Walking round the supermarket with a trolley
I go shopping with a trolley
When I started taking Fampridine the physiotherapist was insistent that I take more exercise. I mentioned that I go to the supermarket every day and do the shopping on The Trike (3 wheel light-weight mobility scooter). Her eyes lit up, “I know what you can do” she said. “This is an idea. Walking round the supermarket with a trolley”.
Walking round the supermarket with a trolley
This sounds really easy. Ummm if only I could agree. When I arrive at Waitrose, my nearest supermarket, I must find a small trolley. Now I can tether The Trike, so it’s not stolen. Put my expensive lithium ion battery into the trolley, check that my FES is turned on and I can start walking. Already this is challenging my balance. I must not fall over.
Away we go
First stop is to pick up a zapper for ‘Quick Check’; apparently I am a loyal Waitrose customer. To pick up the flashing zapper I have to turn around and invariably reach to the top or bend down to take the one allocated to me. Now I check the shopping list and work out the most efficient route. Did I hear you say “Easy peasy lemon squeezy”
My balance is challenged
Pushing a trolley in a straight line ought to be simple. It’s when I want to stop, no brakes on these trolleys.
If only everything I wanted to buy was in one aisle. Here is a supermarket secret, turning the trolley round a corner takes a lot of practice.
Will the trolley do what I want it to do? I must not fall over.
Assorted problems
By now I have zapped fruit, veg and fish and loaded my purchases into the trolley. Next stop is to get some bags of ground coffee. En route I have to navigate past a couple who are idly talking about the difficulty finding a cleaner. I approach the coffee but I see someone trying to make up their mind which brand they want. This someone has stopped right next to the brand of coffee I want.
Now for a complicated manoeuvre
I have to parallel park then walk backwards pulling the trolley. Now I turn around and ask for the coffee and avoid falling over.
“Excuse me, can you please just pass me two bags of that coffee.” I say pointing to the coffee I want.
“Oh that’s no problem, here you are”.
This just leaves one simple problem find the zapper in my trolley and zap the coffee.
Slowly I make my way round Waitrose, get everything that’s on the list then pay for it. Contactless credit cards are a wonderful invention; my bill is always less than £30.
One last challenge
I’m back at that The Trike. Reconnect the battery, load up the bag of shopping and ride back to the house. Walking round the supermarket with a trolley is getting easier.
Quite often I bump into a friend and they say ‘Great to see you walking again’.
‘It is a challenge’ I tell them. I think that’s why the physiotherapist asked me to do it.
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.April 2018
The thing about doing your own shopping is the freedom of choice and the exercise you get in.
Sitting idle on a couch isn’t good if you can get out and walk the cart or roll and ride.
We all need a different environment besides four walls.
And there may be an expresso in a cafe….
Hello Sara,
I agree completely. Just to get out of the house makes me feel better even when it is cold and it takes me 15 minutes to put on warm clothes.
Thanks Pat.
Brakes can change our world(s)…
Hello David,
Never seen a supermarket trolley with brakes in the UK. Migt write to a supermarket chain.
I think that Waitrose are more likely to listen than their competitors!
I hope that you have your free tea or coffee in the café and the free newspaper!
Hello MC,
I will write to Waitrose re getting trolleys with brakes but I am not very optimistic. I always get a free copy of the newspaper. I do not like drinking coffee out of a cardboard mug and the coffee in the restaurant is too weak to my liking, bit fussy about that sort of thing.
Good on you Patrick it helps me cope with my ms when I hear others being so positive
Hello Sandra,
Writing the blogs is my way of being positive and able to cope with the MS
Tesco online deliver. Falling in supermarkets is useless so I gave up, and they don’t like me going in using my wheelchair, they usher me out fast.
Hello Sue
I enjoy shopping too much to do it online plus we buy food for each night during the day.
Waitrose do not seem to mind wheelchairs or mobility scooters
Why not suggest to Waitrose that they have some trolleys with brakes for disabled customers?
Consider visiting the supermarket between 2:45 and 3:45 so all the parents will be doing the school run and it’ll be less busy !
Hello MC,
Brakes are a very sensible idea but do not think they will listen?
My life is too chaotic to get to the supermarket in a regular time slot but I will bear that in mind