[Lucydog]

Im really frustrated at being unable to do a weekly shop at Tesco on my own. I find I go in and out for small items, but anything more than 3 items I cant do on my own. Has anyone ever managed to use those wheelchair baskets that you attach to the front of your chair? If so how do you manage to unload and pack and stuff? Id have a go at using one, but hve a real problem with seeming foolish.

Cheers
Lucy

[jane]

I cheat - i use one of their motorised scooter things - it has a large basket on front - and then someone takes shopping to car for me in a trolley.

Couldn't do it without though. Did try one of those baskets that attach to wheelchair but it didn't work at all. (and i had someone with me at the time)

[kanga2433]

OK, guys, here's my secret method of shopping. Whilst reading this, remember I am 6' 4 " and my thigh are really long.

What I used to do was to get hold of a cardboard fruit box from the people putting out apples or something, and then put it on my knee and put shopping in it. At the checkout, unpack the box and repack after scanning. You will need the right vehicle here, but it is posible to slide the box into the car boot, well it would need to not have a lip to the boot I suppose. Drive home, slide box onto lap and into the house. Done!

Now the boxes in supermarkets are crushed these days so a plan B was needed. Lots of places sell plastic boxes of various sorts. I have one which is about 540mm x 320mm and 290mm deep. This fits fairly well on my knee and that is about it. Of course, we are of varying sizes so have a look round to find a suitable plastic box and you too can have trouble free shopping trips to Tesco.

By the way, Jane, when I go to a Tesco Extra I have noticed that the backrest of the motorised trolleys is so low I would not ba able to manage. I do wish they were a bit higher.

[Joed]

Knowing that my limitations/abilities may be quite different from yours, I can only tell you how I get by.

Firstly, I'm lucky because I have a six y/o son who loves to help me with the shopping...(he's not fooling me though, I'm convinced he's only hoping for a new Hot Wheel for good behavior! But hey, I'm not proud...I'll take it where I can get it! )

I use the in-store's electric shopping carts...the baskets don't hold as much as the regular carts, so my son will often push another regular cart alongside me. If I'm only using the basket on my electric cart, I often have to put the most heavy/bulky items on the floorboard instead of in the basket.

When I'm alone, I have on a couple of occasions, pushed another cart...but it's not fun. I avoid having to do that, if possible. I really don't know how someone with a manual w/c could manage pushing a regular cart....but many can. I applaud them, because if it were me, I'd turn into a full-blown B*#&@ right before your very eyes.

If I have a huge load of packages, or am having high pain, I will usually accept help to load them into my car. I don't go shopping unless I know my husband is home to unload them, or I use a little child's wagon to get only the refrigerated items into the house if hubby isn't home yet.

I don't know how much help this has been. I can't recall whether you have arm strength or not. (?) When in Chicago's rehab, part of my therapy assignment was to make a short shopping trip in a manual w/c and while using a walker. It was frustrating to say the least. If your stores have electric shopping carts, and you can easily transfer on your own, then I'd say give them a try. It sure makes my shopping days a lot nicer and less taxing.

[hillarymcarter]

My husband holds the shopping cart with his left hand and pushes his chair with his right hand, while using the cart to steer which way he goes. This works really well for him as long as he doens't get the cart too loaded down with weight.

[wheelie182]

well my mum does the shopping but somtimes i go out to get a few bits, i just stick it all on my lap, as i don't get much, but the box i dea sounds good,

the only thing that can be a pain in the arse is a french stick, i remember a couple months back going to get one, and i managed to get all the way home with it, only for the b*****D to fall out of the sleeve when i was on my doorstep,

whats the deal with that anyway........why can't they close the other end

ps i did eat the bagguette, .........cant waste it can I, that would be insane

[Apparelyzed]

Hi,

I do my Tesco shopping onine, and get all those extra points from using their clubcard voucher codes!

You can get a list of the codes from here: http://www.loyalty-p...display.php?f=5

As you can see, some of the codes are for 1000 points = £10.00, or if you redeem them at a Tesco partner site, they are worth 4 times the value = £40.00!

Regards

Simon.

[mrhoopermd]

There is a product out called ADA-LAP which is a hand held basket that has industrial velcro on the bottom. There is a metal piece that goes under your cushion and extends out and up to a small square piece which has the other side of the velcro. So you stick the basket on the square and you now have a shopping basket infront of you which you don't have to hold. There are other attchments like a food tray to help get food in and out of the kitchen and a small desk type platform. Kind of small but it works.

[kanga2433]

have you missed anything, Simon? The Blogspot URL come back with 'Forbidden 403'

[Apparelyzed]

Looks like the site has disappeared

So I've changed the url to a forum which gives the same information!

The wine offers are good

Simon

[Jilly]

My other half just sits a hand held basket on his lap...

the trouble is that you cant fit much in it and it has a habit of falling off when you arent watching. The last time we went shopping together he had HIS basket and I had MY trolley. The enivitable happened and his basket went plop onto the floor! All these people scurried to help the poor thing pick up his groceries while I stood not far away laughing my head off! I couldnt help it.....the look on his face was classic!

[Apparelyzed]

The Tesco points site is back up at: http://tescovouchercodes.blogspot.com/

Regards

Simon

[KimAndSophie]

When I go shopping I usually jusr put one of those store baskets on my legs. I start by picking up the heavest thing I need first and put that closest to my stomach (to help keep the basket from tipping off my lap). I always have my backpack on the back of my chair when I go out and if the basket gets filled I go to the check out and pay for the things I have and then go back and get the rest. I use to live pretty close to the mall and grocery store, so I wouldn't take a cab or bus there or back, so I would only get enough to fill my backpack, and as much as I could carry on my legs at a time. When getting a lot of groceries I usually ask for some help and someone who works at the store will gladly push the cart for me and reach the things I can't. I was thinking aobut maybe getting a backpack for my guide dog so she could help carry some things for me (of course I wouldn't make her carry anything heavy, but it would really help save some room in my bag for some extra things).

[bubbleandsqueak]

[If your stores have electric shopping carts, and you can easily transfer on your own, then I'd say give them a try.]

I just have to ask what you do with your chair when you’re in the electric cart?

I really don't like letting my chair out of my site.

[LadyPilot]

Lucydog, on Mar 5 2006, 09:04 PM, said:

Im really frustrated at being unable to do a weekly shop at Tesco on my own. I find I go in and out for small items, but anything more than 3 items I cant do on my own. Has anyone ever managed to use those wheelchair baskets that you attach to the front of your chair? If so how do you manage to unload and pack and stuff? Id have a go at using one, but hve a real problem with seeming foolish.

Cheers
Lucy

Lucy- Tesco staff will accompany you with a trolley and help you shop if you so wish.

Like Kanga2433, I used to use a large apple box on my lap until boxes were no longer given away.

I am fortunate that although I'm a C7 incomplete I have good upper body strength & use of my hands.
I use a 24hr Open Tesco and go there at about 06.30am when it's quiet. The small trolley is big enough to get 2 weeks groceries etc. I hold the trolley on my right hand side (weak side) and push the chair with my left hand. There is an art to it but it's easy when you know how. I park the trolley at the end of each aisle and collect what I want on my lap, (I strap my legs together with an elastic strap to stop anything falling through my legs) and then put it in the trolley. I find fellow shoppers often ask if they can reach anything for me and I've never been refused when approaching them to reach something.
I put all the stuff on the belt at the checkout but I ask for help out to the car as there is a slight camber, making pushing chair and trolley a challenge!!
When I get home Im usually knackered and only get perishables out of the car. The rest stays there until I can make my hubby feel guilty enough to help or until I've got my energy back.

Yes, I know Tesco does home delivery, but from experience there's always something they didn't have (it has to be British NOT French) and I've had to make a special trip to get what wasn't delivered. Anyway I love having a natter to the staff and other customers

[4estGimp]

If I'm getting only a few item, I just sit a handbasket in my lap. If I'm getting a lot, I just push around a shopping cart like everybody else.

[lune14]

So many of what you all offered are melded into my shopping habits. I have always used the store's hand baskets on my lap, filled them up then will take the filled basket to a checker and ask them to hold it til I have filled my next or third baskets. When I am done with my shop, I check out, have a checker's attendant take them to my car in the cart (trolley) and load them into my trunk. (which I always resort because they never pack well ---errr maybe i'm just OCD??LOL). When I arrive home I unload my parcels one by one into the vator of my building, arrive at my floor and one by one (I know you are all thinking OH DREAD! but it's really not that tiring) carry them to my apartment.

When I was suffering through carpal tunnel I used Safeway store's online delivery and just as LadyPilot mentioned it was frustrating when they had to sub an item or were just out of it. It was most frustrating because I was not able to drive at the time and on many occasions was having groceries delivered to throw a dinner party.... NOT what a hostess making food for 10 wants to deal with last minute!!

I no longer shop weekly, usually once a month now with excursions to the gourmet and whole food shops in between (I'm highly into natural and organics these days). Also, I now keep some handheld baskets in my trunk from various stores that I have failed to return (shhhh) but found most grocers will allow you to hang onto them if they know you keep coming back with them in tow.

I found the "chair attachable cart" to be a disaster of a design and even if I had wanted to try it, it would not have attached to my lightweight chair. I have also tried pushing a cart along with my manual chair for the first time recently (I had a friend with me but he was off getting deli samples!! ) and found that pretty easy but good point someone made about when the cart gets too heavy to maneuver well.

I'm thinking a link to this thread should be sent to all supermarket designers/engineers/et al !! Let them see what we really "NEED" not what they think might work.

[Joed]

I keep threatening my local WalMart to cut the wires that supply the safety shut off on their electric shopping carts. Apparently, I don't weigh enough to keep the shut off from employing, causing a lot of sudden jerky stops and starts....a couple of times it nearly threw me out of the cart, not to mention the pain caused from all the jerking around.

Because of this, I have to lean way back onto the chair in an unnatural position, making it difficult to reach the bars to steer. I wish the handlebars were adjustable....that would solve a lot of that.

I agree with lune14 that it would benefit everybody if the stores would research/poll what it is that people with disabilities really need and the problems they encounter with the present setup.

This post has been edited by Joed: 11 July 2006 - 05:41 PM