Question of the Day - 24 February 2014

We passed this question along to a long-time LVA subscriber who, for the past 19 years has relied on a wheelchair full-time to get around and is an expert on navigating his favorite city. Take it away, Barry!:

As a huge Las Vegas fan who relies on a power wheelchair full-time to help get me around, here is my advice when it comes to renting and getting about in Las Vegas using a mobility scooter or wheelchair.

First off, if you use a highly specialized power wheelchair or scooter at home, don’t be afraid to bring your favorite pair of wheels with you on the airplane (I have found the baggage handlers and disability assistants who meet the incoming flights at McCarran Airport to be excellent to deal with).

The reason I start off by stating this is that although you will have no problem finding a regular scooter or wheelchair to rent while you’re in town, you want to ensure that you're comfortable on your trip right from the start: If you have a special back or seating system on your mobility device that you can’t live without, don’t ruin your visit here by leaving it at home – vacations are too important to start off with problems or a less-than-perfect compromise and bringing it with you could be easier than you think.

Should you find yourself in need of a rental while in Las Vegas, however, there are three companies I can confidently recommend:

• yellowscooters.com
• 702scooters.com
• applescooter.com

All of the above suppliers offer a few different models to choose from, plus free pickup and drop off of the equipment you rent, and they all take reservations over the phone or online.

While I regret to inform you that there is no coupon in the 2014 Las Vegas Advisor Members Reward Book for any of the companies above -- [Ed: Note to self: Let's look into getting an online deal, if enough members could take advantage of an offer] -- if you reserve your scooter online from Las Vegas Scooters/702scooters.com, you get a second scooter free.

In my opinion, this is an amazing deal and definitely the way to go - just in case the first scooter you rent breaks down/you have a problem, or even for that one time on your trip when you and a loved one want to cruise the Strip, side-by-side, like the cool motorcycle dudes in Easy Rider!

As for getting around in your mobility device, from my experience I truly think Las Vegas is one of the world’s best places to go if you use a wheelchair or scooter to get around. Here are just a few reasons why:

• McCarran International Airport is very close to the Strip and there are a large number of accessible taxis in town to help you get around. Do note, however, that even though every taxi company in town has some accessible vans, sometimes they are not where you need them to be when you need one. So, if you're at the airport, or at any of the major hotels, and need a special cab, be sure to proceed to the front of the taxi stand and explain to the captain that you're waiting specifically for a wheelchair-accessible cab. They'll have no trouble calling one for you and/or giving you top priority if an acceptable taxi happens to pull in while you're waiting. [Ed: Also be aware that calling for a cab in Las Vegas typically involves up to a 45-minute wait time, so if you know ahead of time that you'll be needing a special cab, give the captain some notice to avoid a tedious potential wait.]
• The Strip is home to numerous accessible monorail and tram stations which, while sometimes located at hard-to-find spots at the back of the hotels, are unbeatable when it comes to ease of getting on and off, without having to deal with the foot-traffic congestion on the packed sidewalks of Las Vegas Boulevard. Some of them, like the CityCenter-Bellagio and MGM Mirage trams are free to ride, while there is a deal for LVA members at CouponsInVegas.com for the Las Vegas Monorail, if you book in advance.
• The overall safety of the Strip and Fremont Street downtown is amazing for guests with disabilities. There are probably more security guards and security cameras on the Las Vegas Strip than anywhere else on earth and that means wherever you go, there are many eyes ensuring you're safe and having a good time.
• Finally, since Las Vegas has such a tourist-centric economy, dependent upon our visitor dollars, for the most part the staff you'll encounter are trained to assist and make sure you have an enjoyable and comfortable stay. From personal experience, whether it's the restaurant hostess making room for me to sit in my chair at a corner table, or the bouncer at the nightclub door guiding me to a spot to sit out of the way of the crowds at a big event, I've found that a wheelchair and a smile go a long way toward ensuring a great experience in Las Vegas, regardless of my disability. Throw a modest tip or two around to show that you care and believe me, almost any hospitality employee who crosses your path will go out of their way to do all they can for you while you're in town.

As a Post Script, here are a couple more websites you might want to check out/keep on file if you're planning to hit Las Vegas and have any special needs: Both desertmedicalequip.com and everythingmedical.net are full-service medical-supply businesses and are really helpful if you run into some problem or will be need some other type of specialized equipment or medical supplies during your stay, while if you're looking to rent a wheelchair-accessible vehicle while in town, betterlifemobility.com is the way to go.

Enjoy your time in Las Vegas!

Here's some welcome feedback from other readers, offering personal insights into their experience of negotiating Las Vegas via a wheelchair or scooter:

• "On my recent trip I rented a scooter from 702. They were great! Delivered it to the Aria bell desk, then the valet brought it to my car when I arrived. 702 picked it up from my hotel valet when I departed a few days later. "I 'upgraded' a bit to a model that could be taken apart to fit in the trunk of my compact rental car so I could take it with me from place to place. Cost me a few extra dollars in tips to the valets who took it apart and loaded it into the car or unloaded/reassembled it at my destinations, but it was worth every penny. They all were very accommodating; most acted like they did it all the time. "In short, renting the scooter turned out to be a great decision. I won't hesitate to do it again on my next trip."
• " I have used a mobility scooter for over 10 years in Vegas. The easiest way to rent one is from any hotel. They all have rentals available at their bell desks: You don't even have to be staying at the hotel. The rates are better at the hotels than from the independent companies, too, in my experience. They are also very good at swapping one scooter for another if you have a problem."