We went through some trying times after my girlfriend's mother's spinal surgery, as she refused to convalesce by staying home, which would've been easier for us. LOL. Not sure if the collecting community is the same as regular humanity, but people were entirely helpful and quite forgiving as we navigated through crowded places. They instinctively made room for us to pass on by.
If I can give you a bit of advice, do two things:
1) Either you or your kin (I don't think I've ever used that word before) constantly say "Thank you!!" whenever anyone helps even in the tiniest of ways. It is a way to get attention and alert others that there may be a bottleneck developing if they don't get on board, so to speak.
2) Employ reverse psychology. We would constantly say, "Please watch your back," to get people to turn around and be aware of our situation. When they did, we would amiably explain that we didn't want to accidentally run into the backs of their legs with the wheelchair, because it's painful. People will always react to self-preservation. They would usually say, "No problem!" and quickly step aside and make room for us to get by.
Good luck. Have fun!!
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