The Pit Crew

Every good road trip involves some sort of competition. Whether it’s license plate bingo or “punch buggy,” playing car games is essential. And apparently, getting a wheelchair in and out of a car as quickly as possible fits the bill.

This game never gets old. As soon as my friends in high school learned to drive, they started to strategize about the fastest way to get my wheelchair in and out of the trunk. To this day, Angie and Laura discuss who is responsible for breaking down different parts of my chair.

So I was not at all surprised when I noticed T and S eyeing my wheels as we headed toward our rental car during our recent trip to Door County.

“If we fold down the push handles now, it will improve our time,” said S.

T nodded, sizing up the situation.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll grab the chair as soon as she stands up, and while I’m pulling it back, you take off the cushion.”

This cutthroat process got so brutal that my Wisconsin “pit crew” came home with self-inflicted bruises and sore muscles. But they say it was worth it. Because they “got game.”

Laura, Angie, you hear that smack talk?

I’m so amused!