mikeagimp

New TiLite Wheelchair

It’s that time of the year where I play the insurance card where I try to get a new wheelchair.  I started the process back in March with Mobility Medical, Inc. in Addison, TX but the fucking bastards played the fiddle week after week.  When I went into their office way back in March I told the owner (who is in a wheelchair himself) that I was needing this new chair for a series of trips I was about to make.  One was to Bonnaroo where I knew I was going to need thicker tires (which means new wheels since I have Spinergy) and bigger front tires.  So I expressed to him that it was a little difficult navigating the miles of dirt and grass last year at the festival and how I was hoping to make it a little bit easier of a trip this year.  He assured me of course that we had plenty of time before the deadline in June.  Pssh, up to the last two weeks he assured me it was coming and then he finally worked up the fucking nerve to tell me it wasn’t going to happen.  I was at a loss.  This would have been my third TiLite chair through his company.  So this is how he treats a good customer?  I have excellent insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield)!  I eventually put it to a stop a few weeks ago when I sent him a fairly nice e-mail telling him I would no longer be needing his assistance and that I would be getting a chair elsewhere.  I never heard back from him.

Fast forward a week or so and I e-mail the head of customer service at TiLite and told her a brief version of my story and asked if she had a list of distributors in the area.  I did not actually think I would get a response, instead their rep. for the area e-mailed me first and asked me to give him a call.  He quickly gave me a list of his top TiLite distributors in the area.

National Seating & Mobility, my new savior, my new place!  I called up there and was quickly scheduled for a good ol’ measuring.  That was Wednesday, by tomorrow, I hope to have the quote for review, and on Monday, the order will be placed!  Now that’s some customer service!

Mobility Medical, Inc. mikeagimp rating: 1 out of 5
National Seating & Mobility mikeagimp rating: 4 out of 5

Accessible Chicago Trains

My best friend Kyle gave me the idea for this post because he was annoyed about something and I for once, didn't even notice.  While I was in Chicago for the weekend, we of course used the train quite a bit to get around.  Because I don't live in the city it was harder for me to understand his frustration about having to walk even further to the right "accessible" station because their are so few where he lives.  He lives sort of close to the Addison stop but not too close.  If click to view the map below, you'll quickly see the lack of accessible stations in between a large number of stops (Addison to Granville).  Now maybe this is offset by a set of bus routes but for a weary visitor, that doesn't help much.

Since I love to complain I have to point out that when you do reach the accessible station and before you get into the elevator, HOLD YOUR DAMN BREATH!  Cover your nose and mouth up because fuck it stinks in there.  It smells like someone had a baby and diarrhea all at the same time.  Unbelievable!  As we were leaving one elevator, a CTA employee saw us with our covered faces and laughed out "It's that bad?!"

Flying from Dallas to Chicago to Detroit

DFW to MLI

The bathrooms at DFW are usually bad.  It also depends on which one you go to.  If it’ a high traffic area then usually it’s relatively clean but you just don’t know.  The most annoying part about trying to use the restroom at DFW are that the door open in.  I don’t have to tell you what a pain in the ass that is.  I can’t imagine someone who isn’t so fortunate and has a larger chair then me.  I can barely fucking fit!