My poor arms (and shoulders and hands, for that matter)! So much extra - and unnecessary - pushing around today, trying to find how to get into the lecture room for the extra class I picked up.
I tried one way, over a hump and down a ramp, only to find stairs. I went back up and over, and around the building via a narrow and steeply cambred footpath. I went around and around looking for the lift, only to find that there isn't one (QUT's mobility map SUCKS!). I eventually found out that the only wheelchair access to the room is via the steep road beside the building.
I could have got down that road, but would never had got back up again (I was having enough trouble on the "flat"). This meant going back up to my car - including a switch-back half way to go and retrieve my keys from where I'd accidentally left them in the first lecture room - which is all uphill, driving around to the building and down the hill to the ramp into the lecture room.
However, there were no spare parking spaces, and none of them were accessible, anyway. Happily for me, the nice staff member that I'd found when trying to locate the lift inside, came down to the car park to tell me that he had contacted campus security to tell them that I would be parking illegally, and if they had a problem with that, to speak to him about it.
So I parked up on the curb, and finally got myself to the lecture, with 5 minutes to spare. All this only took about an hour....
Of course, my day wasn't over, so after the lecture I had to drive back up to where I'd parked earlier (thankfully the space was still available) and rush to get to my next class. I wasn't too far behind the others who had been in the same lecture, so just hope I can get parking as easily every week.
All that pushing around, up and down ramps and curbs and over speed humps has taken its toll, exacerbated by my exceptionally heavy bag, and so my arms and shoulders are sore, my callouses enlarged, and I'm completely knackered.
At least I have a week to recover before I have to do it all over again!
I tried one way, over a hump and down a ramp, only to find stairs. I went back up and over, and around the building via a narrow and steeply cambred footpath. I went around and around looking for the lift, only to find that there isn't one (QUT's mobility map SUCKS!). I eventually found out that the only wheelchair access to the room is via the steep road beside the building.
I could have got down that road, but would never had got back up again (I was having enough trouble on the "flat"). This meant going back up to my car - including a switch-back half way to go and retrieve my keys from where I'd accidentally left them in the first lecture room - which is all uphill, driving around to the building and down the hill to the ramp into the lecture room.
However, there were no spare parking spaces, and none of them were accessible, anyway. Happily for me, the nice staff member that I'd found when trying to locate the lift inside, came down to the car park to tell me that he had contacted campus security to tell them that I would be parking illegally, and if they had a problem with that, to speak to him about it.
So I parked up on the curb, and finally got myself to the lecture, with 5 minutes to spare. All this only took about an hour....
Of course, my day wasn't over, so after the lecture I had to drive back up to where I'd parked earlier (thankfully the space was still available) and rush to get to my next class. I wasn't too far behind the others who had been in the same lecture, so just hope I can get parking as easily every week.
All that pushing around, up and down ramps and curbs and over speed humps has taken its toll, exacerbated by my exceptionally heavy bag, and so my arms and shoulders are sore, my callouses enlarged, and I'm completely knackered.
At least I have a week to recover before I have to do it all over again!
Wow. But think how fit you will be by the time you are completely educated. :-P
ReplyDeleteAlso I guess you can see whether in your copious spare time you can wangle your way on to the disability map updating committee … Or offer to work as an hands-on accessibility consultant to the university.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I'll offer them a very reasonable hourly rate for my time and expertise :D
ReplyDeleteHow nice it must be to have such a supportive brother!! :P
ReplyDelete