Mobility Scooters

Grandpa Takes the Kids to the Park

As a senior or pensioner, you may equate electric mobility scooters with wheelchairs and the disabled. Nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, I've got a great story to tell you about a local grandfather, but first a bit about scooters in general...

A mobility scooter is simply a tool for getting around, just like a car. A car allows you to travel long distances in comfort and ease. A mobilty scooter allows you to travel short distances in comfort and ease. In our senior years our strength and endurance are no longer at their peak, but crawling into a hole and becoming house bound is ridiculous! In this day and age technology -- like electric scooters -- enables us to overcome so many limitations that we can be an active part of our community right up until the day we pass from this world!

A mobility scooter is run by electricity powered by a large battery that you recharge simply by plugging it into the wall when you get home. Every charge gives you plenty of range to grocery shop, run errands, visit friends, walk the dog and go to the library or community centre. And a trip to the mall is suddenly fun and not the least bit tiring! Why not take the grandkids to the park? Kids think the mobility scooter is a blast. They might even want to jump on with you when they get tired!

The other day I was at a local park. Grandpa had a couple of grandkids and a small dog in tow. While the kids played on the playground in the centre of the little park, Grandpa motored around the circular path on his mobility scooter, keeping an eye on the kids and "walking" the dog. He was quite able to get out of the chair and do the pooper scooper thing. The dog seemed to take this all in its stride, as did the kids. As I was leaving to go home, they came up behind me on the path. The dog was now sitting in the basket on the front of the scooter and the littlest grandkid was perched on Grandpa's lap madly ringing the bell to warn me they were passing! Grandpa and I exchanged a laugh and a few pleasant words and then they were off. He said they were going to MacDonald's for lunch as a treat!

It crossed my mind that it was a school holiday, one of those professional days that drive parents crazy because they don't have anyone to look after the kids. Well, those kids were being looked after just fine and getting a bit spoiled into the bargain! Given the choice of Grandpa stuck at home with the kids and Grandpa out and about on his scooter with the kids, which do you think the kids and the parents would choose? Oh, and which do you think Grandpa would choose!!