Frank's "Ferrari"

Frank is a new TravelScoot owner.  He's just returned home from an adventure and has comments and questions.  If you can answer these questions, please post them in the comment section or send them to me at elizabeth@ifisher.com. Thanks!

From Frank in Melbourne, Australia

Well I am home again, after a most interesting trip to Los Angeles, San Francisco and a cruise down to Mexico etc. and through the Panama Canal to Miami, taking in the Everglades, then back to Oz again.

‘twas a really delightful 3 ½ weeks of brilliant sunshine and not too hot weather, although in some places it was very humid.  But to wrap it all up, it was a lovely holiday I could, most certainly, have not done without my trusty Travelscoot, aka my “Ferrari”   by various waiters and coach drivers.  Especially the Yosemite Valley and Muir Woods were fantastic.

I now have my eyes set on further trips overseas.  I am especially interested to know whether any of your Travelscooters have ever been on a cruise up the Rhine or similar Rivers in Germany.  There are some trips from Amsterdam to Budapest, for example,  which I would love to go on, but I am wondering whether the many beautiful old towns and villages where one pulls in are Travelscoot friendly, or whether they are too rough (cobblestones) for my scooter to handle.  I have travelled along some of this route many years ago when I was fit and healthy but my dim memories recall them as being fairly tough on legs and possibly even worse on small wheels, but things may have changed in the past 50 or so years.  Or have they?
Could you please find out if anyone has traversed this part of Europe?

I have another question.  I notice that you, Rhonda and Elizabeth have treated yourself to a new padded seat. (For the Travelscoot, I mean).  Not only do I think that this was a great idea, given that I had quite a “numb bum” after spending countless hours in Disneyland, Paramount Studios and the aforementioned sites in California, but I am wondering whether the new comfort (thickness) of the seat compromises my ability to pack the scooter in its canvas carry-bag, as I always travel with it “packed”.  I prefer to be escorted through the tremendous air terminals by wheelchair.

As a point of interest, I had so many people stop me and ask me about the scooter in America (I referred them to Tony)—from Americans, Canadians, British and other parts of the world—
that I was most surprised that this product was not more widely advertised.  In one instance a whole group of Japanese tourists crowded around me and through an interpreter was asked a lot about it and photographs were taken.

I was very deeply impressed by the care and attention  given to the disabled in your country, and yet I found it interesting that your street corners had very narrow gradients to the roadway, so one had to be extremely careful when crossing, lest one may accidentally run into the back of another pedestrian when crossing.

Hoping for some helpful comments re the cruising in Europe and with kind regards from Oz,

Sincerely,

Frank

From Peter in Australia

Elizabeth, thank you for sending me your Blog. My name is Peter I am a 83 year old man and I live in Australia . I only bought my TravelScoot about one month ago and I love it.

Welcome, Peter, and thank you for the flowers.  Happy scooting!

Buying a TravelScoot in Australia

This is an email I received from Chris. I've been corresponding with her about a TravelScoot for her husband, and she wrote this to let me know how things have worked out for them...

Elizabeth, I am so excited! Dianne Niblett, the Australian distributor for Travelscoot has come to Perth for the weekend, and she phoned me this afternoon and arranged to demonstrate the Travelscoot.

So we saw it this afternoon, and just had a little short ride, then I said to my husband that we had better go home and think about it (I was buying it for him for our golden wedding anniversary present) and he said there was no need to "just buy it". So a little taken aback I said OK and said to Dianne that I wanted to order one, at which he chipped in with "No, two of them! There is no point in me being more mobile than you!"

I immediately thought of you, and your advice that we should both get them. We are going to set them up both the same then it doesn't matter which one we hop on. We are getting the model with the Li-ion battery and the bigger seat, with rings to lift it, and I will get the modified footrest at a later date if I find I need them.

I walk better than Rob, but found it much harder to get on the scoot - since I got my replacement hips I have trouble lifting my feet high (sort of lost the spring I guess) so had to take the canvas caddy off and put one foot in, bring the second foot close up to the frame, then put the first foot out the far side. It was also easier when I used the swivel on the seat. I am sure once I have it home I will work out my own way to cope with it.

They are being dispatched next Monday, and hopefully we will have them by the end of the week, then there will be no holding us back!

Thank you so much for all your help, I have really appreciated it.

Rgds, Chris


If you'd like more information about TravelScoot in Australia, visit their website, at:

http://www.travelscoot.com.au/

Lynn Ellen in Australia, Day 2

From Lynn Ellen:

[Today] I zoomed around on the TravelScoot in the mall, and because the elevator was broken from the parking lot in the basement, I got off the Scoot and rode the Travelator, which is a moving ramp, like an escalator without stairs, and the Scoot was easy to just hold onto as I rode up.

Later in the day, we drove to the National Gallery of Victoria, an art museum that is free, except we had to pay for the Dali exhibit, which was so interesting. He was so interesting, many of the paintings were amazing, but I am not sure what I make of the whole body of work or who he was. But never mind. it was wonderful to see so many works in one place, tho the docent was awful, so we just hung back and waited for her to take her group onward. ugh.

The Scoot was perfect for the art gallery. start, stop, look, read, closer, further. just perfect.
It was raining when we left the museum, which is good, as they've had a 13 year drought, so back we came, and here we are, listening to the rain. Thai food from around the corner tonight. Life's tough.

A Progress Report on Lynn Ellen's Trip

From Lynn Ellen:

When I checked in [at the airport], they told me I could not bring the scooter to the gate, as they didn't get that it is light weight enough for them to take away like they did the baby strollers, so I left it at baggage check in and got a wheelchair ride to the gate. But the international terminal at that hour was fairly quiet and not at all frantic.

In Sydney, I got my bags and my scooter, assembled myself and went through customs with no problems. then I had to check my bags again, and the scooter again, go through security, take a bus to the domestic terminal, and board the flight from Sydney to Melbourne. I was reunited with my scooter and bags, scooted onto the shuttle bus, and took that downtown, where I was met by friends. Delightful. The scooter easily fit in the back of her car.