damerell

Things I have discovered at and around Eastercon 2010:

Five different ways to carry a wheelchair on a Carry Freedom large Y-Frame trailer, all of which are somehow unsafe or vexing or both.

No ways to do that which are neither unsafe nor vexing.

That you can bend the hitch on a CF trailer if you really work at it by, eg, dropping the bike rightwards with a heavy load on it.

That to unbend the hitch in order to detatch the trailer and fit a replacement hitch requires tools, excessive strength, and so many salty oaths that you may have to phone a Yiddish-speaking friend and request some fresh ones.

Three ways to carry an empty wheelchair up steps all of which are tricky and awkward.

No ways to do that which are neither tricky nor awkward.

That, although a wheelchair folds up and hence takes up less space on the Tube, it cannot be pushed easily while folded because the front wheels foul each other, and hence that you will unfold and fold it approximately 8000 times in any journey.

That, with a human loaded, the front wheels cannot climb any ledge more than about 5mm in height and hence you will spend a lot of time standing on the back of it to lift them over things.

That, on any sloping surface, a wheelchair veers lovingly downslope, requiring the exercise of considerable effort to keep it on line.

That the rubber handgrips are much easier to pull off (eg, when keeping it on line) than they are to put back on again.

That the leg supports stick out more than you expect, clang thump, and also that doorways are way narrower than you think, thump scrape.

That it is impolite to say "ramming speed!" whenever a straight long corridor presents itself, or "banzai!" at the top of a downward slope.

That if you are outside the Red Cross in Cambridge with an empty trailer and a heavy rucksack, you are going to tie up the trailer's loading straps, put on the heavy rucksack, slap your forehead, and call yourself a rude name.

That apparently every London bus has a cunning extending ramp on the rear doors. Glee!

Thanks to the lovely hazyjayne who tolerated me making many of these discoveries.