My powered chair: A follow up

[Giles <mgiles@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Barbara Mallut wrote:

> I'm rather startled to hear that people
> notice ya less in a powered chair then they would in your
> non-powered chair.

Kristen and I talked about this and she reminded me thatuntil the
powered chair we held hands every where we went.
This gave me a physical presence in a crowd that I now lack.
*Grin* we actually got separated in a crowd for the first time
since we've been married. Scared us both silly.

> Soooooo.. will ya please enlighten me and tell me what
> I'm overlooking here?  WHAT is it about the powered chair,
> in your opinion, that makes you less visible than you'd be
> in your non-powered chair?  Size of the chair?  Noise
> difference between the two chairs, or lack thereof?  What's
> the difference in the two chairs that causes ya to be less
> visible in what I'd consider to be the better of the two?
>

There are a number of differences other than the obvious.First, let me
say that I hate crowds. I can't see beyond a few feet
and my reaction is to go in any direction that will get me out.
After 35 years the manual chair was a part of me. I moved without
thought. When on my own in a crowd, I dodged and weaved between
pairs of feet like a down hill skier. I knew where my wheels were and
was
not afraid of hurting someone. The  powered chair weighs 250 pounds.
Add my 180 pounds and I'm bigger than most football tackles.
I have not yet learned where my wheels are. The chair does not turn as
smoothly
as the manual one so I tend to move in straight lines rather then dodge.

The powered chair cannot be heard in a crowd and Kristen has remarked
that
it looks more like an office chair than a wheelchair. Add these things
to a total hight
of 4 feet 3 inches (130 cm) and the fear of hurting someone and I guess
I
could be over looked in a crowd.

Thanks for making me think and realize that I have not given myself
enough time
to adapt to being afootball tackle (if a rather short one) instead of a
downhill skier.