Yes, But Can You Lift 35 Pounds

 

A nice video, but can you really lift 35 pounds without straining? Some can't even lift that. Note some shots are edited out. And one can charge one's battery, but it takes time, not just a few minutes or an hour. But, yes, a nice video.

Another Look....

 

Now I only have to have music playing.... When the woman is inside a store, the aisles are small and she fits in with her hybrid, but what if there is someone else going in the opposite direction? And, yes, this hybrid does have a bag in the front, but it's small. You can't put much stuff in there. And, outside, not many people. She is the only person around in a few shots. Just ask yourself is this true of my experience with this hybrid?

Different Strokes for Different Folks

 

 

Important to realize that not everyone who uses a mobility aid has the same problems. There are some similarities, but also some differences. Each person has their own issues, including the ones who are using mobility aids.

A Video Blogger from Shanghai

 

 

Zhao Hongcheng is vlogging from Shanghai about the difficulties that wheelchair users face. Those difficulties are across the world, of course, and New York, too.

Wheelchair Trend Among the Young

 

 

Amazing! Young people in areas of China are starting a trend using wheelchairs to get around, and they are not disabled. Could something like this take place in New York City? Is that troublemaker Stuy Town Walker starting something? As we know, e-bikes are getting more and more in this city, and something has to change or be regulated. China is ahead of us in mandating certain rules and being strict about them. One wonders if we, in the US, have to do the same, particularly in the big cities.

Another Look

 

There are videos that show one how the hybrid electric wheelchair works. This is one of the best, even though it is in another country and the model is named differently. But it's the same hybrid. One thing I noticed is that the user flips up the brakes when he is inside the seat, something I forgot to do once. He does this backhanded, of course.

First Impressions

It's been about two to three weeks since I got my hybrid stroller/walker/wheel chair (4N1). While I thought I would not want to be seen in Stuy Town on a wheelchair, I didn't give it a thought when the time came. I wanted to test the hybrid model, period. So, after a couple of days of using the joystick on the model downstairs, next the laundry room, I was ready. As I wanted to open the building doors by myself, saying a thank you to whomever wanted to hold the door open for me, I went outside. 

40 pounds is 40 pounds. The model is light but not that light, and so there is a bit of make-believe that it can be easily picked up, despite those commercials.... One can "travel" on it, but in the chair, one feels the bumps or lines. So one has to relax and know that will occur..... Battery life. I was not aware, with a capital "A," that a battery does not have a long distance. Mine, at best, has ten miles. Chinatown where I want to go, is about 4 miles away. But that measurement is on a straight road with no bumps, lines, curbs, and people where one must stop and go to not hit them. I figure I could get to Chinatown on one battery, but on the way back I would need another one. A battery costs about $250. So I would need another battery.... It's getting cold, sometimes very cold. This is knew, of course, but I have to travel on my hybrid in weather that is at least mid-40 and above. 

I have to wait for a complete test in warmer weather. Meanwhile, I can learn the ins-and-outs of this model. For instance, I recently forgot to negate the brakes, so I used up more battery life than necessary. The Oval here is about a .2 miles long, so going around it would take 5 Oval turns. There are other issues. I ordered a large backpack for the wheelchair, and we shall see if that works. Also, I have to learn that this hybrid will turn into a regular stroller if I want. I can't think of it as just a wheelchair that will do all the work for me. It is meant, even in those commercials, to be walked. 40 pounds of it.

So, it is still a wait and see. But things are being learned, which is a major plus.