So today has been single digit temperatures all day. As such, I haven’t left my house, as my truck doesn’t like when it is this cold. I have a 2017 Chevy Silverado, and for those who haven’t seen it, the drivers side has a gull wing door and a platform that comes out and down. I have to drive from my chair as I can no longer stand and transfer, and I have electronic hand controls, as my shoulder strength also deteriorates as I get older. My truck and hand controls are quite the spectacle, and definitely turn heads when I get out anywhere. Dad likes to tell the story, and rightfully so, about how he found a truck online and mentioned to me how much cooler it would be to drive a truck instead of a minivan. I have nothing against a minivan, but a minivan and a truck cost about the same money. The conversion on one of them also cost about the same money, and the hand controls are exactly the same either way. So basically they are the same money, and I have always been a truck guy. I also live in the woods and it is almost necessary to have a 4 wheel drive, especially in the winter.
Now that I have that out of the way, I would like to talk about going places. In order for me to go somewhere, I pretty much have to have a handicap accessible vehicle. Right now, I have my handicap accessible pickup, and dad has a handicap accessible van. There is no way for me to transfer to a car as it is to low to the ground. I have been able to transfer to a pickup or SUV but that requires a chair that can raise and lower, and a transfer board. The issue with transferring like this, is it requires help and is a little awkward. The main thing that requires help, is someone else has to deal with my chair once I am off of it. I went to Nashville in 2019 and we did take a Suburban, but dad had to bring my chair to and from me, and put it on a lift on the back. While it is possible, you have to know how to drive a powerchair, which takes a little bit to get used too.