On Friday I used my TravelScoot to grocery shop at Walmart. I don't suggest trying this during the holiday rush, but I got a buggy and pulled it from the front using my left hand. I would find a place to leave it near the end of the aisle and zip down the aisle to get whatever I needed. I even bought several 2-liter drinks, but I pulled the buggy down the soft drink aisle for that. The bathroom wasn't too much of a challenge either. The Walmart I shop at normally has a handicap/family bathroom and that's what I prefer to use, but it was out of order so I went in the regular bathroom. I was able to drive it into the handicap stall, and drive it back out when I was done. I did wait until there was no one in the bathroom in case there were problems, but it wasn't necessary.
If you've ever used a store cart in Walmart, you're going to find that it's a lot easier to open the doors on the frozen food and milk cases from the TravelScoot. I even was able to handle checkout with no problems. My total was about $120, so I had a lot in the buggy. I pulled in line with my cart behind me, then while the person in front of me was checking out I stood up and unloaded my cart. When I was finished I sat back on my scoot and pulled the cart to where it could be loaded, then I stayed on my TravelScoot and went back to pay.
It was easy to pull the cart out of the store to my car and get everything unloaded. I'll definitely use this method again. It's really nice to be able to shop by myself AND to have my own scooter so I don't have to depend on the store having one available. My scoot also goes about 20 times faster than the store one!
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It's heeeeeeeeeeeeere~
ReplyDeleteI zipped up and down my hallway and you are right the thing does zip!
I do have a question on the sound it makes. I read the manual and it says if you hear the belt clicking it needs tightened. Do you hear any slipping at all when you are taking off? Mine clicks a little just during take off then it is just the humm of the motor.
I am SOOOOOOO happy to hear it has arrived! Yes, it is mighty fast. I hope you'll send me a picture of you on it that I can post on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to hear the sound you're talking about, but this is probably a better question for Hardy Huber than me. The belt should have about a 1/2" of give to it. Mine does make a little noise when it first starts up, but is humming right along almost immediately.
It's your turn to keep ME posted on all the things you're doing with it.
Another friend just got hers too, and loves it!
Yep. Mine arrived two days ago. I think it is just noisier on carpet. I rode down and up the ramp in front of my building with no problems and then took it home in a friend's truck, where we practiced folding and unfolding it. Yesterday I artsched my dog's leash to my waist and took her uphill to the local church parking lot. We then practiced turns so she learns not to get in front of the scoot when I turn toward her. When we went back home I decided to save wear and tear on the brakes and I kept my feet on the ground and sort of walked downhill.
ReplyDeleteI am in heaven!
separate question. Folding and unfolding and putting it in the car. Discuss! That thing is not light
ReplyDeleteLynn Ellen, I haven't tried mine on carpet. Good to know that it works. It's so cool that you were able to walk your dog with it.
ReplyDeleteMax is asking about how it handles hills. You said you went downhill so I'm assuming an "uphill" proceeded that. How much of a hill was it and how did it do? There aren't a lot of hills here and I haven't tried any of them yet.
Lynn Ellen I'm glad yours has arrived!
ReplyDeleteI have not tried the trunk loading yet. I have to clean up my trunk first it has assorted crap in it that needs to go.
I need to find something to sit on that will fit in the trunk of my car. Breaking the scooter down and standing it up is easier if I am seated (at least for now).
Tonight I believe will be my parking lot night. I need practice just riding it before I dare drive it around in a store.
I wish my dog would enjoy walking while I ride.. but she is afraid of the scooter.
I do not use the backrest. I can't get on the scooter if the backrest is in place. I have to get on it like a bike.
I do have some foot rest modification ideas. I find them too high for me and I need them to be flat not round. I was thinking of swapping them for the kind of foot rest that dirt bikes have.
Cynthia, if you have a Target in your area, that's my recommendation for the first store you take it in. Albertson's would probably work too, but Target's aisles are really wide. I suspect it's only going to take you a couple of minutes to get used to it. I took mine out on the street in front of our house the first night. There were no cars around and I was able to go full speed. It was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIs your dog small? I saw on Hardy's site where a woman's dog rode around in the triangle pouch part and loved it.
It's great that you can get on it like a bike, but what is stopping you from getting on it the traditional way? The reason I'm asking is because I know other people who might have the same issue. Email me privately (elizabeth@ifisher.com) if you'd prefer.
Elizabeth, we do have a Target and I have never been in one so that is a fab idea. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy dog is a dachshund, she is old and can't see well. She doesn't like things that move on the floor because she thinks they are going to "get her". She is also afraid of the vacuum.
Traditional way of getting on the scooter; (right leg step across frame then sit on seat) is hampered by my very short legs and extreme clumsiness. The scooter frame is too wide (and so am I) to step across within the narrow opening between the seat and the steering upright.
I also tried the swinging seat method described in the instruction booklet (where you do not latch the seat so it will spin to one side, then you sit and spin yourself into a front facing position). Again I am just not configured to using this method as my leg has to try and cross in front of me and within the confines of the steering upright.
However getting on it like a bike does work for me even though it would work better if my legs were that of a dancer and I was 2 or 3 inches taller.
I have the seat in the lowest possible position for maximum leg swinging action.
Cynthia, it's great that you have a way to get on and off the TravelScoot that works for you, HOWEVER you do it.
ReplyDeleteNormally it's not a problem for me to get on and off but when I'm feeling unsteady I get off where I have something to grab onto. I also find that I get on and off MUCH better from the left side than I do the right.
I think that someone having a problem getting on and off also might want to use a cane to held steady themselves, even if they don't need one to walk. After all there is that handy, dandy cane/crutches holder.
I'm happy our scoots are adaptable enough for us to have more than one way to get on and off.
I have a VW New Beetle and this weekend I will play with different configurations of loading it into the back.
ReplyDeleteThe hill up to the church is a bit steeper at first and then is fairly gentle so I leaned forward and off she went.
I have been stepping thru to get on and since I have not attached the nylon triangle thingy yet I sometimes step into the middle of the triangle and then with that same foot finish stepping through. And when I am not moving forward but still sitting down I move my feet to the triangle frame.
My modification to the foot pedals would be to make them longer. That would allow me to make minor adjustments to where I place my feet.
(And Elizabeth, I typing on an iPhone so you are free to fix my silly typos if you catch them. Above I ATTACHED the dog leash to my waist. She is I science trained already and knows not to pull me and frankly I feel safer with a doberman by my side!)
Lynn Ellen and Cynth, I'm having so much fun with this with both of you having yours too. I'm enjoying comparing notes. Thanks for all the comments!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to add parts of your comments to my blog posts. I also edited the dog walking post.
Science trained - what's that?
ReplyDeleteObedience trained!
I took today off to take care of appointments and decided to just go for it and go to Walmart to do my first in-store grocery shopping in 5 years.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a little over 2 hours, but I did it. I wouldn't want to shop during peak hours and once I figure out where everything I need is and on what side of the isle it is it will go smoother.
I got in a few peoples way, but then again people got in my way too. And our Walmart has posts in the center of some isles that require shoving the shopping cart past it on one side while I drive past it on the other.
I do feel much better now knowing that the scooter will take me shopping. I parked clear out back in the parking lot so I could have room to get my groceries in the car and fold the scooter up and down without someone parking next to me.
I also saved about $50 by shopping myself and not using Albertson's delivery.
Have grocery stores changed much in the past 5 years to you? I hope you enjoyed looking at new products that are available. I have to tell you you're braver than me. The first store I went in was a small drugstore, and I had someone with me, just in case.
ReplyDeleteWhat was so overwhelming for me the first time I used a scooter in a store was not hurting while I was shopping.
Thank you for sharing about your first shopping trip. I can't wait to hear how you like Target. I really prefer it over Walmart.
I actually didn't notice much of a change (to the best of my memory).
ReplyDeleteI really don't like the way the produce section is set up at Walmart. It was unfortunately exactly how I remembered it lol.
I did see a lot of new items, the next time I go I won't buy as much (because I wont need to now that I can go every week) and I will sample a few "new things".
Todays shopping mission was critical as I was out of a lot of things and I needed a mop. It looked like a jousting stick jutting out of the front of my cart.
Does your Target have groceries? According to my sister who shops there when she is visiting me our Target does not have them.
She said its a variety store, but they do have like bread, milk and snack items.
I want to go there to find a grocery organizer for my backseat or trunk. I had groceries scattered from hell to breakfast back there by the time I got home.
Ok the mission today was to go to Target. Mission accomplished. Our Target does have some groceries so I was able to pick up some coffee on sale and various sundry items.
ReplyDeleteI got my grandkids each 2 outfits and had fun looking at all the baby clothes (I had a new granddaughter March 23 and I have twin granddaughters that are 6).
As far as the isles go, the main isles are wide enough but the isles that have items on them are too narrow for me to drag the shopping cart through. Well ok, I "could" but that would take up the entire isle and I hate when people do that walking side by side so I avoid it.
I decided instead of buying a grocery organizer I'd first try using the box the TravelScoot came in. It should fit across my backseat just fine.
Oh and today when I was unloading and loading I was much faster. I watched Hardy's videos again and noticed he does not put the handle bar down when unloading and folding. So I tried that today and it was MUCH easier to get it to "snap".
I also paid more attention to how I was getting it in and out of the trunk; I do both with one hand. I really don't find it that heavy at all.