scooters and shopping/ educating the temporarily able-bodied in our midst

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I am fortunate to live in the SF Bay area; it matters little whereI shop: Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, ElCerrito. . . whereever I go, people offer to help, ask if they can get me somethingfrom the higher shelves.I think it is part of the Bay Area's growing awareness that whateverthe mess, we are all in this together. Shopping in Palo Alto is downright luxurious--and the prices are more or less the same at Safeway,Berkeley Bowel, Albertson's, Andronico's (formerly Park & Shop),Palo Alto. Whole Foods is a bit pricier, but you get what it says on the label and they have great stuff--you just have to be careful.There is a small chain in Oakland, which a friend of mine takes me too called Guenardis' which is excellent, too,

and all of these do have carts in case you are not bringing your own, or choose not to.Alas, my favorite produce and grocery store (meats, too), Mi Terra(My Land) is just the best in terms of service and quality as well asprices, but there is no room for carts there. I go there on my 'better'days; they have locally made tortillas, cream, cheese, etc. This littlejewel is in West Berkeley, and is where those "in the know" go--richand poor and everyone in between.If I get desperate I shop online (Albertsons or Safeway; Albertson'ssite is more accurate), but I have been known the ONE time a fellowshopper was inconsiderate of me and my cart (years ago) to say,"Excuse me, I know that it can be annoying to have us handicappedpersons wandering around in our adult 'strollers,' but we have nochoice. Thank you for putting up with me." Seems very effective.So far, I

have not yet lost my cool. One day in Andronico's (lovely),I plowed into a wine display they had on the end of an aise as I wasturning. The stacker came up immediately and said that they shouldnot have placed the display there and asked whether I was alright,had not been cut by broken glass. I did thank him profusely, and endeavored to do as my mother advised: "to comport myself asbest I could" for the rest of my shopping.The SF Bay area is very special that way, but I suspect that manyother parts of the country and many other stores and chains canbe that special as well.They have no idea how lucky they are that I am using their storecarts, instead of my really speedy electrically powered wheel chair!Love to you all,n, who was stupid enough to turn down one of my daughter'soffer to do all my shopping for me! (years ago)