Mind clearing

[susandennis]

There was a science fiction convention last week in San Jose. Apparently, the convention people did not plan for a lot of people on mobility scooters and there turned out to be lots of them. And it was a problem.

People on Twitter assume that anyone on a mobility scooter needs to have a requirement for one. In other words, a mobility issue. Anyone who does not is a faker.

Now, people who use government issued disabled parking tags/spaces without the proper medical clearance, are, indeed a problem. People who use other spaces designated for disabled - thereby preventing their use by actual disabled people... is a problem.

But, I'm not sure scooter use requires a reason - legit or otherwise. I have a scooter and I use it and I don't have to. I use it mostly for trips that would be difficult without it. But certainly not impossible. I could take my car but I chose to take the scooter.

I don't consider myself a faker.

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I really enjoy Instagram. I have a deep seeded dislike/distrust of Facebook which owns Instagram but I'm fine with Instagram. Not looking to make sense there. I get a lot of sewing/knitting/crochet/swimming inspiration on Instagram and enjoy watching the lives of people and also wallabies.

I almost always follow Instagram via the web on my Chromebook. The app, on my phone and even on my chromebook, works better but the app is now just one ad after another with regular entries sprinkled in now and again.

I do not mind the ads themselves. Actually they are frighteningly well targeted. BUT lately there are so many, that it's hard to find the non-ad content. TOO MANY!!!

They have not yet figured out how to put ads on the web version and I've very grateful. When they do, I'm going to have to figure out another way to get my inspiration. (I did turn off the auto posting of my Instagram to LJ.)

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https://www.instagram.com/seattle.susandennis/
https://twitter.com/susandennis

Comments

[underwear-slave.livejournal.com]

I like Instagram way better than Facebook. Facebook is a lot more people vague posting or trying to scam people with their MLM's.

[sweetmeow]

That disabled parking thing is tricky. My friend Claire had a disabled tag issued by her doctor, and needed it. But - she ran into people who would publicly shame her in parking lots because she didn't LOOK disabled.

I'm sorry to see your instagram to LJ discontinued. Loved seeing your daily swimming photo! Of course I could go into your instagram to see it 😜

I can't seem to get into instagram. I keep thinking I will, but don't. It's not quite as newsy (fewer words) and mostly photographs when sometimes what I want to say - and read from others - has nothing to do with a photograph. Facebook covers both. However, Facebook comes with a lot of PITA things to wade through - therefore is a both an emotional and time drain.

[hopefulspirit.livejournal.com]

I don't see anything wrong with someone using a scooter, especially in a place like a convention where you know you'll have to be walking a lot. It's too bad it was a problem at that convention, I wonder how they'll handle it next year.

I get annoyed when someone parks in a disabled parking spot without a tag. I yelled at a guy for doing that once. When my Mom was sick I was trying to help her get out of her wheelchair and into the car when someone parked next to us too close for me to get the door open. I asked him where his sticker was, he said he didn't have one, so I told him exactly what I thought of that in my outside voice. Not my smartest move, I was tired and stressed, but he moved his car.

Instagram seems to be more and more about ads, which gets old after awhile. I don't get on it as much as I used to for that reason, it takes forever to see actual posts, but I do love Instagram.

[maju01.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why anybody would get their knickers in a knot about somebody using a mobility scooter; it's not like it takes anything away from them or inconveniences them.

[susandennis]

In the case of the convention, apparently, there were so many scooters that the walkers didn't have room to walk. I can understand the frustration. It's the direct line from there to fakers that is my issue.

[maju01.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I see what you mean.

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

I've been using Instagram a lot more now too.

[meowmensteen]

So true. My mom was in a wheelchair for a decade, but she could walk. It's just that if she decided to go out one day without the chair, she was so sore the next day that she couldn't get out of bed. Using the chair made it so she could go out every day, and you know, have a job. Mobile devices like that and their uses are much more complex than people being paralyzed.

[howeird]

The scooter thing at Worldcon was not nearly as bad as you're hearing. Thing the first - it's a huge convention center, and the con took up all of it plus space in two adjoining hotels. About a mile end to end. Thing the second, because most of the events completely filled their venues, and there was only 10 minutes between events, people had to be outside the door 5 minutes before the event just to get a seat when the previous event ended.

So for about 5 minutes every hour, there was a lot of traffic. The halls are plenty wide, probably 20 feet, but scooters were a problem because most of the people on them were first time users, and were not very skilled at maneuvering them. They got better as the week wore on.

Most of the scooterized population were capable of walking, but not as far and as fast as they needed. I missed three or four panels I wanted to go to because I couldn't get there in time walking.

[kishenehn.livejournal.com]

I honestly think FB has evolved into one of the more awful and dangerous of humankind's creations, and I hate the fact that they own Instagram, too ... but I still love Instagram.

My justification is that it seems unlikely that people will figure out how to use IG to manipulate society in the way that Facebook routinely does ... but maybe I'm just underestimating those who want to manipulate society!

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

"I use it mostly for trips that would be difficult without it."

Some people don't seem to understand degrees of difficulty. If you can walk at all, they think you should, even if it affects you for days afterwards.

If the scooter makes your day easier because of your physical limitations, why not use it?

[susandennis]

Honestly, I'm not sure that I understand why using a scooter, even when you don't need it, is a bad thing.

Happily I have crossed the age line into IDon'tGiveAFuck. So it does not really matter :)

[laura davidson (from livejournal.com)]

I think it's America's weird obsession with being capable and work? If you're "taking advantage" of a "perk" that you don't need, that's for people who need it more, then you must be cheating.

Never mind that you're probably paying money for that "perk" unless it's actually medically necessary (and maybe even then...), and oh, also never mind that if you truly were equally capable with or without it, being on your feet is generally much more effective and efficient than driving a scooter. Scooters have a number of drawbacks, it's not "gosh, they're not having to put in as much effort as I am", and yet that seems to be most of what people see. (When they see it at all, and don't cut you off in the darn thing....)

[susandennis]

You have nailed it here.

[laura davidson (from livejournal.com)]

THIS! We went on vacation to Disneyworld recently - 10 days in park.

The night before we flew to Florida, I sprained my foot. (Not my ankle. My foot, seriously.)

I was in the ER that night getting x-rays, and fortunately it wasn't broken (which might have meant canceling the trip). They told me to stay off it as much as possible.

At...Disneyworld....

Yeah, I rented a scooter. No other viable option. I was physically capable of walking at all points. By the end of the week it wasn't even miserably painful.

But I was not capable of physically walking *everywhere we were going* at the beginning, and I wasn't capable of doing so *safely* at the end. (I've been told it'll be 6-8 weeks before it's fully recovered, please to not injure it worse in the meanwhile....)

I was so, so, so glad for that scooter.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

I've sprained an ankle. I can only imagine a foot is a whole lot worse.

I hope you heal up soon.

[laura davidson (from livejournal.com)]

Thank you!

I'm not sure it's worse, actually. A sprained ankle is really hard to use. But the way I sprained my foot, after the first two days or so (those were kind of miserable), it hurt only when I overused it or used it wrong. Flat walking was tolerable, for short to moderate distances. (That said, 'tip-toes' was the worst position and therefore I had to be *very* careful if I did anything involving stairs.)