The ways places can disabled unfriendly in an invisible way. My brother visited last week from Richmond with my sister-in-law. He is in a wheelchair, and I was amazed by how many places I thought were wheelchair accessible really aren't. And I know people in wheelchairs, but usually they pick the places where we meet, and my home is pretty wheelchair friendly. But all of a sudden I realized why they never pick certain places.

It's true that sometimes, a tiny feature can make a big difference. And you don't really need to pass any kind of standard to post that blue wheelie guy in your restaurant toilet(Of course, there are ADA standards for a bathroom to be accessible, but I think people don't know(hell,I have to look it up myself) and want to appear welcoming.

Not so much the bathrooms which are pretty good around here. A lot of places have multilevel place with steps. So you have a great ramp to get into the places, and then once inside there are steps everywhere to navigate. Also the sidewalks are awful. I wanted to take him to the waterfront. But you have sidewalks that are broken and irregular and it is torture for him to wheel over it. And there is the boardwalk in terrible shape - same thing. And then they are gradually repairing the sidewalks - with cobblestones! (Cause they look cute.) Yeah try riding a wheelchair a long distance over cobblestone.

By steps I mean split level. Not multi-story, just part of the store is raised and up three steps. another part lowered. Down three steps.

Hmm don't think this approach is helping you write. So how about this? What in your experience do a lot of people not know about disability you wish they knew? What do people know about disability that is not so?

I have ridden a chair over cobbles...my tailbone says "No, thanks," Especially after eating...not recommended. A lot of wheelchairs don't have much in the way of suspensions(or is it shock absorbers?) I've also heard this "Yes, it's accessible...there's only the one step," Which is a total case for "Hi...do you know what words mean?!" Which I don't say, because it's usually some earnest, apologetic kid, rather than, you know, Snidely Whiplash tying me to the railroad tracks. But I think it a lot.(Sometimes I get pissed at the Push Girls, for all they are glamour icons and I dig them, because they go to inaccessible places and, just pop out of their wheelchairs and grab that mani-pedi. Which I couldn't do, at all, and would exhaust some of my friends. But the reason I worry about it is the platform they have...they help create the perception that all wheelchair-using manicure clients can do that. Or wait around for some helpful stud to ease you over it.)

OK, so will that work for your column? Faux accesibility and maybe the Push Girls? I think the "not Snidely Whiplash" is a good line you might want to use.

There has obviously been a huge helpful stud drought in my life(Not that y'all aren't foamy and awesome, but you aren't close enough to schlep for me. Not that I'm as cute as they are.)

I've looked at wheelchair ramps that have a "tiny" one-inch lip where the ramp meets the sidewalk, and I just shake my head in disbelief. Even a souped-up power chair would have to get a run on that.

Good thoughts, TB. I need to mull them over(Not too much...deadlines.) But I guess it would be cheating just to write "You were supposed to let me play...this *America*, man." Even though I could probably also do it in Spanish.