I have always (well nearly always been) a placid sort of person and enjoy a laugh with people and don’t think everything (including disability should be taken too serious). Today, however something inside me reached some sort of ‘peak of annoyance’.
I have had people calling out to me for the last couple of weeks about how they would like a ride on my buggy to which I am happy to laugh politely at the joke of it.
Today, however a salesman in a shop started going on about how the buggy was great and he would like one to get him around. Well I retorted, “I’m sorry but if you want the buggy you need to take the disease as well.”. How we laughed and I’m not sure he even got what I was saying. I am feeling more and more paranoid with people and realise that lots of people out there have the same attitude as the government.
I am furious and exhausted, am going to lie down to ease my pains. Could this be the start of the angy version of Wendy? Watch this space!
Ive lost count of the comments ive had when on my scooter, or in my wheelie.
there have been both nice and nasty remarks.
Kids often stare in wonder…one boy said look mum. A speedbike! can I have one?
A rude woman who i stopped and made way for, said AFTER she had passed me, Those THINGS shouldnt be allowed on the pavements! this was in a tiny street in St Ives. had i used the road, i would have been squished like a cornish pasty!
Another arrogant and impatient shopper said, as i asked her to excuse me, so I could pass, while she continued a conversation bang in the middle of an aisle, with 3 friends, You should have a bell to ring. I was quick off the mark that day and replied, What, like a leper?
it`s all in a typical day in the life of a wheelie person, eh?
i do think some people say what they do,because they feel awkward,so to make a joke of it eases the situation,well thats the nice people, then you get the idiotic nasty people,that say what they want and are downright nasty,so we have to quite clever and work out who is who,but thats quite hard at times,just get a sticker on the back of your scooter,that says ‘up yer kilt’ like i have, it makes me smile !!
you are right, a lot of the general public sees us just like the govt do,i like you have noticed this more this last year or so,we are just going to have to be thick skinned,and try to think its the minority that treat us badly…isnt it?
You have made me calm down a bit, I probably wasn’t myself this morning as the nerve pain has been bad lately and of course people don’t see things like that!
Most people are very kind but there are some who think we ride in buggies cause we’re too lazy to walk. Walking was my life before MS got bad and I feel like screaming this to the man who tells me to “get off the road”…
I will try and be thick skinned but can’t promise that Mrs grumpy won’t rear her ugly head again.
i get grumpy, anyone would get grumpy, with what we have to put up with, it depends what mood i am in, to how i react to them,if i am in a good mood i just smile to myself, if i am in a bad mood i let em av it lol…like you i used to love walking, never caught buses,i walked everywhere,i was so slim and so fit back in the day…
Human Nature, we all see everything from our perspective. We work hard, other people have it easy, we barely make enough money to survive, everyone else is just wasting theirs, we’re tired and having a bad day, they’re just inconsiderate and lazy…list goes on and on.
We all have bad days, we all say stupid things, while some people may be more stupid than others I like to believe it’s ignorance rather than nastyness. People speak from their perspective because they have no idea how to think beyond that perspective. Given how self absorbed those people are and how little time they spend around you, they would have no reason to even try and consider your perspective.
Maybe the answer is some spikes on the wheels of your scooter…lop some ankles off as you ride by, people would get out of your way after the first few maimings.
Hi Wendy, I don’t use a scooter but sticks at times. I get feed up with people saying you have ms and can still walk your lucky aren’t you! They don’t see the pain we suffer or the way our brains don’t work anymore. We have a right to get feed up with people but I do agree we have to let it go, as I feel they think they have to say something, even if its the wrong thing.
We do get feed up and I guess over it all, life doesn’t get better with ms but perhapps we have to learn to be above this agroo we get inside and be the better person. Maybe a sign on your scooter saying, if you want this scooter get ms and I’ll give it to you !!
I like both ideas; as I said most people are very helpful and kind, especially children and yes they do look enviously at my bugggy thinking it’s a kiddy car. Can’t blame them for that.
Ha yes sounds familiar, I often say “you don’t want what goes with it” when I am riding on my scooter. Kids always look in amazement though, that’s always entertaining.
yes the children, really make me smile, once when my partner was getting my scooter out of the boot, this little boy aged about 4,said to his mum, ‘wow,thats so cool, is that lady going off roading, mummy’ it made us all giggle.
l remember an occasion when a friend offered to take me to the Royal Show - with my scooter in the back of a horse-trailer. We had to explain to the parking attendents that we wanted the ‘disabled parking area’. And then when we got parked - l got inside the ‘grooms’ door and onto my scooter and my friend started to lower the ramp. As quite a few folk started watching [getting all shirty because we were in the blue-badge area with a horse-trailer] my friend started shouting 'steady now - steady now - get back - and l banged at the door to sound like we had a wild mustang on board. Then when the ramp was lowered l sedately rode down it.
Things got better as when we went to the ticket office - we were let in free - as me disabled and my friend as ‘carer’.