Going out

Posted by Moira on November 29th, 2008 at 14:45

The evening before [the social evening at the Bear and Ragged Staff], Caroline booked my taxi for the event, for 6.45pm. On the actual evening the taxi hadn’t arrived by 7pm so she phoned them and they said they had no record of booking: so she ordered another one. At 7.15pm one arrived so I set off,alone  through the garage exit.

Once down the ramp; I found bicycles blocking my path and crucially the turning circle so I couldnt return to the house.  So I stuck my legs out, turned up the power on my chair and went full pelt at the bikes with my feet, hoping this would move them out of the way. It didn’t.

So I yelled ‘help’ but no one came. It was too dark to use my phone. So I screamed as loud as I could. Eventually, the taxi driver came to see what was happening and I sent him inside to get help. David [my son] came and moved the bikes and the taxi driver told him that he didnt know where the Bear  was, so David had to come with me and return in the taxi.

I can be forgiven for saying nothing at the very nice social event, but after all the ‘helps’ and ’screaming’: I had no voice. I did however, manage to say to Lesley my address, to tell the return taxi driver. Once inside the return taxi, I assumed all would be well. WRONG. He didnt turn into Bertie Rd, so I presumed we would go into Chawley Lane, no such luck: he drove down Cumnor Hill: so I banged on the glass. He ignored me. So I banged harder and he stopped and he said ‘oh,yes, it was Norreys Rd wasn’t it’ and took me home.

I don’t like going through these taxi problems everytime I go out - not turning up/don’t know where they are going/take me anywhere they feel like. Nor do I want to go through all these upsetting experiences with my feet still sore from pushing the bikes, my knuckles nearly bruised from banging on taxi window, and my throat still hoarse from screaming. And then I was awake all the next night re-living the experience.

Sadly, I have decided not to go out in the evenings for the time being.

Why is it such a struggle being disabled?

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