Shopping with mobility issues - queues and seating

johnadams1234

Hi, 

I have mobility issues which means that I use a mix of mobility scooters, wheelchairs and also I can walk short distances with a walking stick. I try to remain as mobile as I can and only use the chair or scooter when I really am having a bad day.

I've been in situations where I've been with just my stick and I can't stand for long periods, as it causes me pain and discomfort. 

I sometimes experience long queues in supermarkets and queues and it's really horrible to have to experience my symptoms flare up waiting in a queue, it's distressing. 

I very rarely speak up, as I feel awkward asking to jump the queue. If my wife is with me she does the queuing whilst I sit down. 

Has anyone else experienced this and what action have you taken? 

As an additional question, there are a lot of shops that have no seating at all for disabled people, which is awful, I often have to find places life shelving to perch on and sometimes get asked not to sit at those places. 

Appreciate the obvious answer is to always use my chair or scooter when shopping, but I want to maximise being mobile as much as possible to stop my general condition getting worse. 

Thoughts appreciated, 

John

janer1967

Hi there 

You could use a rollater walker they have a little seat on that you can perch on if tired 

Alex_Alumni

Hello @johnadams1234 and thanks for sharing your experience, I can relate, it's especially frustrating when your body flares up out of nowhere, you can feel quite powerless.

Janer has made an excellent suggestion, a walker would help you keep moving, but also give you the option to sit when you need to. Some of them also have storage baskets, which are handy when shopping. 

I do find unless you're in a very large supermarket, seating is pretty much non exsistent, and even in those larger shops, it tends to be on the periphery, the other side of the tills from all the products.

Let us know if there's anything else that comes up in the meantime. 

johnadams1234

That's a good call actually, thanks for that suggestion. 

Cartini

Hi @johnadams1234,

I`m nowhere as challenged as you are, or indeed as most people appear to be on this site, but your opening comment struck a chord with me.

I have lumbar & cervical spondylosis and recently diagnosed (last 6 weeks or so) with lumbar stenosis.

I live on my own and have my shopping delivered on a Friday, but now and again I like to join the human race so I go to the local Tesco.  Even if I just buy a bag of crisp, I use a trolley so that when the vice like grip around my back starts and the nerves down my legs are screaming at me, I can lean forward on the trolley - a bit like a supermarket zimmer frame It`s not perfect, it doesn`t stop the pain, but it does provide momentary easing of the symptoms. 

As I said, I`m not as challenged as most people on here so I`ve never really considered the ins and outs of being disabled (I just get on with with my awards from Mother Nature).  But your comments, and those of other contributors on Scope, have turned an ignorant (for want of an expression) person into someone with a better understanding of how your challenges (I`m not a fan of the word disabilities) affect everyday aspects of your life.  Thank you.

Andy