Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Lift This









PT Cruiser went bye- bye yesterday and we said hello to a 2007 Saab 97x. My PT was a 2001 so I was due for a refresher. We are thrilled with the new vehicle and can't believe we own this nice of a car.
Now the not so fun, I can't go anywhere in it until I get a new lift for my wheelchair. My PT lift doesn't fit the new car so we have go purchase a new one. That all sounds easy right? If you are me, no. Because I refuse to conform. For instance, my lift in my last car had some kind of "cool", "beefiness" to it.......I don't know how to explain. Actually, my PT was the first car to receive this particular lift and it just fit me and my car. It was a VMI Excel. It just had a non-dorkiness to it that just made sense.
It might be frivolous to some, but this is important to me. I've worked hard to be an individual with my own ideas and know my own wants. I don't want to have the lift that every old person and handicapped has. Just because some companies have flooded the market and you feel there's nothing else out there.
We know there are lifts that fit, we just have to find the right one. The dealer tried to help, but didn't have a clue about disabled stuff and so on they were no help. GM has mobility program but it's for new cars and the equipment available through that is not my favorite either. We went to the Mobility place that deals in this stuff and I straight up told the guy what I needed and that obviously I'm putting this into a Saab and not a mini van. I want some thing that is cool and has some type of line and that is functional and I want him to think out of the box for this one. He proceeded to show me the same brochures that are just the walliest of equipment. Nope, I say.
I see a smaller version of my lift up on a shelf. Yeh, that's a used one out of some one's car he says. I like that, does it work? I don't know and my service people aren't here, I'll have to check. As he's saying this, we watching him deflate. They are sales men, just like at the car dealer. He proceeds to tell us they aren't that great. I had mine for 8 years with no problem. But then again he wouldn't be making his commission on the $2,400. dorky one he's trying to sell us.
We took my old one out of the PT before trading it in. So now hubby is trying to figure out if he could cut it down and re-welded it shorter to fit the new car. I think he could do it, but it could take a while and that would put me out of a car for quite some time. Not liking that, already don't like that just today. Plus if it doesn't work or I don't like it we have to wait for one to be ordered (if we can find the right one.)
I know.......there are more important issues in life than this and I probably should just settle, but I can't. This is me and I think this is the drive that has made me not go with the norm of what people think handicapped people should do or be.


7 comments:

Bob said...

Until the setup for your chair is installed I'd like to apply for the position of being your chauffeur. But I have a question: Are there fringe benefits that come with the job?

:)

Cala Gray said...

The new car is awesome! I hope you can figure out the lift soon. :)

Anonymous said...

Nice looking car. My daughter has been in and out of a wheelchair for the last 6 months since her gastric bypass surgery. However, daddy (me) is her lift. Nobody told us that drastic weight loss can lead to major back problems. Something about old injuries and changing center of gravity.

La Roo said...

Bob, uh you can chauffeur and I might wear something fringy, but there are no benefits. :)

Gray and Ironbear I didn't show the new car. That's the old car. :)

Anonymous said...

Stupid me. Maybe I can blame it on the 18 hours of non stop driving back from Jersey and the 4 hours of sleep. lol

Bob said...

I was thinking along the lines of steak, beer, Tequilla shots and cable TV as well as bloody mary first aid along with eggs, corned beef hash, English muffin, country fries come the next morning as being fringe benefits. No thought of "boner-fits" here.... :)

La Roo said...

Well in that case, heck yeah you're hired!!
You could be my car boy and I would make sure you were well taken care of. ;)
Come on down.
I need to go grocery shopping in about an 2 hours, so hop on a flight and we'll get to driving.

Actually, there's a possibility that tomorrow I might be getting a lift in the car. It depends if it fits.

So you might lose your job before you start
( unless you come today) ;)
That would be fun!!~