An important news story

[SueM in MN]

Here's a link to a news story on the DIS Boards news page. It's about the trials and tribulations of traveling thru WDW with an ecv or wheelchair. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but tought you would appreciate knowing that Webmaster Pete felt a letter he got was important enough to make into a news story.

 

[JudithM]

Sue, thanks for sharing this info. You may be preaching to the choir, but ... . I like the comment about who controls those feet.

 

[Talking Hands]

Awesome story. Also like the comment about who controls those feet.

 

[SueM in MN]

Unfortunately, some of the people on other boards are reading this story as "because I use an ecv, I think I deserve the right of way and don't need to watch for other people."
I read it as a person using an ecv, who had enough and just had to tell someone about it.

 

[Janet2k]

I saw that the article other day. I was glad to read it (I didn't take it the wrong way, I knew exactly the point the writer was trying to make). I always try to stay out of the way of people in ECVs, wheelchairs, strollers, baby buggies, etc. I know how precious my toes are and I always try to keep them out of danger (my toes may be ugly but they certainly serve an important purpose for my feet!).

 

[LvsTnk]

Originally posted by SueM in MN
Unfortunately, some of the people on other boards are reading this story as "because I use an ecv, I think I deserve the right of way and don't need to watch for other people."
I read it as a person using an ecv, who had enough and just had to tell someone about it.

The posts on other boards bothered me too, but I just decided not to respond this time. Some people just don't get it.

 

[irish]

What a terrific article......It's the first time I've seen it. Having traveled to Disney several times during the last few years, with my DH in an ECV, I can certainly relate to the comments, stares and complete disregard of the Disney public, for the most part.......Believe me, those of us in the ECV would much rather have the ability to "walk"........Very timely and interesting article....Thank you so much........

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by LvsTnk
The posts on other boards bothered me too, but I just decided not to respond this time. Some people just don't get it.

I know what you mean. although the writer of the article is pretty strong, I don't think it was as negative and "ECVs have the right of way" as the first person to be critical took it. Some of the other posters who partly agreed DO get it, but I just didn't want to get another bunch of really negative posts.
I just couldn't think of good words to use.

I do believe there are some people who should not be driving ecvs. I have seen people who are letting their kids (or grandkids) sit on their laps and actually drive it, have the child get off when a CM tells them that is not allowed and then go right back to the kids driving when the CM is out of view. I also saw an elderly man who had a small child on his lap driving at full speed and then stopping right before he got to a particular woman (I think his wife). It's not the ecv that is making them have poor judgement and put other people in danger; I'm sure they were that way before they rented one! And someone with very poor vision and reflexes would be much safer in a wheelchair. Those people are the minority, but they are the ones people remember, not all the people who are doing their best to be courteous with the ecv or wheelchair.
And, irish, I don't think I've seen you here before (but I might be mistaken). I'm glad you enjoyed the article. Welcome to disABILITIES whether you have been here before or not!

 

[dclfun]

Sue- I know what you mean about some folks who shouldn't drive an ECV. I've always agreed with the advice given here for "first timers" to try one out at home before renting one at WDW. One time back on Pangani Trail a new user couldn't figure out how to work hers and literally rammed her WDW ECV into the side of my chair , knocking off my feeding pump and breaking it. Fortunately I know many of the CM's back there who came to my rescue to reinstall the pump but I had to get my rental company to replace it as it was cracked. At least this lady could have had the courtesy to apologize- as I glared at her in dismay the other ladies with her began to laugh as if her poor driving was a big joke. I kept thinking....what if she'd run into a toddler? At least I'm made of strong stuff! ----Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

It's hard to imagine that someone would run into someone hard enough to damage something and just make a joke about it. I can understand someone having trouble driving (as the writer of the article mentioned, some of the rental equipment has little "quirks" that even an experienced driver might not figure out for a while), but I would be absolutely mortified if my DD drove into anyone. That's one of the reasons we have not taken her power wheelchair yet to WDW; we were not sure how she would react to the crowded difficult conditions at WDW.
A few months ago, she had a good trial though. We went to the "Harry Potter" party at a local Barnes and Noble when the new book came out. She did really well driving in the crowded conditions. Other than a woman who was taking a picture, backed up crouching to get her whole party in the picture and came to a stop about an inch from landing on DD's lap. I yelled, but the woman didn't look back or anything. DD stopped driving, took her hand off the joystick and just sat there patiently waiting for the woman to finish. I don't think the woman even knew what almost happened. What I can't figure out is why the others in her party didn't say anything to her. I was just hoping the woman didn't land on the joystick if she fell.

 

[Talking Hands]

are there any links to these posts? I'd love top read them. I was out of town on a cruise and missed all of this

 

[dclfun]

Sue- Sounds like your daughter handled herself really well! I've been in similar situations with people backing up and since I'm unable to scream, just have to stop and hope they do too before they're in my lap. One time at Downtown Disney in that mega-store a lady was in a hurry and walking on my right side- she had to squeeze between myself and a display and ended up throwing her leg over my armrest with the joystick basically in her crotch ( sorry, only way to describe it). She had the nerve to look at me as though it was my fault and I did give her a piece of my mind! Last year during a crowded dark night at Epcot during the F & W festival I was going in a straight line while another woman to my right was weaving and she ran into me, then slapped me in the arm!!! I felt like truly running into her- here she was slapping someone on life support equipment and she was the one who ran into me- there was nothing I could do to move out of her way in that crowd. I also couldn't believe the lady who ran into me with such force at DAK didn't even apologize, but then I wasn't sure if they even spoke English since all that group did was laugh. Gheesh. ---Kathy

 

[Talking Hands]

My worst experiences have been a person who veered into me at MVMCP and his foot went under my wheel tipping my power wheelchair over on its side dumping me on the ground. Fortunately I did not end up with my arm pinned under my chair. I was hurt though. Person who did this just left me sprawled on the ground and walked away with his friends. Castmembers helped me up and righted the wheelchair.
Getting sat on in Animal Kingdom. This woman was coming towards me and I could not veer away or I would hit the side of the bridge so I stopped. She continued walking and fell into my lap. No apology at all.
But the one that caps it is the little kid that came up to in the Disney Store and started playing with my controller. When I told him to stop his parents were upset with me. Their comment was his uncle always allows him to play with the controller on his chair. Hey I'm not his aunt! Leave my contoller alone.

 

[doombuggy]

When i took my grama down in May 7 rented a ECV, i was tempted to buy a horn. I stood in the aisle at Kmart & debated. I did not buy it, and we did pretty well. Mostly because I would yell "Excuse me" if necessary. I have no qualms about speaking my piece! I would have scared the cr@p out of some people if I bought that horn!

PS: thanks to everyone's help over here, I rented an ECV for her, and she liked it so much, she bought one for herself at home. I think I should have bought that horn, though. The kids in her neghborhood DO NOT look. We were sitting on the porch a couple of weeks ago (I was down visiting her) and a pickup truck was getting ready to back into his driveway across the street. A little girl on her bike darted from our side of the street/sidewalk, behind his truck and onto the side walk on his side. Someone in his truck must have seen her, b/c he stopped the truck. I was ready to ring a peal over her stupid head (and that of her parents) and I only saw what happened! Some people are just not altogether there!

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm glad your gramma liked it so much she bought one, doombuggy. It will make her life a lot easier. I can't believe how much more independent my DD is in her power chair. She also gets a different type of look from people when we are out now with the power chair. With the manual wheelchair, it was more pity and people assumed she could not understand them. If they talked to her at all, it was "baby talk" or very simple, which she completely tunes out. That made them feel she was even lower level and they wouldn't talk at all (even with me saying, she understands very well, she just can't talk). Having a power wheelchair still doesn't get people to notice her (if it did, no one would have scary things like dclfun and Talking Hands mentioned), but at least people who see her assume she must have some level of intelligence when they talk to her.

Anyway, the news story was not posted on all boards. The thread on the Transportation Board was the only one I know of that elicited negative responses. i think when other Mods saw that, they may not have wanted to add "fuel to the fire", so didn't put a link to the story on their own boards.