On My Lap by Burugo

Burugo is a columnist and paraplegic from Holland

You always have your hands full, that’s the problem. So if you want to transport something when you are a wheelchair user, you usually do that on your lap. But of course you can’t take everything with you.

For example, in my case, items to be transported may not be wider than 21,5 inches, higher than 17 inches or heavier than an average mother-in-law.
So for example, a small apple pie will just succeed. But a crate of soda, for example, is quite difficult. Fortunately a bottle of red wine works just fine.

And some things are small and light, but still not transportable on your lap.
Like goldfish in bowls (too wet), clumps of ice (too cold) (and too wet in the long run), cups of tomato soup (too red), a carrot (looks too weird), or dog poop scoops (too filthy).

There is an alternative way. The backpack, which you don’t attach on your back, but on the back of your wheelchair. But crates of soda, goldfish in bowls and so on cannot fit in there. Not to mention the mothers in law.

The weight of such a filled bag is also detrimental to the wheelchair balance. As a result of which you lie on your back like a turtle at the slightest uncontrolled movement and can therefore never get up again without the help of third parties.

I once made a kind of trailer for my wheelchair, using a second-hand skeltertrailer from the flea market. And that worked pretty well I must say, but I looked ridiculous. I’m just not sure if it was because of that trailer or because of the Bob the Builder picture on the back of the vehicle.

So I have not yet been able to come up with the ideal transport method. Except for the transport of food, namely: eat the stuff first and only then transport it. That is also a lot cheaper!

But then you have to make sure all the stuff is eaten before checkout (except for the mother in law, never eat the mother in law!)

Burugo

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