IKEA!
For my bithday I was promised a trip to Ikea. My birthday was in april. That shows just how busy I am :).
Anyway, off we went this morning to Brent Park. It's a very easy journey - A40, M40, A40, North circular, Ikea car park - and took only 1.15 hours. We arrived at about 11.15, just over an hour after it opened, and guess what? ALL the blue badge spaces were taken. And its a Monday FGS! In fact the entire car park was full, and we had to park miles away. I am not happy, cos its a huge store, and I wanted to conserve my energy.
So, I walk in to store, and what do I see? Stairs! It's OK, there's a lift. But it's out of order! I ask a yellow shirted worker if there's another way upstairs, and she tells me that there's a flight of stair in front of me! Duh! Someone else points to a combo-locked door with a felt tip sign saying "Wheelchairs and Pushchairs Only". I don't bother pointing out that I am neither...
So I enter the store, bybass the showroom and trolley point, so i take one from a helpful employee. The store is big. and busy - where do all these people come from, and shouldn't they be at work? My Mother freaks. Luckily I had already made a list of everything I needed to buy, so I wound my way through the maze picking up what I wanted. They didn't have the magnets for the crip friendly magnetic noticeboard i wanted which annoyed me.
We finaly got to the self-service warehouse (how un-crip-friendly can you get?), and I set about looking for my Forby stools and Trotsig footstool (aka blow up pouffe) I wanted. I can't find them so I accost a worker who was ever so helpful and even offered to push my trolley for me ( ;) ). It turns out they don't have the blue denim cover i want. The man is very helpful but no, I can't order it, and no the pc won't tell him when it'll be instock. I have to buy the black polyester one instead.
We go to pay. More problems I won't bore you with (seriously boring). Then we look at the restaurant. It's full, noisy and SHIT. Buy a crappy sandwich. Leave.
Except, you can't (physically) take the trolleys into the car park. The loading area is so busy we decide to carry the stuff to the car, and hope someone offers to help. No one does.
God that was stressful
And then I find, everything, even the desk lamp, requires assembly WITH SCREWS!!!! AAAAARGHHH!!
Crip Geek's Guide to Ikea
Anyway, off we went this morning to Brent Park. It's a very easy journey - A40, M40, A40, North circular, Ikea car park - and took only 1.15 hours. We arrived at about 11.15, just over an hour after it opened, and guess what? ALL the blue badge spaces were taken. And its a Monday FGS! In fact the entire car park was full, and we had to park miles away. I am not happy, cos its a huge store, and I wanted to conserve my energy.
So, I walk in to store, and what do I see? Stairs! It's OK, there's a lift. But it's out of order! I ask a yellow shirted worker if there's another way upstairs, and she tells me that there's a flight of stair in front of me! Duh! Someone else points to a combo-locked door with a felt tip sign saying "Wheelchairs and Pushchairs Only". I don't bother pointing out that I am neither...
So I enter the store, bybass the showroom and trolley point, so i take one from a helpful employee. The store is big. and busy - where do all these people come from, and shouldn't they be at work? My Mother freaks. Luckily I had already made a list of everything I needed to buy, so I wound my way through the maze picking up what I wanted. They didn't have the magnets for the crip friendly magnetic noticeboard i wanted which annoyed me.
We finaly got to the self-service warehouse (how un-crip-friendly can you get?), and I set about looking for my Forby stools and Trotsig footstool (aka blow up pouffe) I wanted. I can't find them so I accost a worker who was ever so helpful and even offered to push my trolley for me ( ;) ). It turns out they don't have the blue denim cover i want. The man is very helpful but no, I can't order it, and no the pc won't tell him when it'll be instock. I have to buy the black polyester one instead.
We go to pay. More problems I won't bore you with (seriously boring). Then we look at the restaurant. It's full, noisy and SHIT. Buy a crappy sandwich. Leave.
Except, you can't (physically) take the trolleys into the car park. The loading area is so busy we decide to carry the stuff to the car, and hope someone offers to help. No one does.
God that was stressful
And then I find, everything, even the desk lamp, requires assembly WITH SCREWS!!!! AAAAARGHHH!!
Crip Geek's Guide to Ikea
- Plan first!! Decide exactly what you want and write down it's stupid name, size, colour, and description (so you know that a Ripe is a Lamp Shade).
- Check availability online.
- Go Early! On weekday, to be sure to get the blue badge parking spaces.
- It's Big! Take a chair.
- Take someone strong.
- Use a trolley not a yellow bag.
- Find someone good at DIY for when you get it all home.
posted by Luke at 3:58 pm
3 Comments:
Hi Luke honey!
It looks like you had loads of problems in the store, did you write a letter to the manager, by doing that can get things sorted out in the Ikea store that you visited, but maybe they should review their disability awareness training techniques.
Ikea is clearly the work of the devil. My first ever trip when a new store opened in Melbourne was intended as a casual browse on a Sunday afternoon. Thought I might find some cool stuff for my flat. Ahhh, NOT A GOOD IDEA!! By the time I finally managed to get out of the place, I actually burst into tears of relief!
Hi Luke, Thought that I would tell you I've signed up for your group on google. It took me ages to sign back in so I changed my password but it was worth all the effort!
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