Traveling the Challenged Way

By Joni Johnson

I have a long-term friend who has had serious back issues for a number of years.  She loves to travel, but the way she coped with the situation was to go on trips where her husband would walk or hike or take in a museum and she would sit on a bench waiting for him to come back from his excursion.

Within this past year, she has found a brilliant solution to this problem.  Instead of sitting on the sidelines, she rents a scooter and has access to the kind of travel she has always enjoyed.  She is happy.  Her husband is happy.  This article will share the what, wheres and hows of her latest travel adventures.

Her first rental scooter

Jackie’s first scooter adventure was on the island of Oahu where she and her family including kids and grandkids stayed for a week.  The resort at which they were staying was very large and would have required a lot of walking just to get around.  Jackie found Cloud of Goods https://www.cloudofgoods.com and rented a three-wheeled scooter.  The site offers all sorts of mobility equipment from light-weight to heavy-duty scooters to regular and electric wheelchairs, strollers and medical equipment for the house.  Here is an example of the scooters they offer.  https://www.cloudofgoods.com/product-rentals/mobility-scooters.  They will deliver and pick up your rental to the same place (your home or most hotels).  In checking around on the site, I found they work with places in Mexico, all over the US, and even the UK.  Canada didn’t work.  Nor did France, but I imagine this changes with dates and cities.  The prices can change, but for Jackie, rentals in Hawaii, Mexico, New York and Oregon all cost $50 a day.

Her second voyage was to Mexico for a wedding, again at a large resort.  This time, she rented a 4-wheel scooter because she felt more stable.  She even tried to take it to a ruin not that far from the resort, but it was too rocky.  Otherwise, it worked perfectly, taking her across the half-mile campus easily.

On her latest journey, she decided to go with a heavier duty scooter which might travel 15 miles rather than 7.5 miles.  It still only cost $50 per day.  In New York City, she was able to visit all the major museums, Chelsea market, Central Park, restaurants and even Times Square, although the crowds on the square made maneuvering a bit difficult. The only time she didn’t use her scooter was going to plays because it was just as easy to take an Uber or Taxi and a cane and be dropped off right in front of the theater.

There is a taxi-hailing app called Curb that offers a variety of taxi types including those that can carry mobility equipment.  They operate out of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, San Jose, and Los Angeles.  https://www.gocurb.com They have an App similar to Lyft or Uber, so that all info including payment is done online.  However, in other cities you can also request a van-type taxi that will be able to transport you and your scooter or wheelchair wherever necessary.  You just need to ask!

   Taxi pickup with Curb

Most scooters include the front basket, which is very convenient. There are other accessories that may or may not be included in a rental (but you might be able to request them). If buying, consider which accessories you may want and make sure that they fit securely on the model of scooter you’re buying.

• A front light.
• An “out-of-the-way” horn (Just a quiet “beep” but you could always get a louder bicycle horn and attach it yourself). There were times when she wished she had a megaphone to shout “OPEN YOUR EYES” to people walking obliviously, cutting in front of her.
• A cup/water bottle holder and/or phone holder, one that is mounted on the stem of the steering column right in front of the rider is best. There are some that attach to the armrest or to the side of the steering wheel, but I would think that those are more prone to someone snatching your phone.
• A rear-view mirror.
• A detachable sunshade or canopy.

She rented a heavy-duty four wheeled scooter in Oregon so that she could travel uneven paths viewing water falls.

This is the four-wheeled scooter that she had in Oregon. It was heavier, but sturdier. It felt much more secure traveling slightly uneven paths viewing waterfalls.

         The heavy duty Oregon scooter

If you already own a wheelchair and are used to traveling with it, that will probably work well for you. However, if you’re making decision whether to rent a wheelchair or a scooter, Jackie recommends the scooter. It’s easy to maneuver, and, if some oblivious person walks into you, you have less chance of being hurt since you have the steering column in front of you. It also has the advantage of the front basket so that you can keep an eye on your belongings; the basket or storage organizer on a wheelchair is usually behind the seat, giving pickpockets easier access.

For even more information, Jackie recommended a blog by Cory Lee who talks about the world of travel using a wheelchair.  In his blog he talks about a host of places he has been and discusses things like How can I fly as a wheelchair user? Which hotels are the most accessible? What beaches have powered beach wheelchairs? How do I charge my wheelchair in a foreign country? What cities are the most wheelchair friendly around the world?

Welcome – Curb Free with Cory Lee: A Wheelchair Travel Blog curbfreewithcorylee.com      Cory Lee

So serious traveling while dealing with physical mobility issues can be a reality.  Do your research ahead of time. Google the name of the city you plan to visit and “accessibility.” You’re likely to find several sites that will help you decide your itinerary. Try it once and see how it can transform your life.