I've seen many motorzied scooters and wheelchairs that move very slow down a narrow city sidewalk and it's impossible to pass them, so I propose adding a second lever to these wheelchairs to enable the selection of maybe 2 or 3 forward gears and a reverse gear. The current accelerator in the right hand would function the same, but when it is released, it will perform the action of a clutch being released, and to brake you would just pull back on the lever. Of course the components would have to weigh less and be smaller for the smaller area it can occupy, but I believe the end result would be a happier generation of old people.
-- thedoubler2, Aug 01 2004

4-wheel mobility scooter http://www.samszone...bility-scooter.html
2 speeds in forward and reverse. Top speed is 10MPH (16 KPH) [Klaatu, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Ross's PowerTrike http://www.popsci.c...2543,219114,00.html
"Harley-style" retrofit [Ander, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

While this seems like a good idea; in practice, I highly doubt that that is the case. Giving old people the ability to go fast either won't be used or it will be abused as their slower reaction times will cause more accidents than help the flow the traffic. Plus, if the person is already in a wheelchair, I'd think that s/he already reacts slower than the average person and adding additional speed to the wheelchair just doesn't seem like a good idea.
-- wan-fu, Aug 01 2004


I used to share a flat with a quadraplegic who's wheelchair had a button he affectionately referred to as 'turbo'. He was *always* first to the pub.
-- wagster, Aug 01 2004


From the initial tone, I was expecting this high gear thing to be activated from behind the chair.
-- half, Aug 01 2004


"What's this thing?"
"That's the clutch pedal..."
-- RayfordSteele, Aug 01 2004


I've always thought motorized wheelchairs looked fun. There's a few people in town who drive their chairs to the grocery store and restaurants on public roads. It's amazing they're only paralyzed.
-- destructionism, Aug 01 2004


I'm with [wan-fu]... but this idea definitely made me laugh out loud when I read the title. It made me think of my ex-boyfriend's grandma and the picture was just too funny.
-- Pericles, Aug 01 2004


They already have multiple-speed mobility scooters which offer a low range for getting around indoors, and a high range for cruising outdoors. <link>
-- Klaatu, Aug 02 2004


I had my time on manual wheelchair and on footpath I was the fast one unless it was uphill. The author of this thread should cosider the fact that people in their wheelchair normally go the speed of their ability and agility, how often you see these people so does it really slow your life down so much? Think about them wchair users as they have to cope with their slowness themselves 24/7 and going any faster may mean accidents?
-- Pellepeloton, Sep 14 2006



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