Crippie Has A Set of Wheels!

Hi Everybody!

I hope everyone has been having a lovely week. My week has been pretty good, mainly because I got my first set of wheels! Well, technically my wheelchair was my first set of wheels but this is the first vehicle I need a license to operate. This is probably one of the biggest steps towards independence I've ever made and let me tell you it feels freakin' awesome. For someone who often has to rely on other people, having the ability to just do what I want to is incredible.
Some people have asked me "Did being a cripple effect your car choice?" My answer: You bet your ass it did. I opted to lease a car so I could get a better car with better gas mileage first of all... so I essentially could pick any car that fit my price range and personal tastes when it comes to cars. Once I picked out cars that I liked in general I had to factor in my crippledness. I had to pick a car that was high enough off the ground that I could get in and out without putting any additional wear and tear on my hip sockets. The pedals needed to be in a place that was comfortable for me to use both of my legs while driving (many of my car choices didn't pass this test). I also needed to be able to use all of the features of the car on my own, a folding seat is nice but if I am too weak to fold it down it's useless. In other words it took a lot of effort and lots of visits to dealerships to narrow my choices. Ultimately I went with a Chevy Cruze. It fit my normal person requirements but it best fit my cripple needs. It's at a nice height (bonus points for the trunk being higher up too), the pedals are well positioned, and it has some bonus cripple perks...
-Chunky steering wheel so I can still get a good hold of the wheel when my arthritis flares up.
-Supportive seats for fewer back problems
-A back-up sensor, since I can't turn my head very well it adds extra security

So without further adieu I give you... Penelope Cruze (10 points to the people who get the name, it took my relatives a good long while to laugh)

I cannot explain how happy I am to have made my first real "grown-up purchase". I missed a lot of milestones in my childhood and teenage years (as a post by a 22 year old discussing their first car ever might indicate) and reaching proper adult milestones like graduating college, getting a job, and buying a car give me hope that I will catch-up. Hell, I reached three major milestones within 6 months... not too shabby right?

Crippie's Tippie- Do lots and lots of research before obtaining a car, I didn't think about the height of the car until I read it in an article.