After I got back from Tokyo I began to see how important mobility is for me to live a fulfilling life. The ease of moving around in Tokyo and the totally accessible public transport there made me realise how restricted I was back home.
For most part of the last twenty two years, I had depended on transport from family and friends whenever I needed to go out. That was also subject to the availability of their time. On many occasions I had to forgo attending functions because no one was available to take me there.
A few months ago, I saw a friend who had more severe physical impairment than me drive a car. There and then, I knew that it was something that I can do and wanted to do. The other factor that influenced me was the hand control kit that my good friend Christine was using. It was a single push pull control that allowed her to drive with ease.
Over a period of one month after that, I went around car showrooms in Penang, looking for a car with automatic transmission that I can get in and out with ease. That was the most important criteria. Next was affordability followed by aesthetics.
Nissan Sentra was my first choice although I could hardly afford the monthly instalments. However, that was the least of my problems. I am a tall person with long limbs. The distance between the steering wheel and the seat was too close for comfort. I had difficulty getting my legs into the car after transferring to the seat from my wheelchair.
… to be continued.
Related entries:
Answer Me This
First Step Of Another Journey
Test Driving The Civic
My Dream Ride
Reclaiming My Life
