More on those electric scooters in stores

[greensinestro]

Today, at the new Wal Mart grocery store being cleaning products are available at a decent price. I had never been to this one before and thought I would check it out since the competitor was a bit higher in price.

Lo and behold, I'm walking along, and I hear one of those electric scooters coming. I thought, "OK, make sure you're out of the way for this one". I turned my head, and it was someone's ten year old child riding it, like he had just opened up a new present on Christmas Day! These things are toys to the kids, and the parents apparently are OK with him doing this, to keep him out of the way so they can do their shopping.

I've seen my share of adults who ride these things and look fine, but we can't be the judge of those people. Maybe they have issues with their feet and can't stand or walk long. But this was pathetic.

[Jay 2K Winger]

When I worked at the wholesale club at FDLP, my job was to hand out the keys to the electric carts. We had discretion, though. If someone looked like they were just fishing to be lazy, we could turn it down. The ones who genuinely needed them you could pretty well spot on sight.

And if we saw a child playing on them and riding them when they were clearly able-bodied, we would ask them to stop, take the cart back, and gently remind the parents that "these are not toys."

The only real time I recall having to give one of those gentle reminders, it was one of many attempted distractions by a family that was trying to leave without paying for their stuff. The story can be read here.

[Sapphire Silk]

I've had to use those carts, after I had my foot surgery a couple of months ago. It was a blessing; it made it possible for me to get to the store without calling for someone to do it for me.

I'm sure there are some lazy shits out there who abuse them, but most of the people I've seen in them clearly need them: the morbidly obese, the elderly, people wearing orthopedic devices/casts.

I do occasionally see kids abusing them, but the staff are usually pretty good about putting a quick stop to it. Major liability for the store, I'm sure.

[Seshat]

I'm one of the ones who uses them and looks fine: I most certainly am not, however. It's just that my disability is in the muscles and nerves, not something visible like a missing leg.

[Ceir]

Then there are the people that just abandon them - last time I went to Walmart, there were two scooters just sitting out in the parking lot plainitively beeping for help.

[Deserted]

The only time I ever used electric scooters, I had a nice big cast on my leg, and crutches in the scooter's basket.

(Once the cast came off, I ditched the scooters and made the grocery shopping part of my physical therapy.)

[Lace Neil Singer]

We don't have those for hire in supermarkets over here, but what we do have are wheelchairs that can be lent out. You'd assume that anyone who borrowed a wheelchair really needed it, right? Well, one time a wheelchair was abandoned in the pasta aisle; someone able bodied had borrowed it and then decided to leave it stranded.

[Seshat]

Believe me: for those of us who need them, scooters and powered wheelchairs* are a godsend.

*my problem is a whole-body problem, not limited to my legs, so I can't just build up my arm muscles to replace weak legs and use a normal wheelchair.

I know that not being able to find them when I want them is a 'first world problem'; but I'd like to say here and now: for those of you who maintain them, drag them back from the parking lots, charge them, look after them:


THANK YOU.

[Deserted]

I know that not being able to find them when I want them is a 'first world problem'; but I'd like to say here and now: for those of you who maintain them, drag them back from the parking lots, charge them, look after them:


THANK YOU.

I second that.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Then there are the people that just abandon them - last time I went to Walmart, there were two scooters just sitting out in the parking lot plainitively beeping for help.

Which, in turn, makes it easy for me to find one for my Mom so she can go inside and shop. Sometimes she'll have to trade it out at the entrance for one that has more charge, but sometimes it'll have enough charge for her to go everywhere she needs and back outside to the car.

And I have found myself using them on rare occasion . . . and if I don't and I'm clearly having trouble walking, Mom will fuss at me over it "That's what they're for."

Seshat's right: some disabilities you can't see. My issues involve my spinal cord and nerves (lumbar spinal stenosis, in addition to several herniated discs and two vertebrae that are basically deteriorating.) While I still work full time, by the end of the day I'm tired. Some days I walk out rather stiffly and I'm hurting around my tailbone or my hips (I also have sciatica as a by product of all the other stuff.)

Most days I'll do okay by holding onto a shopping cart and taking my time but if I'm going all over the store for different stuff, then I'll gladly take one.