The Travel Scooter

Unloading Skeeter

Tiller, battery, seat

One of the things we like about Skeeter and the rental is the ease of both assembly and transport.  As I said in the beginning, I decided to buy a scooter with as much stability as possible in the travel scooter category.  Skeeter only weighs 74 lbs. in total, disassembles in three parts, the heaviest of which is 25 lbs. and fits in most compact cars.  Certainly, a van/SUV is nice, but not essential.

My friends, Sandie, and of course Earl, can all handle it without risking injury.  Loading time varies with familiarity, but is usually about five minutes.  I've even been known to help when balance wasn't required, but it looked pretty pathetic.  Usually, I wait until it's brought around to me.  It's clearly a mobility device, but I've gotten used to biting humiliation bullets.  At this point, I just appreciate the helping hand.

Stand and deliver

Your chariot awaits

Fits in back of car

Stow 'n'Go

Scooting in Maui 

Flashing lights

Since I don't travel with the usual safety gear, Earl attached flashing lights to the front and back of the rental scooter, enhancing visibility.  We were off on our first Maui scoot.  It's so nice not having to sport the winter look.

Scoot to table, rotate seat

Friends were joining us which made it more fun for the less adventurous (primarily mine) excursions and the more adventurous ones (primarily Earl's). The friends filled in the middle.  It's a given that going somewhere is more work, but I've had limited success convincing visitors that I'm OK with being at home, in the car, in a park...yadayada. 

Buddhist Shrine Lahaina

There are plenty of places we could all enjoy, but as a person with impaired mobility, there's always a decision to be made.  Do I want to go?  Is it reasonable to go?  Is there access?  Usually prepared for some solitude, I have a book, a TV series, or a movie downloaded on some device before I'm parked. However, good research and familiarity aren't always the answer–sometimes you just get it wrong.  

When the unexpected occurs, you either laugh, don't go, or push on and see what happens.  We took our friends upcountry to Makawao, a small town on the slopes of the Haleakela Crater and stopped for lunch at the fun–sounding Garden Cafe.  Turned out it amounted to a few outdoor tables, down an alley, run by a cheery woman and a good menu.  Although the sky looked cloudy and threatening, it wasn't raining so we felt safe to eat.  My friend went down the narrow, cracked, and sloping walkway to the primitive ladies' room with no difficulty.  If I was going to enjoy lunch, I had to go as well.  There are times I have to put myself in someone else's hands on blind faith and this was one of them.  Earl guided me and the rental scooter down the walkway, left it outside, and I negotiated the bathroom by grabbing various surfaces.  Luckily, there was no one else waiting.  As we finished lunch it started raining, so we headed back to the car.  Makawao is an old cowboy town and many of the walkways are narrow, wooden slats.  Since travel scooters don't take more space than a stroller,  I can generally manage to negotiate passage.  However, I had forgotten that my new flashing lights stuck out, the scooter's butt was bigger, and I knocked a light off.  Fortunately, my friends were behind and retrieved it.

View to Lanai

Local party on the beach

Earl's an able bodied guy who loves to cycle.  Great, but that's where we often part company.  Long bike rides along Maui highways, sandy beaches, and the lava fields of La Perouse Bay call to him, and are a definite no-go for me.  I am so OK with staying home with a book, computer, or a yoga CD (just me and Karen Voight).  However, having friends and family make life better for both of us.

Lava fields at La Perouse Bay

The Lesson:  Go when you can, stay when you want.