Wheelchairs

My cousin passed away recently, and I was touched after reading her daughter’s beautiful letter that the first word the daughter used to describe her mother was “polite”. The chances of “polite” appearing in my obit are on par with, say, the chances of Congress passing meaningful gun control legislation.

Yes, I really have to watch myself how I respond to The Question without sounding rude. The Question is “Can I help you?” My standard response is to smile and say “No, but thanks for the offer.” I’d be curious how other Parkies handle this.

Lately, though, offers of help are sounding,……..well, helpful. Like yesterday, when I got tangled up in my sports bra (you had to be there). A lady in the locker room asked The Question and I responded positively. Problem solved .

Which brings us up to the title of this post: Wheelchairs. Last year, when we were departing from Iceland, the airport was crowded and chaotic, and several people suggested my getting a wheelchair assist. Oh no, not I ,was my reply. We were in the middle of the process and the middle of the mob, and getting a wheel chair just sounded like one more hassle. Plus, deep in my heart, I couldn’t bring myself to be “handicapped” or “disabled”.

But for the European trip this year, Paul insisted on a wheelchair assist. We only had an hour between planes at Charles de Gaulle , an airport approximately the size of Liechtenstein. Fortunately we got flights changed so we had a four hour layover at Amsterdam. But still, there were long corridors to walk, and lines to get through customs, security, etc. I can barely stagger down to my mailbox, much less navigate a huge international airport.

So, bring on the wheelchairs! I guess when you’re walking with your torso at a 90 degree angle, you are kinda disabled. I decided to apply to a museum my somewhat changed attitude about assistance . On this trip, we had a few hours to go thru the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. I inquired at their central desk and was quickly placed in a wheelchair, no questions, no charge.

If you are dubious about your movement-impaired body handling a trip involving large airports and/or museums, simply ask about wheelchair assist with the customer service line for your airline (or the museum). I would suggest you mention whether you are ambulatory enough to get out of the plane and handle steps and ramps on the jetway. Special equipment beyond a wheelchair would be needed for these areas.

Happy travels!