Cashier, Please

Image courtesy of Lotus Head www.pixelpusher.co.za

This is a plea to cashiers, everywhere. When you see me unzipping my purse or my wallet, please refrain from asking if I have my rewards card. I’m in the process of getting it out and I’m going as fast as I can.

Oh, how I’d love to go back in time when reward cards did not exist. Not only do they add weight to a wallet, but they take up precious line time while people look for the reward card in the forest of reward cards that grows in one’s wallet.

If there is counter room—many times there isn’t—I am able to set my purse down and get out what I need while the cashier is checking out the person ahead of me.

Since reward cards are here to stay,  and it’s likely that counter space won’t be allocated for those who struggle with mobility, the only recourse is to educate the store owners who can then educate the cashiers.

Do you feel pressured when you are searching for your reward card?

Are you frustrated with the lack of counter space? How about the plethora of rewards cards?

Related post: Shelfish Room for Improvement.

Reachers

My reachers were tucked away, hardly used since my recovery from my second hip replacement. (A reacher is part of the required equipment for a hip replacement. For three months post-surgery, it is crucial that you don’t exceed ninety degrees when you bend over.)

We had barely settled into 2012, when I dislocated my hip; I have since learned that I will need another surgery to replace part of the prosthetic, which you can read about on Here I go. Again.

I initially purchased the longer reacher on the left, with the reasoning that because my length is in my legs, I’ll need the extra bit of reach to pick up whatever I’ve dropped. I forgot about science; namely that the longer the reacher, the greater the torque on the wrist. I discovered that a mechanical advantage isn’t one, especially if it isn’t optimally used.

The positive features of my shorter reacher include:

• thicker grip
• larger trigger
• sturdier pinchers
• more solid construction
• hook at the end.

Related posts:

• Horning Your Way In
• Extend Your Reach.

For a more in-depth review of reachers, please check out Lene’s post. She has provided a link to a reacher that is the Porsche (“cadillac” is too cliché) of  all reachers.; one that is designed by people who understand the limitations of their intended customers. Did I mention that it comes in red?

Swimming Pool: A Design to be Emulated and Celebrated

When the Sungod Recreation Centre in North Delta, B.C. was remodeled, they integrated a ramp into the beautiful and aptly named, Sunshine Pool.

The design of this ramp is brilliant. It allows people in wheelchairs and those who are mobility-challenged to enter and exit the pool without assistance. The ability to be independent, when so often a mobility disability requires asking for help—a lot—means a great deal to me.

In another facility I once visited, it was incumbent upon the swimmer to ask the lifeguard to wheel the stairs into the pool. This request was accompanied by an unspoken attitude of “You don’t look disabled, so why are you wasting my time and energy?” The Walking Disabled is a term I use to refer to people such as myself, who at first glance, don’t act or look disabled, unless you start paying attention and notice the gnarled fingers, the crooked toes, the mechanical movements or the adapted walk.)

As a former competitive swimmer, I also appreciate how the integration of the ramp doesn’t interfere with the placement of the lanes for competitive swimming.

Kudos to the Corporation of Delta for designing a facility that raises the bar (ramp?) for accessible facilities!

Related post: The Dirty Down Low.

How easy is it for you to enter and exit the pool at which you swim? Are you able to do so independently? Is that important to you?

Shelfish Room for Improvement

Those of us who may move a little slower or struggle with mobility are familiar with the juggling act that takes place at the check-out counter.

Frequently, the cash register and the cashier are hidden behind any number of last-minute items. You know the things you don’t really need, but the store owners are hoping will catch your fancy.

I was raised in a home that honoured time. We didn’t waste ours, nor anyone else’s. I still carry this with me, to this day.

This is apparent when I stand in the check-out line. I’m the one who is unzipping my purse and getting out the requisite cards while the person ahead of me is in the process of paying for their purchases.

I feel like I’m doing my part, helping the line move a little more quickly. However, I’m often thwarted in my time-saving attempts because it is difficult to get my cards out when there isn’t anywhere to rest my purse, nevermind the items I wish to buy.

I would love to see more room at the check-out counter in all retail locations. Barring that, I suggest that retailers consider doing what Denny’s has done, as you can see in this picture here.

What do you think? Would this be helpful to you? Do you think it would speed up the check-out process if you had an opportunity to get ready before reaching the cashier?