Nelda and Jerry Cox were visiting Ashland, Oregon, and at nine o'clock in the morning on Friday, June 18, 2004, conditions seemed perfect for a glide.
They started near Lithia Park, where the only potential problem for a person with limited mobility was the lack of parking spaces. But, with the Segway, parking a few blocks away didn't matter. In fact, getting around was so easy that Nelda left her crutch in the van.
They started the glide by tooling around the park. Nelda recalls that "it was so much fun!" Then, they toured around the restaurant area, where waitresses paused during setting up outside tables to call out with positive comments, like "that's cool!" Some of the locals even provided suggestions for good glide destinations, such as the Railway Depot.
For two hours, Nelda and Jerry toured Ashland as pedestrians. They looked at Victorian houses and cottages; they were in and out of stores; they cruised through Lithia Park along the walking paths and they glided along the river. In the park, they had a pleasant chat with two young Ashland Police Officers.
At the end of their glide, with Jerry on one side of the street and Nelda on the other, it happened. Three car-lengths from their van, an Ashland Police Department cruiser pulled up with red lights flashing and the officer inside pointing his finger at our heroine.
Nelda, one hand held to her chest, gasped "ME?!?" Then, inspired by Robert DeNiro, "YOU'RE TALKING TO ME!?!" (Our Nelda was very specific about the upper case and punctuation in this paragraph.)
The officer slammed his patrol vehicle into park in the middle of the street, got out and approached Nelda. She asked, with genuine surprise, "What do you want to talk to me about?" Officer X (ah, but, we know your name - and, you are listed in Ashland's online directory) looked Nelda up and down (but hadn't noticed Jerry, yet) and told her that she was breaking the law.
Nelda proceeded to pull state code for Oregon, as well as Americans with Disabilities Act material, from her Segway pack. As Jerry came across the street, the officer was asking Nelda, "What's wrong with you? You don't look handicapped."
Nelda explained disability etiquette and ADA compliance to the officer. Things settled down. Jerry and Nelda answered questions about how Segways work and even offered the officer a test ride. After testing the Segway, the officer apologized for the hassle and everyone went on their way.
Based on this experience, Nelda has concluded that it is important to carry legal information about Segways and about disability rights, even though it is a nuisance. She has also decided to remove the small "wheelchair logo" from the front of her Segway. She is very mindful that the young officer who came after her was armed with a 9mm Glock®.
Finally, while no one has the right to demand the details of her disability, Nelda is usually very open about dealing with Post-Polio Syndrome.
©
Rada Project, 2004
June 23, 2004 (Version 1)