Warning for power wheelchair users

[lisapooh]

If you are visiting with the characters be sure to turn off the power to your chair. Piglet bent down to give me a hug and hit my controller. We did quite a dance before I could turn the power off and we came to a stop. It could be dangerous for both the character and the user. Let's not run over the character's feet.

 

[Michigan]

I know it was scarry, but I can't stop laughing. I can just imagine you and piglet spinning around. Glad no one got hurt!!!

 

[Puffy2]

Wish I had that one on video.

Also, might want to consider turning it off on the monorail too - the ECV we had rolled when the monorail rounded corners. Scary!

 

[SueM in MN]

Yep, I could see my DDD doing that. Good reminder.
Also about the monorails. We don't have an ecv, so here's a qestion for ecv users:
When the power is on, is the ecvs free rolling? What about when the power is off? Do you need to do anything to allow it to roll when pushed?
A power wheelchair isn't free rolling, whether the power is on or off. To be able to roll it, you need to turn off the pwower and disengage the axel by flipping a switch of some type.

 

[lisapooh]

On a scooter you ust turn a lever to make it free wheeling. Of course if your hnads are near the controls you can move the chair a bit unconsciously. I know I did that with my chair accidently yesterday. Fortunately no harm done.

 

[Puffy2]

I don't have a lot of experience with the ECVs but when my friend used one at Disney - if the scooter wasn ON and the monorail train shifted, the scooter did roll - I guess the weight made it do so. Normally, I don't think it would - we never had this happen except for on the monorail. It would not roll, say on a hill - even when the scooter was on.

 

[SueM in MN]

Before we got a power lockdown system for my DD's power wheelchair, I picked it up one day from school. I had the power off and didn't want to re-adjust the tiedown straps just for the 10 minute trip home. I turned it off, but I forgot that I had made it freewheeling to move it a little bit. In normal pushing, I can barely move it because it is so heavy. It stayed put when I stopped, but when I made a turn, it went flying. I wonder if it was centrifical force at work in my van and the monorail.