Epsom salts were my best friend Wednesday night! My trip downtown made me thankful that I was not having to rely on a wheelchair to get around. I appreciate the opportunity to explore the streets of Moscow, Idaho, by wheelchair in good weather. It would have been harder in snow and ice, too.
It took my daughter and I a few tries to work out a system for moving without crashing. We practiced the brakes, and used the wheels for turning right or left. Practice before taking off is my "motto." I found out the hard way as we crossed the streets and maneuvered the sidewalks.
My perspective has changed. I now have a better idea of having to travel by a manual wheelchair. The sidewalks have cracks, breaks, drainages, unevenness, and are hard to go from the parking lot onto the concrete. The parking lot near the city which is a nice one is hilly, and I had a hard time getting on to the sidewalk. The transition was horrible. There was a 2+" ridge that prevented me from going from parking lot to sidewalk.
Most people on the sidewalks were friendly and considerate. My backpack was hung over the back of the chair so I would not have to carry it on my lap. There was a gentlemen who kept creeping closer to us as if he wanted to grab my bag. I told my daughter to stay close, and to keep an eye on him. He looked as though he wanted to try to grab it. I thought to myself, "how sad." We stayed alert and moved to another section of the sidewalk.
I realized that you have to move quickly across the road. The countdown is fast, and it takes awhile to safely get through the crosswalks. Tip: make sure the wheels hit the yellow "bumpy" portion of the crossing; otherwise, you may get hurt.
It would be nice if all the businesses downtown have a button for wheelchair access. I had a partner, but if you were solo it would make it difficult to enter businesses throughout town. I may go and speak to the mayor about the issue.
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