Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
So you've made up your mind, you have your travel wheelchair and your bag, and you've finally hit the road. Most of the advices for regular hitchhikers fit here as well (good spots, clothes, aspect, attitude, the little tricks like staring at the driver's eyes...) so I won't repeat them, but there are some remarkable differences (advantages, one would say) that you ought to keep in mind.
First of all, don't forget that here your wheelchair is, before anything else, a blessing. It will melt away any trace of fear or suspicion the driver could have hold against you, and you'll see soon enough that your average waiting time rarely surpasses the ten minutes mark. The only problem is that some drivers (''especially'', and I mean it, especially truck drivers) may be afraid of the alleged delays or troubles they will get into if they take a disabled person in their car, and sometimes they may not stop for that sole reason. That's why, in order to truly unlock your wheelchair's potential, you should always try to find a way to speak personally with the drivers, so that you can reassure them with your self-confidence and your travelling experience when you ask for the ride. Gas Petrol stations are the best place for this, so much that you will seldom need to ask twice for a ride if you manage to get there. Even if you don't speak a single word in the country's language (hell, even if the driver is travelling in the total opposite direction) just repeat the name of the place where you want to go and you'll eventually get there; such is the magic of your pretty little chair.
So just remember: always try to get to a place where you can speak to someone (anyone, anywhere!), and as long as you look even slightly friendly and helpless you will arrive your destination as fast as if you'd taken the first bus of the morning.
* Not trying to get all scatological here, but really, learn how to do all your basic needs in the field with no WC at all and without needing to change clothes afterwards. You're gonna be grateful for that one, too.
* Don't be afraid to break your wheelchair. As long as you're carring one made of iron, any motorcycle or car garage in the world will be able to fix it somehow, no matter what you did to it. Still, try to wash it with water as soon as possible if it ever falls in the sea, cause the salt is deadly.
* One of the many advantages of travelling in a wheelchair is that weight isn't really a matter for you. Unlike hitchhikers who travel on foot, you can carry a heavy bag with anything you need and you will still be able to rely on travelling long distances just by yourself to get to that pesky service area petrol station or hitching spot.
* Use all the social and psychological advantages that your disability grants you to their full extent with no remorse at all, and don't ever dare to question yourself for it. Hitchhiker [[user:Dargeron|Dargeron]] used to stowaway into ferries by pretending to fall from his wheelchair at the entrance of the ship, to take advantage of the worker's ensuing commottion and attempts to help him in order to enter the ship with no one remembering to demand him the ticket (and it worked). Seriously, you will have to put up with all the handicaps of being in a wheelchair whether you want it or not, so at least take the advantages too!
* Add more info? :)
