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Member of the People Encouraging Niceness In Society club.

I take it that a Condo is a Condominium. Am I right in that the difference between that and an apartment block, is shared communal areas? What we would call a block of flats over here.

A condominium is an apartment that is owned. It does not, typically, involve shared communal areas. An apartment is rented, a condo is owned. That's about the only difference between the two. Houses out here are outrageously expensive, so lots of people buy condos first, build a little equity, and then upgrade to a house if they can.

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Ok I called the Urologists Office, and told them that I can't drive to St Marys Regional Medical Center in Apple Valley CA cause of car trouble on April 10th, I have had to put off surgery until I can get the car fixed, most likely in May 2017, there is no Medical Transport, and I have no one else, it's just Me, I'm on My own out here.

Vic, download the Uber or Lyft ap to your phone. Uber to your appointment and I will send you a check that reimburses you for the costs of transport.

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Great news, Vic! I just accessed the Uber site and service is available in your area. The cost of your ride will be under $200, round trip.

Please call your physician's office and tell them that you definitely will be there April 10th.

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Yeah, if, I owned a condo for 2 years, and cause I could read, write, and speak fluent English, they made Me the President of the HOA, though the Treasurer had all the power, after 2 years I sold the place and made $20,000.00 off the place, I'd bought the place for $100,000.00, but that was a long time ago. HOA is the Home Owners Association.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Great news, Vic! I just accessed the Uber site and service is available in your area. The cost of your ride will be under $200, round trip.

Please call your physician's office and tell them that you definitely will be there April 10th.

It's not worth it, since I'd still need to replace the struts, I'd have to spend between $45 and $91 for a one way trip to the Hospital via Uber, and they never assigned Me a time, since surgery was never approved, and the Doc had submitted the application for approval a month back, and still nothing, the 10th is/was a guess on the Docs part.

And the Uber drivers would have to accept a credit card, I don't carry cash.

And then I'd still need to get home afterwards, which means I'd have to wake up from the general anesthesia, and figure out how to get a ride home, if one was available, since the hour of release could be at night.

No, I'd rather use My own car, severe anxiety rules Me at times, I'm more comfortable, if I'm secure or in control.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

I didn't see that, I read what was there, and I just can't risk getting stranded, I'll wait.

And like I said, no time was set for the surgery, since it has to be approved first, and that has not happened.

@ Angela, thanks for the offer.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

I thought I would post this here, since the post has the best chance at being seen.

The power in Yermo CA is out due to high winds, last I looked the winds were 43mph from the West, gusts to 63mph, I called SCE already, area wide outage. I was told, We're ok, just no power.. Which hopefully will come back asap.

Later, Vic

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Ok I have power again, yay!

Though the stupid winds are still here until 11pm, though slowed somewhat, see My post in the Weather thread for more info.

Make that 9 times the power went out, more to come probably...

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Hi Vic,

As you know, nothing is "off topic" here in the Critter Cafe. I have no problem with any reader using this thread to discuss issues that are of importance to him or to her.

By posting about your challenges accessing medical care in the Critter Cafe, a thread you must know I read with great regularity, you have made our discussion a public one, rather than a private one. I am going to continue our discussion in public, rather than privately via the pm system, as the information I wish to provide to you may help other readers who are faced with transportation challenges.

To begin, here is another possible option for transportation in your area:

http://acemedicaltransportation.com/areas-we-serve/

A forum friend very kindly alerted me to this information, in hopes that it would help you and others. She was pretty sure they take MediCal as a funding source. You would need to call and verify this and you would need to make an appointment, once you know the definite day and time of your medical procedure. The company covers your entire trip area.


Regarding your post:

It's not worth it, since I'd still need to replace the struts, I'd have to spend between $45 and $91 for a one way trip to the Hospital via Uber, and they never assigned Me a time, since surgery was never approved, and the Doc had submitted the application for approval a month back, and still nothing, the 10th is/was a guess on the Docs part.

And the Uber drivers would have to accept a credit card, I don't carry cash.

And then I'd still need to get home afterwards, which means I'd have to wake up from the general anesthesia, and figure out how to get a ride home, if one was available, since the hour of release could be at night.

No, I'd rather use My own car, severe anxiety rules Me at times, I'm more comfortable, if I'm secure or in control.

As many here know, I am significantly visually impaired and I self-limit my driving because of it. Please do not interpret the following information as an advertisement specifically for Uber. There are many ride-share companies. Uber happens to be the one I use regularly. My experience with this company has been uniformly good. Eric has used both Uber and Lyft and has been equally satisfied with both.

1. Not having a specific appointment time for 4/10 is not a problem at this point. For Uber, you don't call for a ride until you need one, so if you don't know the time of your 4/10 appointment until the day before, it is not a problem. If your appointment ends up being another day, that is also not a problem. You call Uber the same day you use Uber, so you just need to know an appointment time an hour or so in advance.

2. I use Uber freuqently. Yes, your account would be linked to a credit card. You have posted many times that you have a pre-paid credit card. Open the Uber account using your pre-paid credit card, send me some proof you have done this via the pm system and I'll send you a check for $200 to cover your round trip costs to and from your medical appointment. The funds would be there well before 4/10, if you open your Uber account today. Alternatively, Eric and I could send you funds via PayPal, which would be faster, but before doing so I would want some sort of assurance that you have downloaded the Uber ap and set up an Uber account with your prepaid credit card. That and your "word" that you would be willing to actually use Uber to get to and from medical appointments are all I need to release funds.

3. There is no cash involved in an Uber ride, unless you choose to give a cash tip to the driver for the service. (I always do, but tipping is entirely optional and not expected by Uber drivers.)

4. Uber runs day and night. If you are awake enough to use your phone, you are awake enough to call an Uber. If you are too groggy to use your phone, then you would be too groggy to drive a car safely and the hospital would not discharge you. After general anesthesia, patients are advised not to drive. Most hospitals will not release you unless somebody is there to drive you home. So if a niece, nephew or sister-in-law is not available to drive you home after your procedure, then a professional medical transport system, a taxi or an Uber/Lyft style ride-sharing service would be your only option anyway. I want to make this perfectly clear. Even if you drove yourself to the hospital, your doctor would not allow you to drive home. If nobody came to get you, your doctor would probably arrange medical transport for you, just to get you discharged. This means that you would be leaving your car at the hospital for a day or two after your procedure. Most hospitals charge for parking. Your parking costs would add up quickly!

5. I understand that anxiety can be a debilitating condition, but not attending to your medical needs will create more anxiety for you in the long run. It will also create more anxiety for those of us in our community who genuinely care about your health and well-being.

6. Vic, I know you would rather have the money to get your car fixed, but old cars are a giant money-sink. (I know this from personal experience!) From what you have posted, it sounds like you do not drive your car daily. I propose to you that using Uber, Lyft, or some other ride-sharing service when you need it to go to the store, go to the doctor, visit relatives etc. might actually be cheaper than insuring, maintaining and gassing a private vehicle that you use infrequently.


Vic, please allow me to remind you, as I have reminded you many times in the past: public posts are an invitation to public comment and, at times, public critique. If you choose to make specific information public, then all members of this community are welcome to comment and even critique what you have posted, provided that they do so kindly, respectfully, and within the posting guidelines of s@h.

If you post here in the Critter Cafe, in a place where people genuinely care about you, then you are going to get advice, support and occasionally even criticism, whether you want it or not.

If you wish to take further discussion of this issue off the boards, then you should respond to my post in private, via the pm system.

If you respond to my post in public, I will continue our discussion in public.

Wishing you all the best.

ang. (& Eric)

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Well I don't know about anyone else, but I am quite humbled by that "from the heart" post by Angela. She has shown that she cares about Vic, by taking time out to type a very cogent long response to his current problems and I agree with her views 100%. Further she is prepared to put her hand in her pocket, in no small measure, to help the man out.

She has also been practical and sensible regarding Vic's old car, which has become a veritable money pit. It still has a broken drivers seat and no working A/C. He is junking the rear shocks he bought and never fitted, now the front ones have gone. The fact that he regards it as a "hot hatch" and desirable is irrelevant. Maybe when it was new, certainly not now.

I think Vic is very lucky to have a friend like Angela, and Eric is very lucky to have a wife like her, but having had the privilege of meeting both of them, I know Eric knows that full well!!

I drive a 1990 Olds Cutlass Ciera.
To this date, nobody has offered me a single part for that car.
Nor have I asked anybody for one.
It need some paint and body work to keep the rust from overtaking it.
Anybody wanna send me 600 for that?
No, no gofund me crap,

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Well I don't know about anyone else, but I am quite humbled by that "from the heart" post by Angela. She has shown that she cares about Vic, by taking time out to type a very cogent long response to his current problems and I agree with her views 100%. Further she is prepared to put her hand in her pocket, in no small measure, to help the man out.

She has also been practical and sensible regarding Vic's old car, which has become a veritable money pit. It still has a broken drivers seat and no working A/C. He is junking the rear shocks he bought and never fitted, now the front ones have gone. The fact that he regards it as a "hot hatch" and desirable is irrelevant. Maybe when it was new, certainly not now.

I think Vic is very lucky to have a friend like Angela, and Eric is very lucky to have a wife like her, but having had the privilege of meeting both of them, I know Eric knows that full well!!

The drivers seat was replaced months ago, it's black in a tan interior, it cost Me $170 delivered. got to go.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Time to make some room on the shelf for another one of these Angela...



:)

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Member of the People Encouraging Niceness In Society club.

Ok, I got an estimate in writing, the problem the car has is not the struts or a cv boo(A friend thought of the CV) it's just the front ball joints, total cost $281.10 from Automotive Express in Barstow CA.

I may be a bit short or I might not by the 5th, since I might have to split this up, so it will get done, I normally pay with only one source, but We'll see then.

I'm on My phone at Vons waiting for a cart to get fully charged up.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Ok, I got an estimate in writing, the problem the car has is not the struts or a cv boo(A friend thought of the CV) it's just the front ball joints, total cost $281.10 from Automotive Express in Barstow CA.

I may be a bit short or I might not by the 5th, since I might have to split this up, so it will get done, I normally pay with only one source, but We'll see then.

I'm on My phone at Vons waiting for a cart to get fully charged up.

There are no ball joints in anything since 85 or since they went to full struts.
You are are simply a man of what he can gleen offa youtube and not much more,
Meow,.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

There are no ball joints in anything since 85 or since they went to full struts.
You are are simply a man of what he can gleen offa youtube and not much more,

Well my 2014 Nissan has, so perhaps you are simply a man who is drunk.

There are no ball joints in anything since 85 or since they went to full struts.
You are are simply a man of what he can gleen offa youtube and not much more,

Well my 2014 Nissan has, so perhaps you are simply a man who is drunk.

C'mon who isn't. It's Friday night :)

Cheers :)

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Member of the People Encouraging Niceness In Society club.

Here's the written estimate, the car has bad ball joints, at least according to Automotive Express. I'm back from Vons(kitty litter that the machine needs), and Food4Less, I need to see how much I can put into the card for this month, now that I know all the needed facts.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Ok I just moved $202.26 into My credit card, I'm pretty sure that I will have $283 in there, there is $81 in there now, more than enough, but the funds might not be available until 04/09/17, the instant way would have cost Me $9.95 to do. So I wait, I've got all My driving and food shopping done until then, since I literally don't think I can drive the car more than 1 more time.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

There are no ball joints in anything since 85 or since they went to full struts.
You are are simply a man of what he can gleen offa youtube and not much more,

Well my 2014 Nissan has, so perhaps you are simply a man who is drunk.

So did my 94 Caprice. It broke one late on a Saturday night and I managed to drive it, slowly and with wide turns, several miles to a repair place within walking distance of home.

C'mon who isn't. It's Friday night :)

Cheers :)

I'm not. I haven't had any alcohol in a couple of months. No, wait, I think I had a screwdriver with breakfast on the train on Feb. 12. And come to think of it, I probably had a rum and diet the night of the 18th, and I'm pretty sure a mai tai or somesuch on the 25th. But I'm sure nothing since then, five weeks now. And I don't plan to at least until I see my gastroenterologist in late May.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.