Canes, Trains, and No Automobiles
Terri Reinhart
I've known it for a long time. Someday, someone would be telling me to give up my car keys. I just didn't expect it this soon. I also didn't expect the news to come from our mechanic. As bad as this sounds, I'm really lucky. I wasn't asked to give up my license, just this particular car. The first mechanic's verdict was, "How attached are you to this vehicle?" The second mechanic described our car with a string of obscenities.
Fortunately, we still have Chris' truck and selling the old car for junk helped offset the cost of getting the truck in good repair. We are now a one pick-up truck family. I'm opting for a bus pass.
I've been riding the bus all year to go to my classes at the University downtown, and I've really enjoyed it. The drivers with RTD bus service in Denver have been incredibly friendly and helpful, even when I ride my mobility scooter onto the bus and take up 4 places while paying only half the fare. I was surprised at first. Are the drivers always this nice? So far!
What's great about riding the bus, besides not having to look for a parking space on campus, is how incredibly independent I feel as I get off at 16th street mall, downtown. Especially if I have my scooter, I feel I can go anywhere and do anything. On campus, it's nice to be able to go faster than the students who are walking. I haven't run anyone down yet, but I have had a couple of students get out of my way, quickly. I know they were just being polite.
Lately, I've been using my walker instead, as my scooter needs new batteries. Those will have to wait awhile. Until then, I have to admit, the walker is a huge help. It wasn't easy convincing myself to use it and sometimes I manage to fool myself into thinking I don't need it. I tried using a cane when I first had trouble walking. Canes are cooler than walkers. I have several. The purple flowered cane works the best, but the ones I really like are the carved ebony canes, one from Sudan and one from Juba. Unfortunately, a cane will often trip me up.
It's those pliés. My legs still seem to think it's a good idea to practice dancing at odd times. Nothing I say will convince them to at least inform me when they decide to do this, so the walker is a good idea. My only challenge with the walker is in the classroom building. With nice smooooth tile floors and long hallways, it's oh, so tempting to run a little and jump on for a ride.
This is not tempting on the sidewalk, especially in the older neighborhoods. Those sidewalks are not designed with older people in mind, especially those older people whose bladders don't like to be jarred suddenly.
Back on the bus, I am treated as a very important passenger. I get to ride the lift up the steps and I can sit up front. If I have the scooter and another scooter or wheelchair rider is there, we spend the whole ride comparing our vehicles as though they were a couple of sport's cars. We've immediately become comrades. My regular bus drivers know me by now and they know where I get off.
I haven't ridden the light rail in Denver yet, but I took my scooter to Chicago last fall. Frontier Airlines staff were exceptionally nice and I was able to ride all the way to the gate. Once in Chicago, we took the buses and trains. I love the trains in Chicago. They are rather old, though. Riding with the scooter meant letting the station attendant know I'd need a ramp. He or she would go get it, a heavy metal platform, and, when the train arrived, would place it down so I could board safely. Then the attendant would phone ahead to where I was to get off and alert the attendant there to be ready with the ramp.
At this point, I still have my driver's license and I can still drive. When the time comes for me to give up driving completely, I want to smile and say, "Sure!", because I know I won't be giving up my independence.
In fact, as soon as I have new scooter batteries, I won't miss the car at all.
Denver from the Auraria Campus