I have developed a rather bad habit. OK, lots of bad habits, but I'm only comfortable talking about one of them today, and anyway, what's so bad about keeping snails in your pockets?
I digress.
I was getting into my car the other day, and as has become a (bad) habit, I transferred into the seat without applying the brakes on my wheelchair. I do this, because:
a) I can.
b) Other people who have been in a wheelchair longer than me do and I'm ridiculously competitive.
c) I labour under the misguided notion that I am in some way working on my core muscles by not using the brakes.
d) I'm just not very bright.
Now, this technique has been quite reliable, until the day in question. I had transferred into the driver's seat, and pulled one leg in after me, but the other foot was still on the footplate of the wheelchair, and by turning my hips, I managed to 'use' my trailing foot to propel the chair down the pavement. Yep. Real dumb.
What followed was a simple and tacit communication between to human beings. A teenager, iPod attached and on her way to the local college, stopped the wheelchair without breaking step. She pushed the chair back to the idiot with the sheepish grin who was sat in his car, exchanged a smile and continued on her way. No fuss.
I digress.
I was getting into my car the other day, and as has become a (bad) habit, I transferred into the seat without applying the brakes on my wheelchair. I do this, because:
a) I can.
b) Other people who have been in a wheelchair longer than me do and I'm ridiculously competitive.
c) I labour under the misguided notion that I am in some way working on my core muscles by not using the brakes.
d) I'm just not very bright.
Now, this technique has been quite reliable, until the day in question. I had transferred into the driver's seat, and pulled one leg in after me, but the other foot was still on the footplate of the wheelchair, and by turning my hips, I managed to 'use' my trailing foot to propel the chair down the pavement. Yep. Real dumb.
What followed was a simple and tacit communication between to human beings. A teenager, iPod attached and on her way to the local college, stopped the wheelchair without breaking step. She pushed the chair back to the idiot with the sheepish grin who was sat in his car, exchanged a smile and continued on her way. No fuss.
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