They see me rollin’…
I thought a good follow up to yesterday’s post would be to show you how I drive since people do ask me that a lot. So I present to you, this bad ass, eleven year old, sick AF Chrysler minivan. #donthate
Dudes dig this ride - not kidding, and by ‘dudes’, I mean most boys age three to ten. With the click of a button on my remote the side door slides open and the ramp folds out. It can stop a toddler in their tracks like the Starship Enterprise just parked in front of WalMart.
Once I roll up into the van I can lock my chair into place and transfer into the driver seat which has been modified to swivel so I can do so. I obviously can’t use the pedals so I also have hand controls installed. The way they work is pretty basic; I push forward to engage the brakes and a lever pushes the pedal down. I pull down for gas and the same happens there. I also have a cool knob so I can steer with one hand.
I learned to drive on hand controls when I got my license so it’s simple for me. Actually, I don’t technically ‘need’ the ramp van - I have driven a car and did for many years until I had children. I used to transfer into the driver seat, take the wheels off my chair, and hoist it into the passenger seat. I miss driving a car very much but at this point, the minivan is just easier.
Unfortunately, just like custom kitchens, custom vans are a small fortune. That is why I’m still rolling around in this hooptie. Just to give you an idea, the modifications I personally need essentially cost as much as the new van itself. So whatever you would pay for a new minivan, I pay double. Pretty cool, right? No… not at all.
On the bright side, there are government programs and grants available to help with these kinds of modifications if you can find and qualify for them. The down side is that they can take up to two years to complete but I personally think it’s worth the time. Keep in mind, that is the cost for what *I* need. There are some that cost less and some that can cost well into six figures. It’s insane, people.
I bought my current van used and I’ve had it for nine years! I raised babies in that thing. I might have even made babies in there, who knows ;-) I’m currently going through the process of trying to purchase a new vehicle. When I do finally get one, I will share some more photos. For now, my ma would probably die of embarrassment if I shared how ‘dirty’ my car looks.. lol
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