As previously reported, in October a new front door got installed (see older blog.) The new door now has a 3 cm high sill, even though it was known that I am a wheelchair user. I ordered and paid for a power remote control to open the door, but still was not able to make it to the entrance by myself. The floor at the entrance used to be leveled.

OK, this was totally my fault! How could I order an electric door opener without mentioning that I would like to leave the house once in a while, duh Contract properly fulfilled. Set six!

After only seven weeks the electrical door opener eventually started working – just in time for Christmas, yay!

Such quality work I have experienced quite often in recent years. Are there really no more professionals? Have they become an extinct species? I maintain that our former service team still consisted of highly professional people!

Since the manufacturer of the door did not provide anything to overcome the threshold (this would be unthinkable in the USA), I had to order a fitting aluminum plate on the Internet.

My former colleagues immediately agreed to prepare and drill for installation. It looks so simple, but it really isn’t. The difficulty lies in the detail. During the briefing I already felt like being back at work – before the accident in 2007; we certainly spoke the same language.

Within a week they had those plates properly installed – couldn’t go/roll any better!
Never was I put off or did have to call after them – they just did it!

During the installation in record time I almost cried tears for joy! Everybody knew exactly what they were doing and they also brought the right tools along.
Thanks again, you guys are great!

You see, they are still around, those professionals! Only to find them is harder than a scavenger hunt at jungle camp.

Also many thanks to all my neighbors for their approval to allow me to do all these necessary modifications – in particular the installation of the stair lift and the rail at the house in 2008 (see older blog.)

Now I am only waiting, actually since May 2016, for a light to be installed next to the ramp at the front door. Meanwhile I have changed electricians. Maybe the “enlightenment” is going to happen this year 

To read all the articles of the “Just great series” . click here.

Translator BW

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

Wheelchair Ramp Occupier

I have currently started to write a few new blogposts.

But these have to wait to be published, because what happened yesterday has to be told…

When I bought a flat back in 2005 still as pedestrian together with my wife and a friendly bank, a parking place directly opposite the entrance was included for a little surcharge as well.

Awesome… Our own parking place in Frankfurt!!!

Unfortunately the parking place is too narrow for me to transfer from the wheelchair into the car, so that I have applied for and got a disabled parking place in the street (see older blogposts).

I have a lot of visitors like physiotherapists, friends and other people who are helping me with various things.

They probably only come that often to use my parking place…

I have a good relationship with all my neighbours.

One of them owns a couple of taxis which are sometimes parked in our courtyard or street a little unconventionally during driver change, especially when he has new drivers.

Last week at least three times such a beige vehicle was standing on my labelled parking place (see lifter picture), and this even when I had a visitor on Sunday morning, when you don’t know anyway where to park your car!!!

When I met my neighbour on the same day I told him in round terms to tell his drivers that I don’t want to see one of his taxis on my parking place any more.

Yesterday on Friday I descended with my

platform lifter

from my flat in the 1st floor and wanted to leave the house on my Flower Ramp (see older blogposts).

My low blood pressure was healed promptly.

I don’t tend to hyperventilate, but yesterday it was almost the case.

After about 2 minutes and the photo I had calmed down again a little and rang at my
Wheelchair Ramp Occupier:

REMOVE THE TAXI IMMEDIATELY!!!

I should mention as well that no car was parking on my parking place.

Translator BL

Also this year, my neighbour has planted flowers at my

2 m³ concrete ramp

and turned it to a

flower ramp

Simply brilliant, thanks from this side, looks great.

The floridity meanwhile turns into a jungle-like status.
It‘s growing and growing!

Another two weeks, and I need a machete when I want to leave the house.

I was training this situation already in the botanical garden in Frankfurt.

Click on tags “Ramp”.

Translator BL

Blumenrampe,

die mir den Zugang zum Haus ermöglicht (siehe älteren Beitrag), selbst verantwortlich.

Meine Frau, Freunde, Pflegekräfte, Nachbarn, THW Feuerwehr…,

sind steht’s bemüht meine Rampe schnee- und eisfrei zu halten.

Dies funktioniert ausgezeichnet und meine Rampe ist meistens schneller schneefrei als der Gehweg, der durch eine Firma geräumt wird.

Schaut, was die Firma aus meiner Rampe gemacht hat.

Wie man dem Bild entnehmen kann, eignet sie sich jetzt hervorragend als

 Frankfurt- Innenstadt- Outdoor- Skipiste.

Der Bau einer Umlaufgondel ist derzeit in Planung.

Die Rote- Fahne zeigt die Schneehöhe an.

Wie gut, dass meine Winterjacke einen Lawinenpiepser hat.

Meine Haustürblumenrampe wurde aus 2 Kubikmeter Beton mit reichlich Eisen aus einem Stück gegossen!
Böse Zungen behaupten, die Rampe sichert das Haus gegen Diebstahl ab.

Lasst Blumen blühen!!!

Die Blumen hat meine Nachbarin gepflanzt.

Schick oder?