On Saturday we went to Birmingham to watch Manchester United play Birmingham City, our first away match as United fans. Caesar had the day off as he has told me before football isn't really his cup of tea ;o) There were a few access hiccups en route but nothing major; the trains weren't running on the first part of our journey and were replaced by inaccessible buses, so the rail company had to pay for a taxi the first thirty miles or so! They also had to provide a taxi the last thirty miles on the way home.
We enjoyed the match and had a good vantage point once we had moved, originally we were sat just alongside the goal mouth but it became clear the photographers would block our view as the ground level was actually about eye level for me while sitting in my wheelchair. I always think you can tell a lot about an orgainsation by the way they treat their disabled patrons!
United won 1-0 and and all that was left was a quick stroll the couple of miles from the ground to Birmingham New Street station for our train back to Dorset.
We were making good speed behind the Coppers in riot gear (kind of slipstreaming) when I went down a kerb and CRUNCH ... a wheel on my eight week old, "just a smidgeon under" £3000 wheelchair collapsed beneath me. Utter shock ... apart from realising we'd miss our train, I was now rendered helpless in the gutter. One of the riot gear clad Coppers said "wait right there, I'll get help to you". (Maybe he realised two Utd shirt clad fans in the gutter of a dark sidestreet were sitting ducks)!
In minutes we were rescued by a police car, darn, the wheelchair plus us two wouldn't fit into the car, so they summoned a white police van as well. We were soon on our way in the back of the police car and my wheelchair and trike followed in the van. What a way to arrive at the station! I've never been in a police car before ...
We arrived at the station just as our train was due to leave. Thankfully, there was another train an hour later and the railway staff were very helpful in assisting the police get us to our train in a borrowed station wheelchair. We finally got home around 2am, but at least we, if not the wheelchair were in one piece!
Today I called the w/c company and heck, would you believe it, after some enquiries they discover that Spinergy supplied a duff batch of wheel hubs where the spokes are threaded too close to the edge and they hadn't done a product recall! I can imagine before too long someone is going to get really hurt coming out of a chair due to this. Needless to say the air in my house this morning was blue, but sanity was restored when my supplier promised to deliver 2 new wheels tomorrow with new (non faulty hubs).
So a big thanks is due to the West Midlands Police & Virgin Trains for their quick thinking and sensible help!
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1 comment:
It could only happen to you Wendy LOL, pleased your OK though, see what happens when you give Caesar the day off you run amock, just as well he's around to keep you right most of the time!!
M xx
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