Hippocampe

"Freedom to GO- Anywhere"

The first spin around the neighborhood with the Hippocampe (3.9.14):
 

 

I've been dreaming about purchasing a Hippocampe for Kellisa for a few years. I've been hesitant to pull the trigger for a few reasons, it's very expensive, not readily available in the United States (it's manufactured in France) and I couldn't see and test one before making the purchase. Plus, we've had a chair that we've been very happy with. We recently had a run of chair damage from airlines and the frame was broken on the last incident. With a broken frame, we couldn't do the things we're use to doing and frames are on back order until the end of March (at the soonest). Kellisa needed an "off-road" chair sooner for some of our plans.

 

I finally talked myself into buying the Hippocampe out of necessity. We realized that we could use our HSA to purchase the chair. I called to order only to find that the company isn't shipping any new chairs into the United States until May. I searched online and couldn't find a single chair for sale. Several companies were advertising the chair, but when I called, none of them actually had a chair in stock, they were all waiting for May.

 

Then I had an idea, we were planning on visiting Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota which is along the Canadian border. I called to ask if they are shipping into Canada and they said yes. I picked a hotel just over the border and asked for a shipping quote. Because it's such a small outpost as they called it, I was told that the closest they could ship was to Winnipeg. After thinking about it, I decided it was worth the extra time (5 1/2 hours each direction) and booked a hotel in Winnipeg.

 

I called the company and placed my order while driving across South Carolina for my job. Shortly after hanging up with the expectation that I would get a receipt and tracking number by email, the company called back to report that my HSA number was denied. I knew it had enough money in the account and figured it was just a precaution because of the dollar amount. I agreed to call the company and get it approved. What I learned was that my company changed providers a little over a year ago and I was trying to use my new account which didn't have enough money for the chair. The money in the old account didn't transfer to the new card. We were out of luck because I didn't have the old card and Lisa wasn't home to try and find it. In addition, this was the last day to order the chair to have it arrive in time for our Winnipeg visit.

 

A couple of days later when I was home, we found the card and verified the balance, but where would we have it shipped? A couple of more days passed before I found out that I had to go to Detroit for my job. Since Windsor, Ontario is next to Detroit, I knew we were back in luck, but didn't have any time to spare.

 

I booked a hotel in Windsor and called to order the chair again. I found out that they could have the chair delivered in time, but we didn't have a single day to spare. I gave the new card numbers and hung up thinking everything was OK when I got another return phone call. The new card was also denied. I couldn't believe it and called the customer service number on the back of the card. After the usual run around and speaking to a few people, I learned that the card had a daily limit on it and there was no way to get that changed. They suggested that the manufacturer run two different amounts on back to back days to get to the full amount. It was our only hope, except I didn't know if they would agree and still be able to ship in time.

 

Thankfully, they did agree to run two separate charges and if they did the 2nd first thing the next morning, the chair could still ship from France in time. The order for the chair was finally confirmed. Now I had to figure out how US Customs would work. I wasn't originally worried because I was planning on having Kellisa with me, but this time I would be alone. I struggled finding any real details online (everything is geared towards tobacco, alcohol, agriculture, animals, etc.), so I eventually called customs to explain my situation. Not surprising, they we a little confused and advised that I just needed to declare the chair when I crossed back into the US and it would then be determined if I owed any taxes. They couldn't give me a yes or no or even estimate how much I might have to be prepared to pay.

 

I had almost a week to worry about the shipment and the border crossing when I left for Detroit. I was tracking the chair online and it was at the FedEx warehouse at the Detroit airport when I landed. I called to see if I could pick it up there, but was told no because it was an international shipment. At least it was scheduled to be delivered the next day as planned.

 

I finished my work responsibilities the following day and headed for Canada. As I was crossing the border, I had to explain my intentions to the Canadian Border Agent. He asked a couple of questions and waved me through. A few minutes later I was at the hotel and the manager escorted me to the basement to the area where they left the box. I was instantly concerned when he said they left it in a public hallway and that it was not there. He said it must be in the maintenance room and we walked down the hallway to that room, but it was not there. His next guess was the room where they store all the cleaning carts. Again, not there. He left me in the hall while he went to look for it. Several long minutes later he came back and said it had been stored in an area closed for future construction.

 

He led me to the box and I dragged it outside where  I had to figure out how to get all the parts into something I could check on a plane. I had one large stroller bag and two other large bags. I was able to get everything into two large black bags and I headed for the US border.

 

When I pulled up, the Customs Agent asked for my Passport and started typing on his computer. His first question was, "how long were you in Canada'? My plan was to stick to the truth no matter how confusing or unbelievable it might be to someone not in the disabled world. I answered, "about an hour".

 

At this point he asked why I went to Canada and I explained that it was to pick up a wheelchair for my daughter. He said, "you drove all the way from Pennsylvania to get a wheelchair"? I didn't realize it at the time, but my rental car had PA plates. I answered, "no, I'm from Florida and I was in the Detroit area for my job". At this point, I notice that he looks in the back of the SUV and sees the two large, black bags that could probably be mistaken for body bags.

 

At this point he orders me to turn off the car and hand him the keys. He then opens both bags and inspects the contents. Of course, it's not like any wheelchair he's probably ever seen before and how many people travel from Florida to Ontario just to get a wheelchair? He asks if it's brand new and I answer, "yes'.

 

He closes the two bags and asks why I didn't just buy the chair in Florida. I explained my long story. I couldn't figure out if he was confused or not believing my story. He then asked me how long I was in Canada and again, I said about an hour. He started asking me about my job, who I worked for, my position, why I was in Michigan, what I did in Michigan, etc. He then asked a third time about how long I was in Canada. My answer was the same, "about an hour".

 

Next, he asked for the rental car agreement which I provided. He typed away at his computer and he asked if the wheelchair was new and I said, "yes" as I handed him my printed receipt. Again, he asked how long I had been in Canada and this time I changed my answer slightly, I said, "still about an hour". He handed everything back to me and finally waved me through. Even thought I was doing everything right, I was still nervous and glad to have the border crossing behind me. I'm sure it would have been a lot easier if Kellisa would have been there with me.

 

I returned home on Friday evening, built the chair in between activities on Saturday and headed out for a nice little 7.46 mile walk around our neighborhood.

 

We had to get off the pavement for a few minutes and this was Kellisa's favorite part:



 

The two bags in the back of the SUV:

 

 

Since we go everywhere, we also purchased the ski attachment for snow, the large balloon tires for sand and the pull rope:

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