Monday, October 15, 2012

I finally had a TravelScoot adventure!

This is me at the Baltimore Royal Sonata hotel, preparing to hit the harbor!

From reader and fellow TravelScooter JeanMarie

Hi Elizabeth,
I love reading the stories of TravelScooters on the road and wished I had something to write about. I’ve had my scooter for about a year and a half but haven’t done much beyond regular life stuff. Don’t ge me wrong, by my estimate, the scooter has paid for itself, but still, nothing to write about until this summer when I took my first trip since B.T. (“Before Travelscoot”).  I get a little wordy so feel free to edit this!
In July I went to Baltimore for a family event. It was held at a beautiful hotel right across from the harbor. Mom and I checked in on Friday night and went across the street to have dinner and walk around a bit. It was so much fun to be able to ride along the water front and SEE the lights and boats. The main event was Sat. evening so our plan was to take the Baltimore Water Taxi during the day to see as much of the harbor as we could.
It rained hard in the morning but when it subsided we hit the road. The first boat water taxi we took was a commuter run across the widest part of the harbor. Mom and I took seats under the awning and inside the plastic windows. My scoot sat out on the open part at the front of the boat in the spray and mist but did just fine and didn’t move. The boat had a short ramp which I walked up and they carried the scooter. After we completed the commuter circle, we went about 100 feet to the next pickup point to take the taxi with the more tourist route but there was no ramp from the harbor. It was a flimsy portable, hollow plastic 2 step ladder. I tried but there was no way. The steps were too high and I didn’t even fit between the aluminum handrails. So mom went and I saw the rest of the harbor we hadn’t seen. Even in the mist and rain it was fun. My mother, on her cane, with one artificial knee and another painful knee, refuses to use the scooter. She’s afraid of it. If I had gone on the second boat with her, I would have missed seeing what I did.
Yesterday mom and I went to the NC State Fair. She rented the traditional scooter. I had my travel scoot. When I first got the scooter and was learning to ride, I hit a curb or something too hard and bent the metal part that holds the front wheel. Since then (with replacement) I’ve been more careful about surfaces. But today I put my scooter to the test!  Parking was on grass. There was a lot of graveled areas, some I was able to navigate, some I couldn’t. Even the paved areas were full of rocks. The worst part was getting from the parking across the avenue and through the gate to the scooter rental place. In the fair itself there was uneven ground, more rocks, holes, hills, electrical wires covered by tape on the midway, huge crowds that don’t pay attention to where they’re going. Not by choice, but I think I hit just about every road hazard possible today. But me and the scooter made it!  Whew!
The rent-a-scooter, being heavier, with electric reverse and more material around the rider, worked better for mom. She’s a nervous and timid scooter, (slow too). Although, the rental did take her up a hill I had to walk, it’s all good. There is no one-size fits all.  After the fair, I think I can say that being on a TravelScoot is not for sissies! But I led the way through the crowds for both us, having fun the whole way!
Tally ho fellow scooters!
JeanMarie

Friday, October 12, 2012

Rear View Mirrors



Help Frank find a rear view mirror so he can see who is behind him

From Frank in Melbourne, Australia

QUERY:  HAS ANYONE FITTED OR DESIGNED A “REAR VIEW MIRROR” TO THE TRAVELSCOOT?  I have found that this can be quite useful if, for example, one is going along a narrow path  or in a “crowd” of people heading to or from, say, a show etc. on a ship, because it is easy for one to stray into a pedestrian’s path if he/she is wanting to overtake you in the  aforementioned circumstances.

In reply to KRYSTAL:  I fully agree to what you (they) say but I have had countless people just stare behind me in amazement at that  “amazing scooter”, and even the ships’ waiters rush to be the one who rides it back (from its “parking lot”)  to my table after dinner!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Maintenance questions from Lynn Ellen




Question:  The black rubber foot pedal covers on both sides are now about to have a serious truncation, as in they have been bent by having close encounters with doorways and soon they will just bend/pop off. Has anyone posted about these items? I am wanting in general to give the Scoot a serious cosmetic tune-up as well, as one of the velcro straps that holds the batteries in place is threatening to break off, I could use a renewal of the velcro that holds the maroon triangle in place, and dirt has moved into some of the nooks and crannies. What do you and others suggest?

Answer:  My scoot is about the same age as yours (3 1/2 years).  My black rubber foot pedals are still in good shape, but I imagine you could order replacements by calling TravelScoot.

TravelScoot USA
504 Kirkland Road
Chehalis, WA 98532
800-342-2214
360-670-6616
www.travelscoot.com

I also have a velcro strap on the battery that's starting to come loose, and while I haven't yet replaced it, I would think you could buy velcro from a fabric store and replace the strap yourself.  I have taken my triangle off and washed it with soap and water in the sink and it looked like new afterwards.  My velcro is in good shape, so I haven't looked at replacing it.

I hope others have suggestions for you, or can tell us about their successful cosmetic renovations.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Krystal's Third Anniversary

Krystal's TravelScoot in Costume

From Krystal:

Today is the anniversity of getting my scooter. In the past three years I've learned some interesting things about people by the comments.

Here's a sampling:

"You really don't need that." (By my boss who saw me hobbling around in pain for years.)

"You can be healed." (From a stranger a D*C.)

"Use it or lose it." (Various people who I thought were my friends.)

Twenty years of working at different exercises, medications, etc. doesn't seem to have helped. Or maybe it would be better if I were to just stay at home in pain and depressed where they wouldn't have to deal with the change in my life style. This also usually comes from people who don't know about scooters and/or have not paid attention to the fact that the TravelScoot actually helps with my therapy - kicking back to reverse, weight training getting it in and out of the Ravi, core muscle excises from balancing on the backless seat. (Aside from offsetting the depression because it's fun!)

"Why do you need that?" (For some reason, strangers seem to think that I should justify why I'm using a scooter. Some people are actually inquiring for their sake or that of a loved one. Other people think it's out of laziness not realizing that it would be so much cooler to have two good working legs. I really miss my sassy walk.)

"Good for you." (My boss's boss who kept wanting to send me home because he could see how much pain I was in.)

"That's sooo cool!" (OK, so this is my favorite. I've noticed a lot of scooter envy. It's mine and you can't have it. So there.)

TravelScoot at the 2012 Para Olympics



This was submitted by Nat Cheang, who sells TravelScoots in Singapore.  His website is at http://theruggedtree.com.  You can contact him at (65) 9751-3335 or ncheang@theruggedtree.com.

Laurentia Tan, Singapore's silver and bronze medalist for the 2012 Para Olympics Equestrian competition
seen here at the opening ceremony and when she rode her TravelScoot to receive the medals.
Our heartiest congratulations to Laurentia.  What started all of this was when Laurentia's father
saw a TravelScoot in Singapore.  Visited with Nat Cheang of Rugged Tree (distributor for the region)
to view and evaluate the scooter.  Saw how how compact and ultra portable it could be when
collapsed for transportation.  The nimbleness, trendy look and its light weight features won
Mr. Tan over.  What a surprise gift it was for Laurentia.  All in time for her to use at the para-Olympics.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Adventures in Norway

I just love it when you all send in pictures of your grand adventures. It makes me want to kiss my TravelScoot!  ~~Elizabeth

Frank in Norway, about 4,800 feet above a beautiful Fjord...snowing at the top and about 28 degrees at the bottom.

Evelyn and Frank in Norway, in front of a giant Troll

"Viking" Durra: on his trusty Travelscoot

Tractor vs. TravelScoot




Submitted by Dean Hughson:

To celebrate our company's end of its fiscal year people brought their children in for a mini tractor race. They won against me on the TravelScoot. Ha ha