Topic: 15 months on from buying my mobility scooter

[Paulines7]

I never realised just how useful a scooter was going to be to me.



Here I am with my grandchildren, on the way to the beach.  On the back of the scooter, I have a large rucksack, two picnic chairs, fishing rods, reels, other equipment, fishing nets, a beach mat, towels, swimwear, jackets and bottles of water and squash.  In the front basket there are buckets with crab lines. I am sitting on more towels and had a handbag by my feet. 

Good job I got a substantial scooter that is capable of carrying twice my weight!  I cannot begin to say just how good the scooter has been.  I use it in and around the garden and up and down the paddock, carrying tools and plants.  It took me several months of searching until I found the scooter that ticked every box but it was well worth it.  I now have a new lease of life and am no longer hobbling about on very painful, deformed feet.

[goodlife]

  There is no stopping you..
..and if you need anything else to add to that.. perharps 'mobility trailer'.. Does you scooter come with plough attachements?

[shirlton]

It certainly came in useful when you came to our allotment Pauline.

[galina]

Thank you for this post Paulines7.  FIL should have had one in the last 4 years of his life.  He didn't really fancy it, his wife didn't see the point and encourage him either, because she was still driving their car.  But in the end (and after a move miles away from all his friends) he became extremely isolated and depressed and got a bad case of cabin fever.  He needed an ambulance trip to the hospital, which seemed to be a highlight and he described all he could see from the windows, despite being in pain.  If only he could have known you and seen you on your scooter  and experience the quality of life he could have had.

Maybe somebody else who is teetering on getting a scooter is reading this post.  It is brilliant that your quality of life is so much better (and everybody else's because of the ready-made accessories carrier).  Thank you for this super post.   

[Paulines7]

There is no stopping you..
..and if you need anything else to add to that.. perharps 'mobility trailer'.. Does you scooter come with plough attachements?

A trailer is something we have been talking seriously about but John has been so busy this year with erecting the summerhouse and digging into the hillside to get the foundations level for the large new greenhouse.  The greenhouse was erected in April but John still has to build walls and steps to prevent the soil from creeping back down.  The trailer may have to wait a bit longer.  No plough attachments, of course!   

Shirl, I could never have walked very far around your allotments without the scooter.  It certainly came in useful there. 

Galina, I was sorry to read about your FIL.  It sounds as though a scooter would have been ideal for him.  He probably would have regained his independence and made new friends. 

My only regret is that I wasn't able to get a mobility scooter many years ago.  I remember walking a couple of miles in the Yorkshire Dales 38 years ago.  I was in absolute agony and suffered for the rest of the holiday.  I went out and bought expensive hiking boots but they didn't make any difference.  I don't know whether mobility scooters were around then but we wouldn't have been able to have afforded one or have had the money to buy a large enough car to transport one in!

As you say Galina, maybe someone reading this post is teetering on buying one.  My only advice to them would be to think very carefully about the type of scooter they require and not to rush into anything.  Mine is a Pro Rider Road King and was a quarter the cost of similar 8mph models.  It is heavy even when it comes apart but I needed a heavy one to cope with the terrain at home.  Fortunately, John is fit and able to lift the parts into the back of the car.  Here is a link if anyone is interested:  http://www.proridermobility.com/catalogue.asp?cat=Class 3 Scooters&scat=Mobility

[jimtheworzel]

Hi I to have  had my scooter 15 months, its a Mercury Nano 4 bright red with a range of 20 miles and a top speed of 4MPH, not cheap to buy, but who cares its only money well spent. it gets me out where ever I want to go, its the best thing since sliced bread.

jim

[Jeannine]

I too have a scooter and once I was past the initial couple of days I was off, I have since loaned it ti two friends, one on holiday from the East and my best friend who was very immobile, both have bought them since I don't use mine everyday as I can walk a little way if I sit regularly but anything over half a Tesco carpark is beyond me. Some of the shops here are so huge I would never det round them without it.

My advice is don't hesitate like I and my best friend did, we missed out on a lot of trips that we didn't need to. Mione will easily go over grass to my plots too if I need it to/

Good useful post Pauline, great idea.

XX Jeannine