112 replies to this topic

[gordonr]

blewslurpeas, on Jun 15 2009, 06:24 PM, said:

I always like it if somebody sat in my chair. To me if made me feel like they were comfortable with me so I took it as a compliment. If a kid wants to sit in it, I let them but I tell them they can sit in it but they can't move it because I'm afraid of them hurting themselves or destroying the house Other than that, I enjoy it, it makes me feel that the person is comfortable with the disability.

At the beginning I felt ok about people in my chair.

But that is because I had no idea of what a chair would be to me.

As thing are now, the chair is absolutely essential to my life. If I am in it I do not allow anybody to touch it. If I am out of it, I expect it to be right where I left it. The idea of calling to someone to bring my chair back is just out of the question.

Watch an AB sitting in a wheel chair. You will see all kinds of position shifts putting extra strain on the frame. You will see them turned sideways leaning on an elbow on the fabric of your seat back. I need the chair, and if anybody is going to put any mileage on it, it is going to be me.


I have no trouble with someone sitting on the bed beside me, but leave the wheelchair alone folks. This is not a piece of furniture.

Best Regards,

Gordon

[airart1]

yeah, no big deal. let them experience it also. they will understand more, i always give the warning though that u can and will bust your a** very easily, i laugh my a** off when my friends jump in it and the first thing they do is pick themselves up off the floor.............

Edited by airart1, 22 June 2009 - 05:04 AM.

[Ratticis]

Well if i'm in it, it depends on what they look like

[JesseB]

Yeah deffinitally, I always let my friends try it.

My brother just got back home - he's on leave, he tried my wheelchair for the first time and fell over backwords. hahaha

[airart1]

the kids really get a kick out of it, and the younger they are seemed like the more they had fun with it......of course that was 20 years ago and now everyones grown so no one plays as much..........

[USMC_FMAgirl058]

Its depends on who it is, but I generally don't mind if I'm already sitting somewhere else.

I let a kid run around in my chair last summer, he was part of my team at student conference. At the time I was sitting in a cabinet about to close the doors and he asked. I said yes but if he breaks it he buys it. I told him the price and he was much more careful.

Messed with our TA's though..

On the hole, I think its alright. Its pretty funny when they realize how hard it actually is or when they flip themselves over.

[ColinF]

htwhlz97, on Sep 26 2006, 10:35 AM, said:

This has come up several times with friends and family members and their thought of other people and sometimes kids in my wheelchair when I'm not in it. What are your thoughts, does this happen to you all, does it bother you more than your family or your family more than you?

I usually let my baby brothers and sisters play with it when I'm visiting at home and hanging out on the couch, as long as someone's watching them. I don't care if people sit in it when I'm not using it.

[tmcph]

i have a couple extra chairs that my friends can play in. 1 of my friends actually used a chair for a full day, he wasn't trying to get a feel of what it's like physically but more mentally to see how peoples attitudes change towards the chair, it was a good experiment & he actually used the info on a project he did for his masters. i don't get out of my everyday chair much but when i do i let others use it.

[ParaforGod]

It really doesn't bother me for others to sit in my chair. It would if they where doing someting to damage it but they are just sitting. When I first came home my newphew stayed in my chair more than I did. Im sick often and when in bed my friends visit and sit in my chair by my bed. I think others are just courious. And kids just like playing in it which I don't allow unless Im in it because its electriic and Im afraid they will get hurt. Although they do play with the hand control when its turned off.
My Granddaughter is ten months old and she loves riding in my chair with me, she laughs and waves bye, bye, she already knows when the light is on the hand control the chair goes.
If im in bed and a adult has to move my chair they are amazed at how hard it is to control. I also think it educates others and makes them more aware of what its like to be in chair.

[qbounce]

Ratticis, on Jun 25 2009, 08:51 PM, said:

Well if i'm in it, it depends on what they look like

That was what I was gonna say, no fair!

"Only if I'm still in it!!"

[Jax]

I let people sit in my GPV all the time, along with the Quickie Revolution and the Medline hospital-style chair. There's only one friend that I let sit in the GTi though. He's had some experience with chairs since his head injury, and he's a good bit lighter than I am. Plus, we've been friends since like first grade... Guess that could have something to do with it. My wife does sit in the GTi occasionally, but only when I'm in it too...

[karen ecco]

No No No I am really thingy abot this it is hard enough to position correctly when hoisting in. Electric wheelchairs are not a convenience nor an amusement ride. Maybe different for Manual chairs ie: they might get a bit of an idea what things are like from that perspective. I will answer encourage kids to ask questions to break down the fear factor, but my chair is now part of me & I love it for enabling me to do the things I can. I expect a level of respect, for myself & the things that are significant to me. Even if it is empty it is not a "spare" seat, it is a highly customised & modified medical device and it stands between me & a Nursing Home.
Kaz

[Meadowlarkmark]

I used to but not too much any more and only my manual chair not my power chair. My wife sits in the chair when she works at the computer and I am away at work in my powerchair. What I hate is when the kids use the chair and never live it where they found it.

[maisy1996]

I dont mind if people sitt in my chair,quiet funny to see them end up on there faces the first go (:
However since my injury till about january this year i wouldnt let no one sit in it or even touch it for that matter i just couldnt get my head round why someone would want to sit in it.


I seriously need to sort my spellings out keep having to edit for spelling or wouldnt make much sence haha

Edited by maisy1996, 01 August 2009 - 12:39 PM.

[jkristianson]

All the time I have no problem with it.

[fatdave]

Most kids want a go, and I oblige most of the time.

[Stickman]

It doesnt really bother me if someone's in my chair, since usually whoever's in it clowns around and provide me some entertainment. And I love giving my almost 2 year old nephew a ride aroud the house on my lap. He just climbs on my feet and stands on them till i pick him up onto my lap.

[greybeard]

My granddaughters commandeer my chair and scooter whenever they visit. I think they treat our house as their own personal theme park!

My only gripe is when they abandon the wheels at the other end of the garden leaving me stranded, but it's a small price to pay to see their enjoyment and zest for life.

Edited by greybeard, 02 August 2009 - 03:18 PM.

[Denny]

My friends sit on my chair when I am not on it, mainly because chair will be near me, so they go nearest seat. I encourage them to take a push around and soon they see steps they have never noticed and small obstacles that they struggle to deal with. I think it makes them understand the difficulty of being on wheelchair and appreciates more. Also one of the first thing they want to try is the back wheel balance, and most of them fail.

Kids, yes I allow them to play with wheelchair, and all happy until they take the chair away from me and leave it there to play with something else. Most of the kids don't understand why I am using this wheeled chair rather than walking. So they are curious to know how it work. My nephews watched me transfer and they were practicing the transfers themselves (4, and 5 years old) to understand how and why I was doing so.

[Wicket]

I don't like anyone sitting in or trying out my chair. For some reason it irritates me. I think the only time anyone else ever sat in it was when I was trying to decide about getting a new cushion. Can't feel my butt or what the difference was in the cushions was so I asked my best friend to sit in it to give her opinion. I new it as a good choice when she didn't want to get back out.

Edited by Wicket, 15 October 2009 - 01:25 AM.

[Zak Sharp]

Sure. I'm cool with it for my friends. They used to have a lot of fun, but they're pretty much over it now.

[allister]

As long as they ask first, but more impotantly bring it back, then I woldn't mind.
Might make them aware of all the hazards we face.

[Blake]

It does not bother me at all and most people love to try it. Lately most mornings when I wake up my chair is missing because my 2 and a half year old sister Ally now loves to pile her toys in it and push it threw the house. I just yell someone stole my chair and she brings it back laughing.