My DH was run over by an electric scooter!!!!

[shellybaxter]

I used a scooter on our trip 2 weeks ago, due to recovering from knee surgery and rheumatoid arthritis and you are so correct. I can't tell you how many people just STOP right in front of you and those things don't stop on a dime. I never hit anyone, but came dangerously close. And I wasn't driving too fast, either. What irritates me to NO end, is people stopping in the middle of traffic to look at a map or talk to someone and the next thing you know, you're on top of them....UGH.

On my last trip I used a scooter rented from offsite. I felt like I had more control over it than the Disney scooters. Sometimes it is difficult to peacefully co-exit with pedestrians. I had a man coming running up beside me and "hurdle" over the front of the scooter to cross the path. I was in shock. One minute I was just scooting along and the next there was a man jumping over the front of me. Very scarry.

 

[Laren]

My mom who is 42 suffred a stroke 5 yrs ago and we take her out shopping with us. When we first told her to try out the scooters she said no as she was scared of them. Shes been paralized on the left side of her body since the stroke. We told her that she should try it using her good right hand and we will watch her and stand around her to make sure shes ok. She got on that thing and her attitude changed she was independent again ,she didnt need us to push her around. She was able to take my son in the toy aisle and show him the toys. For the first time in a long time she was smiling and not crying. That xmas we bought her her own scooter and took it with us to a theme park near us so she could watch her grandson on the rides. Using one hand shes pretty good but there are times when she slips and hits the foward button instead of staying still and we yell for innocent bystanders to warn them and we do take it seriously ,we dont laff when it happens. The peaple that get brushed by her instead of seeing it was an accident turn on her and call her rude making it really hard for us to convince her to come to any public place with us. She understands that her scooter does hurt when she rolls over our feet on accident she gets it but thats just it shes not doing it on purpose.What gets us is peaple think shes just somebody they can just cut in front off and get mad when she hits them. They walk, right in front of my mom even if shes saying excuse me they stop in front of her to look at there maps and give dirty looks when she says excuse me. Shes a pro at driving hers now but there are times when she hits things on accident and yes she feels horrible. She cant walk and she says to me everyday If she could she would give everything she had to walk again but having her scooter makes her feel like shes got legs. There are times when its easier for us just to rent a scooter and thats when the danger begins Shes not used to the controls so we try to have her test it in an off area to get used to them before sending her in a crowd. Im sorry your husband had that experience and thank goodness your child was ok. Hopefully it never happens again And if you ever see a lady on a ECV surrounded by adults In the theme parks Thats Us LOL guarding the public against moms personal test track trials.

This is why I no longer use a scooter; or drive a car. My stroke left me with left side weakness, visual fields missing and I have balance issues, I would not drive an ECV because if I injured anyone, esp. a child, I couldn't live with it.

People sometimes should be in manual chairs if they pose a hazard to others. . .I wouldn't risk hurting anyone, myself. Wouldn't you consider getting mom a manual chair for the parks for everyone's safety?

 

[kmjmom]

Just another observation/opinion here. I recently underwent major ankle surgery and may need to use an ECV for our upcoming August trip. I am able to walk short distances, but anything more than a brief jaunt causes a great deal of swelling. So, I may well be one of the people that you see parking their ECV to enter a store. I may not look particularly handicapped other than a brace on my leg, but trust me without help, my trip would be ruined! I will be cautious and alert when driving, but please don't jump out or cut in front of me! As someone who has only experienced a wheelchair on a temporary basis, I can tell you that if you truly want to appreciate the perspective you should try it. I had a little girl about 8 come stand beside me in a store and make a sad face. She came in close-(about 10 inches from my face)-she didn't speak, but appeared as though since I was in a chair I couldn't see her. It was bizarre!

 

[Laren]

and oh lord, i get so sick of looking at people's behinds!

isnt' that the truth! I miss really seeing the parks! All you see is not as pretty when you're eye level to keister LOL.

 

[slyjly]

I have just read all the posts, and I am more worried now that I was. We are going to WDW in Sept. and I plan on using an ECV. I usually walk with a cane, but after our May '06 trip, I now know I can't do it with just a cane. I have mainly worried about getting on and off the buses and holding up progress, but now I am really worried about getting through the crowds. I also will walk inside shops, restarunts and hope to do some rides. I have arthritis and a knee replacement and I know my limitations. But I sure don't want to hurt any one or get in any ones way

 

[slyjly]

Sorry, I mean ECV not ECV

 

[Laren]

I have just read all the posts, and I am more worried now that I was. We are going to WDW in Sept. and I plan on using an ECV. I usually walk with a cane, but after our May '06 trip, I now know I can't do it with just a cane. I have mainly worried about getting on and off the buses and holding up progress, but now I am really worried about getting through the crowds. I also will walk inside shops, restarunts and hope to do some rides. I have arthritis and a knee replacement and I know my limitations. But I sure don't want to hurt any one or get in any ones way

Don't worry about it, dear, just get a little practice on the straight-aways before you try to navigate narrow areas. Maybe you can test one out at your local Target or Walmart before you go if you've never driven one!

My feeling is, if you can drive a car, then most likely you can safely drive an ECV. It's people (like myself) who are too disabled to drive a large motorvehicle anymore that I implore to think about trying to use a manual chair instead, if they have someone in their party who can push them.

You'll do okay. And don't give a thought to what others think if they see you walking in a shop with your cane, etc, etc. You're doing the best you can do, and you know it, and that is all that matters.

I hope you have a magical trip, maybe we'll cross paths in September!

Laren

 

[slyjly]

Laren, thanks for the kind and encouraging words I work at Wal-Mart and I see people on ecv's everyday. It is difficult to move around some of the narrow isles in a store even the size of a Wal-Mart. I guess I will have stay late and practice at the store!

 

[Laren]

Laren, thanks for the kind and encouraging words I work at Wal-Mart and I see people on ecv's everyday. It is difficult to move around some of the narrow isles in a store even the size of a Wal-Mart. I guess I will have stay late and practice at the store!

Anytime! and remember, driving an ECV is a skill like anything else. you have to practice to get good at it.

Good luck with your test runs thru the store! Just look out for those endcaps! If you have to head into one, pick the bathroom tissue instead of the canned goods! lol

 

[MushyMushy]

I was in Japan in the WS last week when a woman in a scooter totally lost control and careened into an endcap and knocked the whole thing off the shelving unit. My first thought was to check the woman to see if she was okay, but she just seemed to be mortally embarrassed.

If those things are so difficult to control, then Disney needs to invest in a better scooter.

 

[Laren]

I was in Japan in the WS last week when a woman in a scooter totally lost control and careened into an endcap and knocked the whole thing off the shelving unit. My first thought was to check the woman to see if she was okay, but she just seemed to be mortally embarrassed.

If those things are so difficult to control, then Disney needs to invest in a better scooter.

I wonder if this is the first time in the history of disboards that the word 'endcap' has been put into two posts coincidentally at the same time ROFL I was typing as you were typing!

As someone who once nearly killed an endcap in the store at the Canada pavillion once MANY moons ago. . .I am glad that the lady wasn't hurt! Some of the aisles are so narrow esp. in the gift shops. . .

 

[pppiglet]

What made me mad was there were two ECV's in CA last week (one right after another) and each one had 2 kids on it (4 teens) and they were just zipping in and out of everyone very fast! Do they just let anyone rent these things? Obiously all 4 of them couldn't have medical conditions! They were barely missing people as they zipped by.

 

[Hixski]

Don't worry about it, dear, just get a little practice on the straight-aways before you try to navigate narrow areas. Maybe you can test one out at your local Target or Walmart before you go if you've never driven one!

My feeling is, if you can drive a car, then most likely you can safely drive an ECV. It's people (like myself) who are too disabled to drive a large motorvehicle anymore that I implore to think about trying to use a manual chair instead, if they have someone in their party who can push them.

You'll do okay. And don't give a thought to what others think if they see you walking in a shop with your cane, etc, etc. You're doing the best you can do, and you know it, and that is all that matters.

I hope you have a magical trip, maybe we'll cross paths in September!

Laren

I think you may be right about the driving part. I have gone to a grocery store or Target and watched someone slam into the curb to stop their car. You get inside and the same person is running into things now with a scooter. Maybe some people should give up driving anything if they can't handle it anymore. My MIL still drives to the store at 93. That scares DH but it seems she still does ok. She won't use a scooter in the store though. She said those things scare her. At least we know she won't be running anyone over in an ECV.

 

[BroganMc]

Wheelchair and ECV etiquette is pretty simple.

PWC and ECVs are best driven with a 3 foot buffer zone all around. The smaller the available buffer the slower you must drive. (No tailgating unless you want to take out some pedestrians.)

Pedestrians and Wheelers should look before they step/roll. (If your feet or wheels go anywhere your eyes aren't checking for hazards, expect a collision with something. Could be some kids nasty leftovers, a curb or a wall.)

Remember none of us have brake lights. Sudden stops in moving traffic will most likely lead to a pile up.

A PWC/ECV is an electronic set of legs, not a hitching post. Stand directly behind the wheels and expect to get backed into.

As a wheeler I'm used to looking at where people's eyes are. That usually tells me where they are headed. So far my only collisions have been with pedestrians who stepped sideways unexpectedly and didn't check for hazards first. Kinda hard to avoid someone who's looking one way and moves another.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Laren, thanks for the kind and encouraging words I work at Wal-Mart and I see people on ecv's everyday. It is difficult to move around some of the narrow isles in a store even the size of a Wal-Mart. I guess I will have stay late and practice at the store!

If you can deal with a Walmart ECV, you can drive anything! There was a big difference for my mom. She loves the rentals we get for her off-site. She's been to Disney following chemo, with a broken foot and a broken knee. I really need to just buy one of them for her, and be done with it.

She hasn't ever run over anyone. Not even the dingdongs that walk right in front of her, since she doesn't actually exist... But she doesn't run on rabbit, either!

Good luck and have an awesome trip!

 

[madenon]

Laren, thanks for the kind and encouraging words I work at Wal-Mart and I see people on ecv's everyday. It is difficult to move around some of the narrow isles in a store even the size of a Wal-Mart. I guess I will have stay late and practice at the store!

Try them out at work, really! They aren't difficult to use, especially if you've got some driving-experience allready. It is just getting used to there different way of functioning. For instance; turning with a ecv can be a problem when first using one because it takes a bit of a different way of making the turn than we're used to. A lot of ECV's require you to turn later than with a car. If you turn when you would with the car, you can get yourself stuck. After a couple times of practice (which is done really very quickly), most will have the hang of it.

With the small turning differences you can get into situations that make you go If you make one wrong turn with a ecv you can have a real hard time getting back on track, which might even need 5 or more extra moves. If you don't know that and aren't used to the way they react and turn, you can get yourself even more stuck and probably more important; worrie a lot more yourself! Just the worrying alone will make you get into a small "bumping into accident" more easily. So practice is a great thing to build up own confidence which'll help you in more difficult situations (just knowing you can make that difficult turn in an overcrowded restaurant will make it more easy to do just that) and to get the hang of making turns on a ecv.

With you working at Walmart, you're in the great oppertunity of getting some experience just before or after working hours or during a break. Make your work work for you, take the perk this job has and use it to your own advantage. You'll love not having to think that much about "how do I have to do this" when you are at WDW because you've got the basics down allready. If you can go through a couple of isles and take a turn when backing up, you'll be able to get yourself out of allmost every situation.


And those teens? Oh well, they'll learn some day. Speeding and using them like toys tends to be a dumb thing to do with ecv's. They aren't the most stabile of things (even with 4 wheels). Keep on taking turns at max. speed and there will come a day they'll meet the street up close. Way up close.

 

[CinderellasSister]

Ok, I haven't read through all the posts, but there are just too many. Please allow me to say my two cents though. I work for a company that sells powerchairs and scooters, so I happen to know a thing or two about them. First, they DO NOT come to a dead stop when you take your hand off of the forward. They slow to a stop, just like that car in your driveway. If they came to an immediate stop, everyone would have whiplash and back injuries. We were just in WDW in May, and I was amazed at how many people cut in front of my MIL in her scooter. She always made sure to keep a distance between her and the people in front of her, because she kept in mind that she needed "stopping distance". However, there are people who stop without paying attention to what is behind them, or better yet, the dips who would see that gap in front of her as an invitation to jump in. I wouldn't have felt bad for them if they had gotten hit. On the flip side of this, I do agree that there are a lot of bad drivers of ECV's down in Disney. I was run over by one of them twice (the person hit me, I straightened up to keep walking and she immediately hit me again!). It would have been nice if she had apologized. But if she hadn't been tailgating me, that never would have happened.

 

[tmli]

Having been to WDW with my mom who needs an ECV and my son who on trips I have had to push in a Wheelchair, I know a thing or two on this topic.

I can assure you for each one of you who are courteous and careful of ecv/chair users there are at least 100 who are not. Honestly I don't know why anyone who didn't have to would use these things for "convenience". They are a pain to maneuver thru the parks around the many clueless and inconsiderate pedestrians.

We try to leave "stop room" in front of us and there is someone else squeezing in or jumping over the chair. In a store once at wdw I was pushing my son when a two year old came running down the aisle...we stopped dead because we didn't know where he was going to go and waited. He ran right into us...his father comes up to get him and tells me to get my f...ing gimp kid out of his way. I wish this ignorant jerk was a minority....he's not.

I think there are a lot of frustrations on both ends of this issue (like the stroller issue!), that each side has lost tolerance for the other.

The day is spent dodging people who are either oblivious or just don't care. Touring with a guest in a chair/ecv is truly exhausting.....I would much rather not have to, but we do what we need for those we love.

 

[Piper]

I am taking a final trip to WDW next month. It will be my sixth trip. The first two, I was able to walk. I had pain and fatigue, but managed. The third trip was in my WC--my sister pushed me. The fourth was partial Disney ECV, partial WC. The fifth was off-site ECV. This time I will be bringing my own ECV because I can't navigate the airport without it.

I am going solo this time because I still can and I always feel I am "holding people back" when they are with me. I also need to use an alternate entrance, because the sun is my "enemy." I wear sunscreen, sun protective clothing and a cooling vest (I know--a real fashion statement! ) It often takes longer to "do" the rides on wheels because they only have one ride vehicle for HC users--or limited seating in shows. I hate making my family wait so long with me when they could be going on other rides. There are also a lot of rides that I can't do because of my disability. I don't mind waiting while they ride. It gives me a little "down time."

I look normal--but overweight (cortizone and the inability to exercize will do that to you ) I do wear AFOs (braces) now so when I leave my ECV to walk in the stores, I might not get the looks I got in past visits.

I am very used to handling my ECV but it doesn't stop on a dime. If you cut in that empty space I leave in front of me, you might get bumped. I will say "sorry" but please try to be aware of me. It is almost impossible to get out of crowded places (like Fantasmic) because people are in such a rush, they will NOT give you the space needed to "merge" into the flow. I often sit and wait and wait while people just push around me--if I were to bump someone, I would be called careless by some of the people here!

I often have to wait for more than one bus because only 2 WC or ECV will fit on a bus. But that is just part of my world. I expect to wait. I am just glad I am still able to function, to work, and to play -- especially glad that I have this opportunity to visit WDW one more time!

I am not telling you these things to get sympathy--I don't want that. I just want you to be a little more aware of (and maybe courteous to) people in ECVs. I don't get (or want) to do things faster than you. I don't want special treatment. I intend to have fun, relax, and enjoy the magic!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Users need to practice loading and off-loading on the buses as well

Okay, that's an interesting point of view. How do you propose this be done? Isn't the only way to 'practice' loading and off-loading an ECV on a bus to actually USE a bus?

Maybe she needs a speed limiter on that thing; slow down grandma.

If she rented if from Disney, it only had one speed. SLOW. Slower than the average person walks.

I can assure you for each one of you who are courteous and careful of ecv/chair users there are at least 100 who are not.

Oh, my, yes! I was once 'trapped' in the photo viewing area at Test Track. I would move the ECV an inch, say "excuse me", move another inch, excuse myself again... an entire new batch of riders would exit into the photo area... admittedly, every "excuse me" got louder, but literally inching along and feeling trapped contributed to my panic. Finally some lovely woman said, "You know, if you weren't being so rude people might let you through"