From Keith in Thailand

Hi everyone.  I received the email message below from a new TravelScoot user. I'm delighted we have fellow scooters all over the world.  Keith lives in Thailand and has learned to put up with the "Gawping," but my favorite part is that he ... well, you should read it in his words.  I found his email very touching.

Welcome, Keith!

Hi Elizabeth


I am an expat Brit living in Thailand on the 19th January my partner and I took a flight to Singapore to buy a Travelscoot from Nat Cheang the local agent who received us with courtesy and pleasure.  We only experienced one small problem on returning back to Bangkok with it, we checked in at Singapore and they said it was ok to use the scooter up to the boarding gate and then  leave it for the baggage handlers what a delight to be able to scoot round the airport something I had not done for years but when we got on the aircraft the  steward informed us that this airline JetStar did not have a contract  with Bangkok baggage handlers to bring it up to the plane on landing so  we had to pack it in the holdall and collect it off the carousel However  we managed to arrange wheelchair assistance. The moral is to check with the airline before you venture out they also did not allow any type of battery in the cabin.


This piece of kit is what I should have had about two years ago I have osteoarthritis in both my knees and was at the point of considering a replacement of the left one however the mobility without pain has negated the need for surgery along with the associated risks at my age (76) I am so thrilled that I can go down to the shopping mall and Starbucks on my own I can now even put up with the "Gawping" (Yorkshire dialect for staring with the mouth wide open) My next challenge will be to take it with me to the UK even thinking about that trip I believed was a thing of the past.


Regards Keith

Scooter gang of Vuosaari

From Elford in Helsinki, Finland:

Chris has a new Travelscoot now which we received from Munich. We have a lot of fun patrolling the neighborhood together. Occasionally we scoot down to the beach and have coffee at a small restaurant there. When we were going up hill, Chris would pass me up. I couldn`t figure why. I thought it was our weight difference. Then I decided to trade batteries without her knowing it. When we went for a ride next she complained that her scooter was a little slower than mine. I told her what I had done. My batteries are over two years old now and hers are brand new. Anyway, when we go out now we both use her new batteries or we both use the old batteries. Then we we go at the same speed.  

Welcome Chris!  It's good to see you and Elford enjoying your TravelScoots together.  My two regular size lithium ion batteries are around the same age as yours and even at my much higher weight I'm still getting great service from them.

An addition to our Rogues' Gallery

Please welcome new TravelScooter Frank!  He's sent me a few pictures for our "Rogues' Gallery."  These are taken in Cetteviccia (Italy), Santorini (Greece) and the last two were taken in Mykonos.

Linda's Blog

Linda has written a great post on her blog about her new TravelScoot.  If you missed her post in the comment section, click the link below to view her post.

http://www.sandsys.org/wordpress/2011/06/getting-healthy-mobility/

Dona in Florida

Hi Elizabeth,

This is a picture of my scooter. My brother got it for me for Christmas. I love it. I live in Florida and do ride it a lot for shopping etc. I keep it in the trunk of my car. I live in a large condo complex that I can ride it around here too. I'm going to Seattle to a wedding for my grandson in July and I am going to take it with me.

Enjoy your emails.

Dona

Dona, welcome and thank you so much for sending in pictures! Before you fly to Seattle be sure you review Hardy Huber's airline travel instructions. --Elizabeth

An Angel on Wheels

Rhonda relayed this story to me earlier today, and I don't know if I can do it true justice (or convey her sense of enthusiasm!), but I'll bet that some of you out there have had similar experiences where you just happened to be in exactly the right place at the right time.

Last week Rhonda's mom was visiting, and Rhonda and her mom set out to do a whirlwind of shopping -- two big malls, several department stores, a few Walmarts, and I'm sure there was at least one visit to Target. In the parking lot at Burlington Coat Factory, a man came hurrying toward her, cane in hand, wanting to know more about her TravelScoot. After you've had a TravelScoot for awhile you get where you can tell who is serious, and who just wants one for fun. It was obvious this man had been searching for the perfect scooter and knew it when he saw it. It was pure chance that put them in this parking lot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the same moment because this wasn't a store Rhonda went to often, and the man and his wife were from Mississippi and just happened to be in town that day.

Rhonda gave the man one of Tony's cards and answered his questions. She also gave him her phone number, just in case. The man has a medical issue that's progressively worsening, causing him to need help walking distances. He needed a scooter small enough to fit in the trunk of his sedan. It also needed to be lightweight enough for him and his wife to handle.

Over the weekend Rhonda heard from the man. He'd called Tony and ordered a TravelScoot, a lithium ion battery, and an SLA battery. He said he told Tony that he had met Rhonda, and called her "An Angel on Wheels."

I had a tear in my eye by the time Rhonda finished the story, because I know what it's like to be that man, searching for something you're not even sure exists and all the sudden it's right in front of you. That's how I felt late one night when I was searching the internet and happened upon the TravelScoot site.

Rhonda shared one of her favorite moments when she first rode her scoot, feeling the wind blowing her hair. He couldn't exactly identify with that (given his lack of hair), but said he was looking forward to feeling the wind on his face.

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!

Travelscoot and HOPE!

I received the following email from a blog reader. I hope we hear about MANY future TravelScoot adventures from her.

Thank you so much for making your blog.

I've been getting sicker these last five years- can't really walk anywhere anymore. I used those scooters at walmart and target, but they were heavy, loud and always ran down. I thought- this is mobility? We also live on the third floor of an apartment building- so lugging a 500lb scooter upstairs to charge it wouldn't work. I felt so trapped and alone.

Then I found the travelscoot and then your blog. I see pictures of people having FUN! They're outside! They're not alone! I cried because now I know I can have that too- I can have a life again. I could go for a walk with my Hubby like we used to. I could even go on a cruise! Imagine- me who only leaves the house for two hours a week- a CRUISE!

I'm excited again- to live and get out there! I hope to send you lots of pictures of me outside - spending time with my loved ones again. I might even get to the grocery store on my own!

You've given me a great gift- thank you so very very much.

Sincerely,

Jen

My wife is thinking of buying a TravelScoot

David M asks:

Q. My wife is thinking of buying a TravelScoot. She tried one out which had a 150 watt Lithium-ion battery, which seemed underpowered except on flat ground. What motor & gearing options are available, and what would you recommend for a 70Kg person who wants to use it on undulating ground?

A. David, my best suggestion is to contact the experts at TravelScoot with your questions. Their website is at http://www.travelscoot.com/. If you're not in the United States there are links there to locations in the European Union, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.

The specifications for the TravelScoot in the U.S. are at http://travelscoot.com/specifications.htm. There you'll see that the lithium ion battery is 24V, 9.6Ah and the motor specification is 24V, 150 or 200 Watt DC with integrated controller.

70Kg is the equivalent of 154 lbs., and at that size your wife should be in great shape on any available configuration. The TravelScoot is at its best on flat surfaces, but it works well on many inclines too. For someone your wife's size she shouldn't have any problems at all on almost any incline. The tips that I suggest to help with performance on inclines are: 1) approach the incline head on; 2) Start the incline going as fast as you reasonably can; 3) Lean slightly forward on the incline and it will change your center of gravity, improving performance.

I hope if you haven't already that you'll take some time to read through my blog. You'll see people all shapes and sizes successfully navigating with their TravelScoots. My scoot has opened up the world to me. In the past 2 years in addition to using mine almost every day (including at work), I've been to Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Hawaii. I ride it to the door of the plane and they store it with the baby strollers and deliver it back to me when we land. I've folded it up and carried it in car trunks, loaded it fully assembled into my van, I've even stashed it under my seat at a bar for a surprise party. I didn't miss out on seeing the zoo with my great nieces and nephews, and I got to be there when my younger sister was recognized for donating a kidney to my older sister. I can shop the mall, do my own grocery shopping, run my own errands, and because it only weighs 35 lbs. (including the battery), I can lift it in and out of my van without assistance.