I use a store mobility scooter when grocery shopping. Today at Hannaford’s at the checkout, they asked me if I would like them to get me another cart to go out to my car. I said, “Why would I need another cart?” They said because you aren’t allowed to take the cart outside anymore. A myriad of thoughts went through my head. It’s hard enough for me to get all the way into the store now, since they moved the electric carts out of the entranceway, and they expect me to get all my groceries and me out to my car without the e-cart? What is going on?
A letter from corporate apparently came down with the pronouncement. I will be calling corporate 1/7/16 to find out more. The line I was given by the frontline staff was that there have been accidents because the carts are too low. I said, oh, are they going to stop allowing children and any Little People in the parking lot, too? Never at a loss for a sarcastic retort, am I!! I apologized, and said I would contact corporate with my concerns and stop taking out my anger on them.
There are many easy solutions besides disallowing the scooter in the lot. And I can’t believe they would stop me from using my own scooter, if I wanted to use it, so I’m hoping to be more positive. I do think a fair compromise is to have a store employee go out with me (they offer to go out to help with groceries, anyway, so not an extra thing) and bring the cart right back in. Much as I don’t like the thought of having to have someone with me, if there really is a problem and there is no other solution, I could live with that. And while I suggest that, I also would ask for them to post a number by the accessible parking to call into the store to ask for a scooter to be brought out to me since they moved them all way inside!
Has anyone else encountered this yet at Hannaford or anywhere else? And do people have other comments/ideas?
Thank you for Raising Awareness about this
This is terrible. (Although I got a kick out of your retort.)
I can’t remember, I don’t get to Hannafords much but do these carts have big orange flags on them? Seems like a simple solution? Am I missing something?
This is important to me. I applaud your efforts to remain positive and focus on a solution, and to advocate for yourself. I do know how hard that can be at times and I hope the community will stand behind you.
I hope this gets remedied quickly.
Asked a store associate
In the past I have asked a store associate to bring me a mobility scooter when it was too far for me to walk and they have cheerfully done so. It’s not a full solution but it might help.
thanks, Carly and Vidda
Yes, Carly, indeed, the flag solution is a very simple way to deal with this. I am looking forward to a healthy conversation with the powers that be and will certainly suggest it. And Vidda, I am sure the local staff have been very accommodating — they have always been helpful to me and seem to have a good understanding of how to serve their customers with disabilities.
As for me advocating, well, please know for 40 plus years (starting in high school) I worked to empower people as a social worker, democracy educator, political activist, and, ironically, before I became disabled myself, I was a professional disability rights advocate. As my energy allows, I will always do this work!!
I will update as I have news, and would like to know what others experience at grocery stores, also.
clarification from local manager, plus...
Spoke with local assistant manager yesterday, who said the main reason corporate is getting tougher is that the motor on the scooters is not designed for use on pavement and the repair costs are increasing too much from that, and to a lesser extent, from people hitting the scooters in the parking lot. I do know that scooters are rated for different surfaces, and slopes, and even the very slight slope of the parking lot can strain a scooter motor if it is not designed to handled it. This begs the question of why would a store buy scooters that can’t go out if they truly want to serve their customers with disabiliities. There is a definite difference in price, for sure, but perhaps it would be more than made up in the lesser repair costs… I’m going to research costs before I take this argument to corporate.
I did ask the manager if Hannaford consults with people with disabilities when making decisions, and he didn’t know. It does bring to mind for me the need to make sure those of us with disabilities are educating people, politely and civilly, about our realities and needs. It is so easy, as I initially demonstrated, to snap at people instead.
The reality is that no one knows all there is to know, even so called experts, and part of everyone’s responsibility as a citizen is to say our ideas as constructively and non-judgmentally as possible. I know many groups of people, whether it be those with disabilities, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, etc., find it easy to get defensive and assume evil intent, and that msy be true in some cases. Some people also believe others not in their specific group are obligated to know all the problems. I agree we need to strive to increase our awarenesses, but come on, folks, do you all take responsibility for learning about everything, every social, political, environmental, etc. issue? I don’t have time, honestly. But I can ask myself to help educate when opportunities arise, and to be open to learning from others.
My point here is to say that each of us, not just me, needs to talk with our neighbors, friends, etc., in a constructive way to communicate, to increase the general level of awareness, to show that we don’t all need the same things, and I hope that by sharing my experiences and ideas, I help others feel that they can and will do the same.
So I ask, are you feeling more likely to get involved, even a tiny bit, when I and others speak out like this? Or do you think, “oh Andie (or whomever) speaks out on issues so I don’t need to”? You don’t have to choose the exact same concerns as I, but are you inspired to be more confident and involved about speaking up when others do it?