie theater was almost as entertaining as the movie “Cars 2”. In another post I will be writing about the movie “Cars 2”.
An Expensive Ride Home
On September 8th, 2010 McCormick Ambulance Service picked me up from a business with my electric wheelchair, and transported me to the hospital. Later that night when I was released from the hospital. I was able to go to my residents in a taxi with my electric wheelchair. Then on October 2nd, 2010 McCormick Ambulance Service picked me up from my
residence, but would not allow me to bring either my cane or my manual wheelchair to the hospital with me. Later that night when I was released from the hospital, I was not able to return to my residence because I did not have my cane or my manual wheelchair with me. The hospital had to call Gerber Ambulance Service to transport me back to my residence. The bill that I received from Gerber Ambulance Service, was in the amount of $1,054.25. I submitted the bill to Medicare and my medical insurance for payment. MAXIMUS has explained to me that because it was not a non-emergency ambulance transport back to my residence, Medicare and my medical insurance does not have to pay the bill that I received from Gerber Ambulance Service.
Riding A Metro Train in an Electric Wheelchair
Being independent is not being afraid to ask for help. There are Blue Disabled Person Signs 
with arrows pointing to where the entrances, exits, ramps and elevators are to the train stations.
When the train arrives at the station, go to doors where the Blue Disabled Person Sign is. On some trains it might be in the middle of the train car. Other cars might have the Blue Disabled Person Sign on each end of the car, by the doors. Go to the door where you want to board the car, wait until the doors open and the passengers deboard the train. Please note that the train car might not be level with the platform. I have found that it is a little bit easier, safer to enter the train car on a little diagonally, just so that both of the front wheels of your electric wheelchair do not get stuck in the space between the platform and the train car, this also applies to manual wheelchairs.. There is sometimes about 1 inch to 3 inches of space between the platform and train car. A person walking without any mobility aides would not have any trouble stepping over the space between the platform and train car. A person using any type of mobility aides, cane, crutches or a walker would have to be very careful. After you have boarded the train car in your electric wheelchair, proceed to the wheelchair area of the train car, place your electric wheelchair in a comfortable place, turn off the power, sit back relax and enjoy the ride. There are signs on board the train that show where the wheelchair area is.
Arriving at your destination.
If you feel comfortable doing so, you might want to start moving slowly close to the doors so when the train arrives at your destination station and the doors open you can be one of the first passengers to deboard the train. Please remember that the platform might not be level with the floor of the car you are deboarding.
My first trip using public transportation I had a friend go with me. All we did was spend a day riding around on different transit buses and trains getting on and off them, just so that I could be comfortable doing this on my own.
What is Discrimination?
Continued from Boarding the Bus in an Electric Wheelchair.
Discrimination is not that …
Your skin is a different color.
You speak a different language.
Your left arm is longer then your right arm.
You use the aide of an electric or manual wheelchair, walker or cane to get around in your community.
One of the many reasons why a wheelchair passenger might board the public transit vehicle [bus] first is that they need more room to maneuver their wheelchair into the securement area of the vehicle, how ever it is up to the discretion of the transit operator, who boards the bus first.
It is recommended, but not required that a person in a wheelchair back on to the lift or backing up the ramp into the public transit vehicle [bus]. With the style of electric wheelchair that I have, backing onto the lift or backing up the ramp into the public transit vehicle [bus]. This allows me more room to maneuver my wheelchair into the securement area of the vehicle. The model of electric wheelchair that I have is a Invacare Power Chair [Torque 3 Power W/C Base And Seat Wmk6l].
With the new mid wheel drive electric wheelchairs, I have seen passengers going onto the lift, up the ramp into the public transit vehicle [bus] , forwards.
Having to wait a few extra minutes to board, deboard a public transit vehicle [bus], is not really discrimination.
From the post “Boarding the Bus in an electric wheelchair” the teenage girl was allowed to board the bus.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has more information on boarding a public transit vehicle [bus] in a wheelchair.
With the high cost of motor fuel there are more people using public transportation these days, so please be a little more understanding when boarding or deboarding a public transit vehicle [bus].
To be Continued……
Boarding the Bus in an Electric Wheelchair
The bus arrived at the bus stop. While I was sitting in my electric wheelchair, I signaled to the transit operator, [bus driver] that I wanted to board the bus. The transit operator opened the doors and started to deploy the lift. While the lift was deploying, a teenage girl stepped onto the lift. The transit operator stopped the lift and told the teenage girl to please get off of the bus, because the wheelchair passenger boards the bus first. I heard the teenage girl say “that this is discrimination”. I said nothing. When the lift was completely deployed I boarded the bus.
Is this discrimination?