The TrolleyBasket and Alice.com

(Click here for more posts about using the TrolleyBasket with the TravelScoot. 

I'd also like for everyone reading to know that Cynth wasn't compensated by Alice.com or the TrolleyBasket folks, and I do not receive compensation from TravelScoot for anything I post on this blog.  We're passing this information on to you because we found it helpful and think you might too.  --Elizabeth)

From Cynth:

Hi Elizabeth,

Hope things are going well for you, looks like your cruse was wonderful. I really enjoyed the pictures.

I tried an order at Alice.com for cleaning products and other items they had that I normally buy that are "big" and take up my TrolleyBasket space when shopping. I thought others may benefit from knowing about Alice.com

Alice.com is an online shopping site that has a fairly good selection of products. There are not a lot of grocery items but there is a nice variety of cleaning supplies, laundry, bathroom, kitchen and pantry items. Their site is growing with products so I have high hopes of a wider selection of different products in the future.

Alice.com offers "free" UPS shipping on all your orders. The prices were comparable to some of my local stores, maybe a few cents higher. I'm sure that is to help cover shipping costs. Coupons and discounts are offered on some products. Once you set up an account you pick out products to add to your shopping cart and to "your products". You are asked questions that help them setup a "Your Products" page where you select the usual items you buy.

Once you are looking at products and you select one to add to your cart or your products you are asked to select a time span on each product and they will remind you when it is time to purchase it again. So its like a shopping list with a reminder. If you buy dish soap every 2 months you set the reminder for 2 months, easy peasy.

I just received my 1st order from Alice this morning and the packaging was very nice. All the liquid products were in ziplock bags and the easy open liquid containers were taped shut to avoid spilling even though they were in a ziplock bag. The top of the box was filled with "air bags" to hold everything in place.

Here are some pictures so you know what to expect if you shop at Alice.com


Unopened box http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h80/Cynorita/AliceDotCom/?action=view&t=1Alice.jpg

Opened box http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h80/Cynorita/AliceDotCom/?action=view&t=2Alice.jpg

They sent a free burlap shopping bag, in the picture I had stuffed all the shipping air bags inside of it so I can use them later and so you can see what the free bag looked like.http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h80/Cynorita/AliceDotCom/?action=view&t=3Alice.jpg

http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h80/Cynorita/AliceDotCom/?action=view&t=4Alice.jpg

I am pleased with my Alice order and will shop with them again. It will save me from trying to stuff so many items into my TrolleyBasket and let me buy more groceries when I shop.

Vroom Vroom, 24 cans of Alpo, and a TrolleyBasket

I asked Krystal for a picture of Vroom Vroom loaded with 24 cans of Alpo, and here it is. It amazes me all the creative ways you guys use your TravelScoots. And speaking of creative, Krystal also bought a TrolleyBasket and added her own special bling to it. Here's what she had to say about it...

Got the Trolley (that’s the largest one) and really like it. Only thing is, I’m not really tall enough to use the long handle while riding without tipping it forward. That’s OK as I use the little handle just fine while riding. I use the long handle when taking the stuff into the trailer. The coolest thing, it fits on Nic’s dog ramp so I don’t have to lift it up the steps. And yes, I just had to bling it as it was just so plain.

Helpful links

Trolley Basket website:  http://www.trolleybasketusa.com/

Trolley Basket posts on this blog:  http://mytravelscoot.blogspot.com/search?q=trolleybasket

B'racha's Scoot's Accessories

Prius trunk w/ Scoot, battery, & 2, wheeled shopping baskets called Trolley Baskets. Mine are adapted for use with a scooter, but they are also sold to grocery chains, & individuals, for use by walking people as well.

expandable cup holder

Holder can expand even more. I need to move it down so that it is just above the basket.

Cynth talks about using her TravelScoot at work

From Cynth:

Your post on riding the TravelScoot at work really struck home with me. I was afraid to ride mine at work too.

I am easily the fattest person where I work. I was worried that people would think "well she finally got too fat to walk". For a few moments I think that every time I have to ride the scoot at work. If I was able, I would still walk to the main building on campus. But I am not able to walk that far and haven't been able to for several years. I have broke out the scoot 3 or 4 times at work now and it gets a little better each time. The last time I had to go over to hear a presentation on some software we have started using... after the presentation I rode the scoot all over the IT section of our main building. They had remodeled it and all the people I used to be housed with are over there. I rode around and everyone saw me and it felt like I had finally told my big secret to everyone. I felt a little better after that.

Cynth, I really identify with your feelings. I have a knot in my stomach just from reading your post. Today was my third day to ride it at work. It's getting easier, and I sure love how quickly I can make the trip to the bathroom, which is all the way across the building. I was also able to make a run to the coke machine to get a drink for a coworker who couldn't leave her desk.

The picture is of Cynth's TrolleyBasket full and in her trunk. To read more about the TrolleyBasket and how well it worked with the TravelScoot, have a look at these posts:

http://mytravelscoot.blogspot.com/search?q=trolleybasket

Third TrolleyBasket Trip's a Charm

The picture is Cynth flying around a corner in the grocery store with her TravelScoot while pulling her TrolleyBasket. I think she's on two wheels! (With the TrolleyBasket, that is.)

From Cynth:

I did my grocery shopping yesterday, this was my third trip with the TrolleyBasket.

This time at checkout another nice lady behind me in line offered to help me get the items out of the TrolleyBasket onto the counter. Lots of nice helpful people out there. Anyway after all the items from the TrolleyBasket were on the counter I took my totes off the TravelScoot and placed the full totes on the counter.

When the checker started to scan my items I told her that all the loose items needed to go back into my TrolleyBasket and the items in the totes needed to go back in the totes. She understood my "master plan" and things worked out great.

She commented that the TrolleyBasket was a handy little cart and she wanted one. I told her they are available online and that they are made for grocery stores. She liked the idea.
When I got to my car I was able to fit the full TrolleyBasket in the trunk with my other full totes and the TravelScoot.

I probably had about 45 pounds of groceries in the TrolleyBasket so it was a bit of a lift but not too bad.

The checker did not put any of the items in the TrolleyBasket into bags so that made it easier to put things away when I got home and I "saved the planet" by not using grocery bags :)

Scooting along with the TrolleyBasket

From Cynth:

I went to the grocery store Saturday and took the TrolleyBasket along with my TravelScoot. It really did work so much better than just my totes. There was a sale on meat and I was able to buy enough to restock the freezer above my fridge. The TrolleyBasket holds a lot of items when arranged for maximum capacity. The TrolleyBasket was as easy to pull full as it was empty.

The only real challenge came at checkout time. A very nice lady in line ahead of me offered to help me unload my TrolleyBasket, so that part was cool. But the problem (at least my percieved problem) was how the checker bagged my groceries. I asked her to put all the meat into my largest tote (as it is the same size as the inside of the TrolleyBasket) so I could then put that tote into the TrolleyBasket. I asked her to put all my other items into another tote (which I had them all in and attached to my hooks). She spread the meat out into grocery bags and both my totes, apprently I was not clear enough as to what my "Master Plan" was. Anyway both the canvas totes ended up weighing more than I felt comfortable hanging from the hooks on my TravelScoot, so I had to have help out of the store (which is fine, but I don't like it lol).

The TrolleyBasket was nice to have to pull the heavy totes into the house with. When I first ordered it I thought I would only use it when I needed to buy heavy items, but I think I will be taking it in with me most everytime I shop. It really was nice to be able to stock up on sale items and not worry about putting so much weight on the hooks of the TravelScoot.

They are talking about buying me a laptop computer at work to replace my desktop system. I work from home two days a week and currently just use my home PC to log into the network at work. They want us to use company equipment to log into the network and that means I will have to carry the laptop back and forth from home to work a few times a week. I think the TrolleyBasket will be put to use for that too. I carry my TravelScoot battery and my paperwork in a large tote, adding a laptop to that I am afraid would aggravate my back. I have one of the Pack-N-Roll file carts that I used to use to carry my things in and out of work with, but the TrolleyBasket is smaller and easier to fit into the trunk (or backseat) than the Pack-N-Roll.

To see a video of Cynth using the TrolleyBasket with her TravelScoot, click here.

TrolleyBasket Pictures (2)

TrolleyBasket Pictures

Cynth tests the TrolleyBasket (with video!)

From Cynth:

Click here to see the video

It was easier for me to get heavy items in the TrolleyBasket than to try to get them onto the bottom of my TravelScoot.

The TrolleyBasket is made from plastic that is similiar in thickness to my laundry baskets. The top rim of the TrolleyBasket is a lot heavier than the rest of the basket. The handles appear to be sturdy and strong. I lifted everything I bought on this trip into the house using the carrying handle of the TrolleyBasket and it felt solid.

The TrolleyBasket pulls very easy and is free wheeling. Peter put all 4 swiveling wheels on mine. I like that.

The TrolleyBasket has 2 handles and you can use either one to pull it from the TravelScoot. I found the longer handle easier to use. The handle on the TrolleyBasket will not go down low enough to attach under the seat of the TravelScoot, but if you let go of the handle it stays in a little higher than horizontal position so its easy to grab and you can let go of it while reaching for items without problem.

Living alone the 8.5 gallon size is okay for me and the dog. If you have to buy a lot of heavy items you might want to purchase a larger size TrolleyBasket.

I didn't really have any issues with the TrolleyBasket. I do wish I was able to pull it behind my TravelScoot if I needed too, but it is much easier to handle than a full size shopping cart in a crowded store.

I am pleased with mine, I will use it on shopping days when I need laundry soap, milk, pop and other heavy items that all won't fit under my scoot in the caddy. I'll keep you updated on how it wears with use.

If you have questions about the TrolleyBasket and the TravelScoot shoping experience please feel free to ask. (You can post a question here or send it to elizabeth@ifisher.com.)

Here are the original blog posts about the TrolleyBasket:

http://mytravelscoot.blogspot.com/2009/06/paper-plastic-or-shopperbasket.html
http://mytravelscoot.blogspot.com/2009/06/choosing-basket-color.html

Here is a link to the TrolleyBasket website:

http://www.trolleybasketusa.com/index.html

Choosing a TrolleyBasket color

More from Cynth:

I ordered one from Amazon.com at the link Peter sent me. I also responded to him in email telling him I had ordered one there and it would be nice if we could select our choice of color from amazon as that is not a selection item there.

He responded (today even!) with:

_________

Hi Cynthia,

That is great - I hope you will enjoy it. I can send you any color you want if you just let me know.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and good luck with the TrolleyBasket!

Kind regards,
Peter

Peter Olausson PhD
____________

So I asked him to send me a black one. So if you order one you might email Peter first and ask him if he would also send you the color you desire.

His email is: information@trolleybasketusa.com

Cynthia
____________

If you'd like to see a video of the TrolleyBasket in action, click this link:

http://www.trolleybasket.com/images/superbasket%20film.wmv

I got the video link from this page. There's also a link to their brochure:

http://www.trolleybasket.com/index.html

Paper, Plastic or a TrolleyBasket?

From Cynth:

Check this out...

http://www.trolleybasketusa.com/index.html

This looks like it would be good to pull behind or left hand drag for shopping on the "out of everything days". It has nice rubber wheels, the front ones swivel for easy pulling.

Here's a link to see how the wheels are mounted:

http://www.trolleybasket.com/Wheels.htm

I emailed this place yesterday because I couldn't find a site to order one from since they are geared toward supermarkets. And they responded with this:

--------

Hi Cynthia,

Of course we would be happy to sell you a TrolleyBasket. I would be very interested to learn about your experiences with it together with the mobility scooter - I think you will find it to work well. I would recommend the 8.5 gal version which we have in red, blue or black and that is $24.49. I would be happy to send you a basket if I may ask for your shipping address and payment information (credit card or check). If you prefer you can also purchase it directly from Amazon.com using this link.

http://www.amazon.com/ShopperBasket-Rolling-Shopping-Basket-Gallon/dp/B0018GXV7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1245572555&sr=8-1

Thank you and kind regards,

Peter