Light Relief

I mentioned before that travelling around on wheels at night (or even in the daylight, which we're getting to be a bit short of now, of course) can be a bit scary when you either have to take to the road or cross one.

Bloody boy racers.

And then, of course, there are the pedestrian lights, which also seem nearly always timed for boy racers. Or fit sprinters, anyway. It can be unnerving even if you're crossing slowly on crutches; some drivers seem to think they're F1 racers, and somehow, if they're not shooting forward the second the lights change they'll miss out on the fizzy stuff.

And I've discovered being in a wheelchair can be worse. I've become used to pedestrians not seeing me in a wheelchair. Especially all those busily chattering on their mobiles, focus fixed somewhere dead ahead at normal chin height. Which means they simply don't seem to be able to see someone sitting down,  even when they're right in front of them. I've become quite adept lately at making crash stops to avoid breaking their ankles with my footrests.

But any other kind of crash I've become nervous about. There's so much in the way of reconstructing pavements going on in London now you simply have to take to the road instead of the pavement often. And if you're invisible to half the pedestrian world when you're in a wheelchair, the same is even more true of motorists.

So, since I'm intending to be out and about at night—I don't see why I should be restricted to daylight just to make myself more visible—I've been adding lights to my wheelchair, so it now looks like a Christmas tree.

Red bicycle rear lights; bright LED bike front lights. The latter a new idea, since I'd become very twitchy about not being seen side-on crossing streets and I thought bicycle reflectors on the wheels might not really be bright enough. I found some that can be seen from the side, as well as the front. Cheap, too; a quid each from Poundland.

And a fancy touch, just for fun. Although I got them because I did want to be visible from the side when crossing roads. A thin red (I wanted orange, but they sent red) optical fibre tube that flashes and I've fixed under the armrests and around the side panels.

Overkill, maybe. A bit flashy even, you might say. But nobody will be able to say they didn't see me coming. Or going.

Next step, of course, should be sponsored neon advertising on the backpack fixed to the back of my seat. Any offers, Heineken?