"Scooter" takes out Anaheim Marriott Starbucks

As promised, my friends, is another of my fun-filled stories of my trials and tribulations of Winter CHA 2008. As you know, a few weeks ago, of course, when it's most critical for getting ready for this show, I tore my medial meniscus in my right knee. A "scooter" was ordered for me to use at the show. I have to say, I don't know what I'd have done without it. Even with this assistance, I still had quite a swollen leg, which is much, much better at the moment!

Needless to say, I did not get any lessons on using this thing. The bellman went to the storage area at the hotel and said, "Sweeeeet!"...and proceeded to almost pop wheelies and goodness knows what other tricks. I've gotta say, I can't believe there was not even a small booklet to tell you the "basics" of this thing. It took me freaking 15 minutes to find the darn plug to charge it up at night. Note, there's not brake on this; just a hand pedal or level to push with the right thumb to go forward, and a matching lever for my left hand to push to go in reverse. Stopping? Uhm, let go of the lever and hope you let it go in time to stop. I think you could do an emergency stop if you pushed the "opposite" lever, but if you hit that one for too long, you'd start going in the opposite direction you had been going. For speed? on the left side, a picture of a tortoise...and for the fastest speed? You got it...a hare! It did have an awesome steering radius and....a basket!

Anyway, we were staying at the Anaheim Marriott, complete with a Starbucks; it was not Dunkin' Donuts, but no problem...it's caffeine, and I have my choice of favored beverages at both places! It was the first day of the show (I'm trying to blur this out of my head) and my roomie Dawn and I had breakfast at the hotel restaurant first; then to Starbucks, waiting in line to get my buddie Nadine her Vanilla Latte. I don't like to bring a purse to these shows, so I used my well-worn denim backpack...I proceed to move it from my (cool) basket, to the "floor" of my scooter and one of the $*&^%#@*& straps hooks onto the REVERSE lever. Needless to say, I was at somewhat of a loss for a few seconds, not realizing what was happening, starting to pick up speed, mind you, into the LINE OF PEOPLE BEHIND ME. I got a few dirty looks and was able to collect myself in the milli-seconds that passed and stop. No one was hurt, other than my pride. Many apologies of telling people I'd only had this thing a day and that I was still trying to get the hang of it, and then there were a few laughs.

Okay, day one. I never thought I'd make it through with this thing. I was having flashbacks of Seinfeld and George Costanza and the Rascal Scooter "chase". Except, everyone is running away.... To add insult to injury, the door thresholds in the hotel rooms were small mountains! While the rooms are nice, there's not a lot of "turnaround" room for a scooter. And those things are HEAVY! One day I "scootered" back (by the way, my nickname at the show, as deemed by my "friend" Tim was "Scooter") to the room, I was trying to turn around and I think almost took one of the beds with me!

Yes, it was comical....all of it, I have to say. I do, though, have a NEW appreciation for those in the scooters. I tried my best to stop, look and listen at all tradeshow intersections and not to pass improperly. I always remembered at consumer/retail shows with women in the scooters and they being right up the heels of your feet and my always thinking, "Hey, you're sitting, I'm walking, be patient." I tried to follow that...I really did!

Well, I'm glad you're all enjoying my stories. The scooter story really was an ongoing procession of learning how to steer this thing. For instance...elevators...difficult when you're by yourself! Stopping? There's a reason for bumpers on those things. Hotel Room doors? It's hard to open them up and then get out of the room (remember that door threshold!). Well, in the end, it was a lifesaver...

I'll be following up with pictures from the Ranger booth that I'll try and get downloaded. I'm prepping for my class at Tinsel Trading this Saturday...there's still openings, and it will surely be a blast!

Happy Trails,

Robin (Scooter)