Hi, Doug!  Recently you wrote in a message to James Bradley:

[re power chair vs. scooter]
DC>  modifications to the buggy could be a better plan.


          Maybe.  If your scooter is no longer meeting your needs & you
qualify for Medicare, however, you may get a bit of help with the cost of a
wheelchair. The procedure here is to contact an occupational therapist via
the local health unit.  S/he will assess the situation & explain it to
the "bean counters".  :-)



DC>  the suspention is totaly dependant on the amount of
DC>  air in the tires


          In a power chair, the drive wheels may be filled with air (giving
the user a softer ride) or with foam (meaning you needn't worry about flat
tires if you run over a nail or some bits of broken glass, as our daughter
has)....  :-)



DC>  Maybe some kind of spring under the seat part would help.


          Yes, most of the power chairs I've seen have coil springs.



DC>  Ive seen those newer type power wheelchairs the front
DC>  wheels are the bigger ones


          There's an amazing variety of styles available nowadays.  If you
have access to the Internet, you can see photographs of them....  :-)



DC>  I wonder if I could get abt 8 miles of travel with
DC>  one of those.


          Probably.  Most brands advertise "up to" ten or twelve
miles... but a lot depends on the terrain!  If it's uphill, you may get
considerably less than that and/or find the chair slowing to a crawl on
your return home.  I'd suggest you borrow or rent at least one example
before making a final decision.  Around these parts various dealers are
usually quite co-operative in that regard.  :-)



P.S.

DC>  I have a Flyer 3 wheeled buggy and the sidewalks are
DC>  the last place I care to travel unless im in need of
DC>  a laxative effect.


          With a power chair, an unexpected drop of more than a few inches
over a curb or a gap in the pavement may result in a broken front wheel.  I
know two people who have had such experiences.  That is a consideration as
well....  ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+