I also had 2 driving scares of being out of control. 1. I had a shoulder strap that "hooked" by a metal ring, attached to the shoulder strap, to a "hook" on the floor. I moved a certain way and the ring came off of the hook ... so now I was laying on the steering wheel traveling about 40mph I aplyed the push break and came to a full stop but not until I went up over the curb, onto the grass, and stopped 1 foot in front of a telephone pole.
2. I was driving, Pete was with me, when out of the blue the shoulder strap, that was mounted to the ceiling by 2 bolts, just came off all of a sudden. I was, again, laying against the steering wheel and managed to apply the break. Pete and I switched seats and he drove home. 3. I was driving using a U grip for steering and the brackets just came apart onto the floor and I was holding the steering pin off the steering wheel. I was only 1 mile from home and managed to steer home by putting my hand in between the Y of the steering wheel. 4. Two different times I ended up with my bak-end of my van stuck in a ditch. Thus was my first van that (fir some unknown reason) I had posie-traction installed. So I just " floored" the van and the posie-traction "kicked" in to gear and both times I literally bolted out, "air born" of my ditch(s). Another time the posie-traction kicked in was when I was back a boat into the water on a slippery ramp. I didn't want my muffler to go in the water so I " floored" it and the van flew once again. One time I got stuck on ice, in February, by a remote lake all alone ... before cell phones. It was about 4:00 I got on my CB radio to call for help. The tow truck AND police care also got stuck and another tow truck had to rescue us all. Bobbie Smile Everyday > On Mar 30, 2015, at 7:13 AM, [email protected] wrote: > > Wow, Ron. I can just imagine those moments when you were trying to regain > control. That helpless feeling of panic is simply beyond description. I know > I don't have the trust in my controls that I once did. I try to limit my solo > driving as well. For some reason I always think, What if this thing catches > on fire?" I guess I am paranoid. I do keep a fire extinguisher on board. > Anyway, Ron, I am certainly glad you came out unscathed. Our lives are tough > enough without these little escapades. > > Sent from my iPad > > Begin forwarded message: > >> Resent-From: [email protected] >> From: RONALD L PRACHT <[email protected]> >> Date: March 29, 2015 at 8:15:15 PM EDT >> To: Quad-list Post <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Cushions >> Reply-To: RONALD L PRACHT <[email protected]> >> >> Ive had two situations in my van that were crazy.One time I pressed down on >> the monarch hand control from a stop light and the accelerator got stuck at >> 85 percent throttle. The other time I was coming down a hill and the engine >> died, the people that installed my hand controls never accounted for the >> engine being off when you apply the brake using the hand control. Because I >> had to press much harder because the engine died there wasn't enough travel >> for the control and the control was hitting the dashboard and I couldn't >> stop. I quickly put the emergency brake on, then pressed as hard as I could >> on the hand control bending the plastic on the dash. I was able to get about >> 60 percent brake control and the added help from the emergency brake to be >> able to top just short of a pole. I mean only 20 feet to spare. >> >> Ron >> >> >> >> On Sunday, March 29, 2015 2:47 PM, Joan Anglin <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> WOW, and I thought that breaking my leg when my chair brakes failed was >> traumatic! But here you are still contributing to this group, thank goodness. >> Glad that you made it through what had to have been a miserable time of your >> life. Joan >> >> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] >> Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2015 10:17 AM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Fwd: [QUAD-L] Cushions >> >> Back in the nineties I bought a brand new Caravan, an IMS conversion. The >> tie-down was a floor-post with the latch on the chair. In the first month it >> released me twice without cause. Fortunately I was going slow and able to >> stop both times. Until.... On July 14 I backed out of my parents drive. I >> pulled it into drive and pulled back on the accelerator. The van lurched >> forward....and my tie-down released. The van picked up speed and I went >> rolling helplessly to the back of the van. I left the road, jumped a ditch, >> and hit a large tree head-on at 45 mph. I was thrown forward violently and >> jammed under the dashboard. The van was totaled. It took EMT nearly three >> hours to get me out. My chair was bent like a pretzel, my legs broke and >> knees shattered, concussion and internal bleeding. The docs wanted to >> amputate my legs but I refused. Today they stay bent and spastic and make me >> miserable. I should have let them cut. Anyway, that's how I broke my legs. >> >> Sent from my iPad >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> Resent-From: [email protected] >> From: Larry Willis <[email protected]> >> Date: March 28, 2015 at 10:34:02 PM EDT >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Fwd: [QUAD-L] Cushions >> Hit a tree in my van. I'll fill in the details tomorrow. >> >> Larry Willis >> Retired and proud of it >> >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> Resent-From: [email protected] >> From: RONALD L PRACHT <[email protected]> >> Date: March 28, 2015 at 8:53:11 PM EDT >> To: Quad-list Post <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Cushions >> Reply-To: RONALD L PRACHT <[email protected]> >> How did you break your legs Larry? I would like to hear the >> story............................. >> >> Ron >> >> >> On Saturday, March 28, 2015 7:37 PM, Larry Willis <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> For the first 25 years of my quad life I used a simple ten dollar inflatable >> cushion....or nothing. I never had even a hint of a sore. Then I broke both >> legs and had to wear casts for six months. The lousy things created awful >> sores on my heels, ankles, knees, everywhere the cast touched with any >> pressure. It was like that opened the floodgates. I have fought sores >> constantly since then. They simply will not heal. I have three right now -- >> on my butt, hip, and ankle. Had them for over five years. I have resigned to >> take them with me to the grave. I am near 63 years old; can't be that much >> longer. >> >> Larry Willis >> Retired and proud of it >> >> >>
