Scooter

When I lived in Louisville, KY I had mopeds, twice.

I'm very much looking forward to having this new scooter I bought on eBay.

I drag home 50lb sacks of dog food at times. I buy groceries, on sale, in bulk. Why buy 4 cans of, say vegetables for a dollar, when I can get 24 cans? They don't go on sale that often, so I stock up.

The problem, of course, is dragging it home on a bus, in a stroller, in so much pain I have to spend the rest of the day in bed.

The bus to Stadium Grocery only runs every 40 minutes. If I get my transfer connections wrong, if there's a glitch, my transfer could run out, and I'd better have another dollar on me to pay another bus fare.

I can't work nights, because there are no busses. Can't go to astronomy star parties, university lectures, or any other social gatherings, either.

Can't read my poetry at slams.

So, a motor scooter changes all that.

An electric scooter can't carry all the extra weight. I weigh 180 lbs. The max weight on most electric scooters is about 200. Can't bring much with me.

But a gas scooter carrys a max. of 300 to 350 lbs.

I have my "jogging stroller." It's built for twins. It's a light-weight, hollow aluminum frame with a molded plastic shell, big enough for twins. It's on 3 bicycle tires.

The front tire has one of those "flip" type connectors and can be removed from the fork. I can attach the fork to the seat bar of the scooter. The stroller will roll behind the scooter like a little "trailer." It will swivel when I turn, so it's stable, but won't tip over.

I did this before with the frame of a 3-wheeled adult cycle. But it was much heavier; the frame of the cycle was steel.

With this scooter, I can sell at the flea market. I can go job hunting farther than a mile's walk, later or earlier than the busses run, off bus routes, etc.

I've driven my mopeds in Louisville through ice storms that completely bottle-necked automobile traffic. I just put my feet on the ground for more stability and gently work the throttle. Passed every car on the streets!

Now, I still can do nothing about the prejudice of employers. They ask why I haven't been working. I explain that I have multiple sclerosis (the latest of 3 diagnoses, unverified by tests Medicaid & MediCare won't pay for), but that I'm strong, hard-working, etc.

The last employer was the manager of a donut shop, about 4 blocks from here. I guess he "moonlights" as an orthopedist or neurologist, because he was so sure I couldn't do the job. And humiliated me in front of a store-full of customers, just for good measure. I'm BEGGING for a graveyard shift donut-baking job, and have to lick his hole?

I left in tears. It's so frustrating. I send resumes every week for writing jobs I find online. I call about jobs I see in the Classified Ads every week. They won't give me an interview, let alone a job.

It's very demoralizing. I KNOW I can work! I WANT to work; I NEED to work. But prejudice rules and I'm left to fend for myself.

I've worked my whole life. I guess that's why I'm so committed to making, growing, recycling things. It's why I'll work myself into so much pain I can't walk to the bathroom.

MAYBE, just maybe, when this scooter comes, I can get some sort of part-time, "Christmas" work for a couple of months. That SHOULD give me a decent, local reference, so I can try to find something better, early next year.

I'm also applying with dept. of rehabilitation. I live close to the voc. college. I'd like to take some computer classes. I seem to be good at HTML and internet stuff.

With the scooter, I can haul heavy books the 6 or so blocks to school, without wearing myself out. Save my strength for learning.

I have fantasies, since I ordered that scooter, of putting up and down the shops on Central Ave. in Nob Hill and getting a job.

I've had to adapt my lifestyle to being in pain, being weak, being dizzy, having difficulty walking. Cracks in sidewalks hurt me. I can't see well at night, and the gravel, broken bottles, uneven pavement cause me to fall. On a scooter, those tiny flaws won't hurt me; I can pass right over them. Slowly, but I can go out at night.

Imagine: Milk is on sale at Smith's this week. But it's a 2 mile walk, round trip, and takes about 2 hours. I come home exhausted. If the scooter really arrives on Friday, I can just "zip" over there and back in about half an hour, without pain!

I saw the milk sale and said to myself, "yeah, but don't walk all the way there, just for MILK!" And then I remembered the scooter! And I could buy several gallons of that heavy stuff, because it won't hurt my shoulders and arms, lugging it home!

Which reminds me: I'd better walk down to the 7/11 gas station today and get some gasoline. They guy I'm buying this from says it comes with some bottles of 2-cycle oil.

Another neat thing: I'm now living 4 blocks from a scooter dealer. He does repairs. That means I can score parts, tires, accessories (I bet it'll need mirrors), etc. to repair the scooter myself, without much hassle.