[Blind-Rollers] close one

[Becky Frankeberger]

Ellana, it would be a great idea to make an appointment with the person who teaches the drivers OPS Manager. Explain the problems you are having with the drivers. He or she can teach them proper tie down procedures on hills. Trust me you are not the only one who is having this problem. You are the one who can get it resolved, warm smile.

We had a guy on our transit system with an odd scooter. He talked to the OPS Manager and the problem was fixed. My chair has loops. Took a little while to remind everyone not to tie down the frame, but to use the loops. I am much easier as they load me flat. Personallly would not have realized to tie down the front wheels, then do the back wheels for people on hills.

You can do it! Warm smile.

Becky   

-----Original Message-----
From: Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Ellana Crew via Blind-Rollers
Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 3:21 PM
To: blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
Cc: Ellana Crew <eemcrew at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Blind-Rollers] close one

Oh, I definitely relate to this. I don’t have problems with smacking my anti-tippers into things, but I definitely choose to keep them on at a pretty low setting because of issues like what you are describing with transportation. I take paratransit frequently, but my house is on a hill, so once I get into the vehicle I am on a steep incline. Many of the drivers like to try and strap the back half of my chair down first, and when the front isn’t secured yet, that can make the chair tip backwards if they pull too hard which they have definitely done many times. I keep my anti-tippers on mostly for this reason honestly. I would love to be able to take them off or at least flip them up higher so I can do wheelies better, but I honestly just don’t have the patience to teach every single paratransit driver that you should secure the front of the chair first on an incline.

I am very diligent also about making sure they strap the front down very securely, because they love to do a very loose front tiedown and leave me rocking back-and-forth the entire ride. They always seem to think that strapping the back down even tighter will fix this for some reason, and I am constantly having to bat their hands away from doing that because all that achieves is tilting me back into a permanent precarious wheelie  for the ride and shifting my entire center of gravity. I have gotten so frustrated with this issue within the first few weeks of taking paratransit in my chair that I have started just reaching down and tightening them myself because I can bend far enough to do it and some of them just don’t listen when I say it’s still too loose.

> On Apr 8, 2026, at 5:34 PM, Becky Frankeberger via Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> The tip bar in the back of my wheelchair. I love them and hate them. 
> I will tell you why I hate them, first. I back up and bam those wheels 
> beat up my walls.
> 
> 
> 
> Now I will tell you why I love them. We are not pointing fingers, but 
> someone forgot to tie down my front tires. We rounded a corner and the 
> wheelchair went back then stopped so I was able to throw myself 
> forward to right my chair. The man driving couldn't stop fast enough 
> apologizing the whole time. Boy howdy, thank You Lord for taking care of me.
> 
> 
> 
> The first time this happened was at Walt Disney World a good ten years ago.
> My wheelchair started skittling sideways. The driver had to be 
> persuaded to stop by a bunch of very angry passengers.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone have horror stories to share? I will take great stories also, smile.
> 
> 
> 
> Becky
> 
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