It could have been a disaster.

[lisapooh]

Around 6:30 I decided I better leave and head back to AKL because it looked like it would pour.
Got to the bus stop at about 6:45 and the bus arrived about 7. Went to get on and oops no key for the lift. Driver was very apologetic but could not operate the lift without the key. It's starting to rain and lightening so she called the dispatch and was told that the next bus would arrive in about 20 minutes. Explained the problem (I am in a power wheelchair, there was no cover and it would not be safe for me to sit there until a bus comes) no help from dispatch. Well up drives the WL bus. It's driver hops out and trys his lift key. It works but what about getting me off at AKL. No problem. Take the key and return the next run through EPCOT. Call when you are on the way. They get me on the bus and we head for the AKL as the rain starts to pour.
I got back to AKL safely due to 2 terrific drivers!

 

[teri]

Wow, I am glad they did the right thing for you!!! I hope you got their names and report them for their extra magical assistance!

 

[lisapooh]

Sure did. It would have been very unpleasant to have sat in the pouring rain in a power chair. And I don't even want to thik about what it would have done to the controller

 

[piratesmate]

I'm glad it worked out & you had some of the good drivers on-hand!

We were getting off one night at AKL - in a torrential downpour - and the bus was parked well away from the overhang due to a car in the bus lane! He started to position the lift & then looked at me as if to say - you don't want to go out in this! I told him I would walk down the steps instead of getting drenched. I got out of the chair & exited the front. DH got off the back with the chair & the poor driver couldn't get the lift back up!! I'm sooo glad I wasn't stuck on that thing in the rain - & it was only a manual chair! Several times while we were there, the lift on a bus had similar problems - fortunately (?) it was sunny each other time.

We had several instances where bus drivers went out of their way to give us a hand & I'm still in the process of writing snail mail about it. Do you have an e-mail address to which I could direct a "job well done/thank you" type message? I use the computer so much, that I hate having to do things the old way & thus procrastinate!

Thanks!

 

[SueM in MN]

You were very lucky!

 

[jdremann]

You were definitely lucky. We fear rain with our "electric" chair too. We fortunately have a rain poncho similar to the Disney ones except bigger and blue with plastic snaps on the sides. It fits completely over the power chair and has a hood with the head hole. This worked out real well for downpour while at Epcot last November. We could get from building to building while it poured and poured. We still tried to stay inside as much as possible but the rain didn't stop us or our fun. It also didn't affect our chair which really onely got wet around the wheels. I don't know where we got the poncho but I'm real glad we had it. I'm looking for a new one for our next trip because one of the snaps broke.

 

[tink2dw]

I ordered a rain pouncho from LandsEnd that sounds like the one you used. It had a hood and a front pocket,was very wide,and had snaps on the sides. here is a link to LandsEnd http://www.landsend.com/cd/frontdoor/

they have a very easy return policy. And the telephone operators are very knowledgable about the products they carry. If I have any question about a product,I call the 1 800 # and always get a great response.