Archive for the ‘Bremskeil’ Category

Eigude Shame XXIII

星期五, 一月 4th, 2013

对不起,此内容只适用于EnglishDeutsch

Eigude Shame XXI

星期三, 十一月 28th, 2012

Thursday evening it was time again; the weather god decided that it was about time to extensively wash the cars.

When I eventually arrived home with my car I noticed with pleasure that a van was standing on my personal parking place and kept the tagged disabled symbol dry.

I stopped with my car on the street in the restricted parking area and took some photos first. Then I wanted to call my wife in the flat to plan the next “steps”.

Suddenly I heard a distinct Yeeessss…!!!

A nice lady in blue uniform from the Frankfurt city police was standing next to my driver’s door and probably wanted to point out that my parking place was maybe somehow inappropriate.

I replied with a Yeeesss… as well and pointed out to the lady that my personalized parking place was currently not available, but apparently a note was lying inside the front screen.

The lady immediately took care of the challenge (I have cancelled the word “problem” from my vocabulary already some years ago).

The note read as follows:

I am pregnant!!!

… and a mobile phone number.

The lady from the city police – and her blood pressure seemed to rise as well – let her head office call the number.

Her comment: I am working for the city and not for the telecom!!!

Then she issued a 35 € disabled parking place special use rent ticket.

When she came to me and told me that the call was rejected when calling the disabled parking place occupier we decided jointly to tow away the car!!!

Just before the tow truck was called the lady with the supposed future earth-dweller came back to her car and had to pick up a blow-up from the lady in uniform first. I stayed really calm this time, which has not always been the case (see older blogpost) and just asked the lady how I should have read her note up on the dashboard of her van.

Thereupon the reply: You are right… oh well…!!!

When the bus driver departed I heard the following comment from my new friend:

Pregnancy is a condition and not a sickness.

Let alone a handicap!!!

If labour would have begun early I would possibly still sit in the car in the rain.

Translator BL

Chock Part XIII

星期五, 十一月 9th, 2012

On Monday evening I “just” wanted to fuel up quickly!!!

There it was again

“The just-word”,

which will drive me insane some time.

The petrol station with the yellow shell has re-established the filling station attendant a couple of years ago. This is why I am usually going to the yellow club, but this time not to my usual station.

Unfortunately this one didn’t have a filling service, so I drove through to the cashier desk and waved with my yellow

Please keep distance sign, with handicap symbol

(see older blogpost),

for the side window.

The cashier clerk nodded in my direction, came outside and put the fuel hose into my car. After my cash budget of 40 € was exhausted he pulled the nozzle out again and cashed up.

I wished him a nice evening and started with my vehicle. When I was on the street again the car behind me flashed, then I already saw my

fuel cap flying!!!

Even after intensive search my original fuel cap could not be located any more. Now I have a fuel cap out of the stock of the station.

Possibly it was from a 911 which would explain my rough driving mode from yesterday ;-)

Translator BL

Eigude Shame XX

星期六, 十月 13th, 2012

Unbelievable but true, something new all the time…

Today I was at the

book fair in Frankfurt.

I wanted to meet my friend and author Roberto Sastre there.

I will write a separate blogpost about the reunion with him.

When I left hall 3 where there were mainly children books, comics and presumably human beings in Manga costumes, it happened.

I was suddenly grabbed quite ruthless on the handles of my wheelchair by an unknown guy and was pushed without asking me quite snappy across a small road to the main plaza of the fair.

Except me, there were only pedestrians on this road, the passage was closed to traffic.
Even shouting didn’t help, the guy didn’t let go my handles.

I was rather in panic, but was lucky that this guy didn’t push me out of my wheelchair.

If there would have been a small curb I would have been licking the pavement.

What was happening???

Just in the moment when I was at the other side of the road three black cars with flashing blue light came speeding around the corner.
One of the limousines had the

license plate 0-1

and two coloured flags with a black eagle on the wings.
Actually our

Federal President Joachim Gauck

was sitting in the back of the car.
This would have been something again if the bodyguard of our head of state would have pushed me out of the wheelchair.

Who doesn’t know my “Eigude blog” (click Frontpage) should know that last time I fell out of my wheelchair I broke my shinbone and fibula (see older blogposts).

When I explained to the guy with the ear piece that I didn’t like this he told me:

This is the president, it is like it is!!!

 

When I was driving home in my car this convoy blocked me again, now our president is spending the night in a grand hotel around the corner of my home.

I would be interested if this bodyguard has ever pushed around Mr Schäuble (translator’s note: the German minister of Finance is sitting in a wheelchair).

Translator BL

3. Addendum: Eigude Shame XVIII

星期二, 八月 21st, 2012

Addendum to blogpost Eigude Shame XVIII from 25.07.12

Other posts: 31.07.12 and 06.08.12

Last week I have heard from my informant in Rödelheim that my favourite sign

Passing prohibited for wheelchair users

at the train station Rödelheim in Frankfurt has been unfortunately removed after three month… sniff… :-(

New sign:

Attention!

Ramp gradient approx. 10% Use at your own risk!

Photo: Rödelheim Blog und P._

The new ramps still aren’t any less steep, and we hope that the lifts will always be running.

But when these are defective at least we wheelchair users are now allowed with kind approval of the city of Frankfurt and the German railway company to most officially tumble down the 10% ramp “at our own risk”.

According to the information of the commissioner for disabled of the city, a flattening of the ramps is not planned.

Allegedly, the ramps would have a floor heating!!!

There is a special blog about the never-ending story of the reconstruction of the train station: Bahnhof-Rödelheim-Blog

Kindly our letter of thanks which was actually referring to the original sign was not removed. Whereas… the text still fits! ;-)

Translator BL

2. Addendum: Eigude Shame XVIII

星期一, 八月 6th, 2012

对不起,此内容只适用于Deutsch

Addendum: Eigude Shame XVIII

星期二, 七月 31st, 2012

对不起,此内容只适用于Deutsch

Eigude Shame XVIII

星期三, 七月 25th, 2012

Inconceivable…!!!

Passing prohibited for wheelchair users

As born-and-bred citizen of Frankfurt I am proud of my hometown, but too much is too much!!

I have read in the internet forum Rollingplanet that a new underpass was built at the train station in Rödelheim (a district in Frankfurt Germany). Looks a bit like an amphitheater.

This underpass is such a political issue that meanwhile a citizens’ initiative has been formed. The “Wutbürger” (enraged citizens) are on their way from all directions…

Amongst other things it was discovered during a job-site inspection upon almost accomplished completion of the underpass that the brand new mighty concrete ramps on both sides of the tracks have 10% gradient.

Ramps in the public area always have to be built with maximum 6% and without transversal slope according to DIN 18024-1 und DIN 18040-1 (source: barrierefrei bauen mit nullbarriere.de)

The result is that the ramps are very steep not only for wheelchair users, but also for rollator users, cyclists and people with strollers.

The city of Frankfurt has proven creativity and has hung up a prohibition sign without further ado, which prohibits the passing of the ramp for all wheelchair users.

You could use the lifts, which is basically right if it would be ensured that these lifts would always be running. I don’t know any wheelchair user who wasn’t standing at least once in front of a defective lift.

Words fail to describe the prohibition sign!
Inconceivable… How can you globally prohibit the passing of the ramps for all wheelchair users!

Passing prohibited for wheelchair users

This sign has no other reason for the municipality except to escape responsibility from an insurance perspective if something should happen to someone.

This is just the start. From now on bad planning will be compensated with prohibition signs.

We met yesterday at the train station with unfortunately only three wheelers to have a closer look at the ramps and to duly celebrate the introduction of this new prohibition sign with a glass of sparkling wine.

Highly illegal, the ramps were passed on both sides. We came to the conclusion that a fit wheeler, somebody with an electric wheelchair, a motor-supported active wheelchair or the help of a companion can surmount the ramps.

The sign does not comply with the road traffic regulations and is mounted so high that no wheelchair user will see it anyway.

An acknowledgement letter and a few flowers were fixed to the new “favourite wheelchair user sign”.


Thank you city of Frankfurt

for the successful introduction of this new

Prohibition Sign!!!

This sign is forward-looking.
We wheelchair users
hope to see this sign more often in the city in the future!!!
Thanks again that the municipality is
so much concerned about the
physical integrity of us wheelchair users!!!

We thank again the city of Frankfurt for the duty of care which is shown to us wheelchair users with this “Passing prohibited” sign.

With best regards from Steffen Löw and Jens Maspfuhl

Kontakt: rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

Eigude Shame XVII

星期五, 六月 22nd, 2012

对不起,此内容只适用于EnglishDeutsch

Eigude Shame XVI

星期五, 六月 8th, 2012

Yesterday, after a long time, I wanted to see a movie at the cinema with my wife.

The seat reservation proved to be a little difficult because this was only possible online, and although you could click on the “one” wheelchair place nothing happened.

I tried to call the cinema several times and learned that after around 30 times ringing you get kicked out the line by the telephone system.

We reserved the two seats next to the wheelchair place (apparently the places were next to each other) and drove with the car to the cinema.

Surprisingly there were actually all two disabled parking places at the rear exit vacant, whereas on one two pedestrians with lots of tools were standing who immediately made room for my “parking”.

I turned my car in a one-way-street and parked the wrong way round because at the pavement side getting off the car is hardly possible for me even with assistance, and my wheelchair loading system is not working properly.
For this purpose I made up an additional “permit card” so that our friendly officers hopefully won’t find a new parking place for me.

“Due to wheelchair loading system parking in opposite direction of travel.”

In the meantime a hired minivan arrived, parked on the other disabled parking place, and the two guys stored away their tools. I didn’t say anything, the loading couldn’t last forever.

At the cinema box office I got the explanation that it was possible to book the wheelchair place online, but sometimes it wouldn’t work. Great…!!
Nevermind, we just had to pay for one ticket, and the wheelchair place was still available.

At half height in the cinema, nobody directly in front, that’s quite nice.
The seat numbers were a bit strange, seat 13 and seat 91, but that would be right.
Some construction engineer has excelled himself. It was probably built according to the latest EU directive for inclusion (equal treatment of handicapped and non-handicapped). Ingenious, our own

wheelchair waiting zone in the cinema.

Praiseworthy, the emergency telephone on the wall and the spacious place directly next to an emergency exit.

Please note the especially high raised

Anti-Snogging-Wall,

which also prevents rigorously undesirable conversations with the companion during the movie.

There was actually just a wall between us and a romantic cinema date.

The movie was great, it even had a guy in a wheelchair.
It played in a country where traditionally fried, amputated amphibian extremities are eaten*.

When I was back at my car I was a little bit annoyed that the minivan was still standing on the second disabled parking place.

I know that the fire protection requirements in a cinema are strict, but

TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!!!

I am still a little unclear about what I should actually wait for in the waiting zone, there was not even anybody coming to sell ice cream.

*France, (frog’s legs) ;-)

Translator BL

 

Addendum: Chock Part XIII It’s my fault!

星期六, 五月 5th, 2012

In my blogpost of 14.04.12 I expressed the suspicion (see older blogpost), that I am possibly a God of wrong deliveries, because I NEVER receive the ordered medication and medical devices.

Yesterday the time had come again, yet again the wrong compresses!!

My e-mail was rather short, but with

Memory picture for the warehouse staff

From the medical supply store I received a reply immediately:

…what should I say, I think the previous e-mail is self-explanatory!!!

The picture is going to be my new background ;) )

I even had your case in our department meeting, your name should ring a bell… I don’t know what else I can do… I am really sorry!

 

Shortly afterwards I received the following e-mail in copy:

Please note the 31 exclamation marks in only 7 sentences.

Hello altogether, AND ESPECIALLY DEAR COLLEAGUES FROM OUR WAREHOUSE!!!!!!

It is not even a month ago that our customer Mr Rollinator took unbelievable 3 attempts to receive his compresses in the usual way!

NAMELY VYLENE COMPRESSES FROM MAIMED STERILE!!!!!!!!!

I don’t know why this is such a problem, but it simply can’t be true that the customer has received the wrong compresses yet AGAIN, especially because I have extra pointed out to you that you should look into the following already packed deliveries!!

I am glad that Mr Rollinator is simply an unbelievable patient person, but I would be FRANTIC!!!! And I seriously mean it!!

I don’t think it is funny, because unfortunately I don’t have any apologies left!

Please RETURN THE GOODS AND SEND THE CORRECT ONES AND CHANGE IT DIRECTLY FOR NEXT TIME!!!!!!

(Original colour of the e-mail, name changed)

Translator BL

Bath Reconstruction Neverending Story (last part for the time being)

星期日, 四月 29th, 2012

The Stumbling Rock

 

The reconstruction of my narrow pedestrian bathroom to a

Wheelchair Spa

in the autumn of 2008 with the moving of a wall and the installation of an on grade shower was rather nerve-wracking.

Read the older blogposts “Bath Reconstruction Part 1-4″, and decide yourself if the tears come from laughing or crying ;-)

I was already home from hospital for a couple of days when finally the washing basin was mounted.
The reconstruction was virtually finalized after a few weeks already.

There was just one little thing. The new drain of washing basin and bath tub was ailing a little. The water drained off rather reasonably, but after 25 seconds the drain started to communicate in an unknown language with me.

Just like that:
Gurgle, gurgle, rattle, rattle, bubble, bubble and once again.
Sometimes it seemed to call names.

I had a creepy feeling, everybody knows the pipe ghost, the “Moaning Myrtle” from Harry Potter.

After various unsuccessful attempts to “muzzle” the drain pipe professionally by cleaning it with a spiral I decided to visit the pipe ghost with the help of a camera.

Such a film is quite special if you climb through your own drain pipe.
During the reconstruction work a hardly worth mentionable ca. 4 cm x 4 cm small accident happened to the guys, to say a stone got stuck in the drain pipe.

When the gas-water-heating-bath construction-video expert ;-)

told me that the stone can only be removed from my neighbours underneath I was a bit more relaxed.

Then at least they don’t pry open my brand-new bathroom because of the stupid stone.

I felt so sorry for my neighbours that I didn’t arrange the removal of the stone immediately.

Now, 3,5 years later my neighbours have moved out, and the stumbling rock was finally removed.

Currently I don’t miss the “gurgle conversations” in the morning yet. Should I miss them I have filmed a video with the last words of the stone just in case.

Translator BL

Chock Part XIII: It’s my fault!

星期六, 四月 14th, 2012

When I am every 3 months at the beginning of each quarter jumping into the snake pit marked by the sign

“Required medication and medical devices”

I globally put the blame on myself meanwhile. If nothing works out right away despite all my efforts, it has to be up to myself, otherwise it is not explicable to me anymore.

In the novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Doulas Adams there is a truck driver who is always on the road in the rain. Unbelievable… he is a rain god, he just doesn’t know it himself.

It is probably similar with me and my orders of medication and medical devices, otherwise I would have to claim that nobody does his work properly anymore, and I don’t want to be assumptive.

After I paid my 10 €-membership fee every 3 months (translator’s note: as a member of a public health insurance in Germany you have to pay a surcharge of 10 € per quarter for medical consultation) the fun begins. I get a bunch of prescriptions from my family physician, where you can’t expect at 16 positions that everything is filled out correctly. It must be my karma that even the corrected prescriptions include minor errors sometimes.

If everything is correct, the prescriptions are split in two piles, medical devices and medication prescriptions, and then scanned immediately, because I don’t trust myself anymore.

I would like to point out here that I always pretty much need the same stuff.

I place the order of the medical devices per e-mail and attach the scanned prescriptions, and I send the original prescriptions by good old mail later.

For my pharmacy order I use a conventional telephone. The probability that I receive all pills as ordered in the correct quantities and from the correct producer is virtually zero and belongs into the realms of fantasy.

You can’t seriously expect that in a subsequent delivery with 3 boxes on the delivery slip also 3 boxes are included. With 2 boxes still 66% are correct, grade D, passing, okay…

The quantity of pills was correct this time, for a change the delivery slip wasn’t.

Now the delivery guy has put a box of pills in my mailbox which I will return personally today, whereupon I am convinced that I will hold exactly this box in my hands in 3 months time, this is not Aspirin.

Why is it not working, it can only be up to me…

It is not better with my medical devices.

Due to the so-called direct shipments I receive my materials from 4 different deliverers, who honour me with their visit between 10 and 19 h.

The guys always want to put the cartons on my knees and get off, I don’t like this at all. In the evening my corridor wall with all its boxes reminds a bit of the Berlin Wall.

In one of the warehouses they seem to have too much cardboard boxes and filling material. For 4 boxes of compresses and 1 liter skin cleaner they use a box of 60cm x 60 cm. As my friend usually says: Logistics doesn’t have anything to do with logic.

This time it was even the wrong type of compresses, they can pick up their box again, in the meantime it will stand in my way again. Maybe in an act of revenge I will put some old files from my apprenticeship into the box.

I don’t want to get upset anymore and I keep it with Douglas Adams:

I am probably a

God of Wrong Deliveries.

If everything would work out well at once I could certainly take some pills less.

Translator BL

 

New translations: All around my broken leg!

星期五, 四月 6th, 2012

Click on the picture to read the complete story around my

broken leg!

Now all related blogposts available in English!

Don’t let them get you down

星期四, 四月 5th, 2012

Who believes that a wheeler would be too small to achieve and change anything should try to spend the night with only one mosquito in the bedroom!

Who will call for the couch in the living room first? ;-)

Assertiveness has nothing to do with size or number of fellow fighters, even if this seems to be the general opinion in some places…!!!

You can assert yourself against anybody and anything, something is always possible as long as you don’t put up with everything.

Hobbits of all nations unite!!!…ok, now the pills are coming through again.

Among us frequent travellers the secret

day-and housefly method

is for centuries a well-tried means to assert our interests against the “sleepers”.

Should the repeatedly applied day- and housefly method according to the principle “bugging, bugging, bugging” not lead to the desired success, it should now be switched to the quite ruthless

mosquito swarm variant

With it the facts of the case will be spread to the various positions. First to the boss of the “sleeper”, then to the boss of the boss, who certainly has a boss as well. The information of the conspirative press swarm might be helpful as well.

In case of the attempt to “sit“ a problem out the sleeper doesn’t have a chance against the wheeler if the latter doesn’t raise the white flag immediately.

To endure something is not acceptable for us “travellers“ and insults our class.

Nobody will get me down any more with my 138 cm total height sitting in the wheelchair. I don’t give one centimeter more, unless I have a flat tyre. ;-)

Translator BL