From Lowes to My Place on Foot - Carrying 6 Sheets 1"x2'x8' Blue Foam

Situation:

• I don't drive - due to visual limitations
• I "need" the foam to smooth the surface of the "Grey and Grandure" before I permanently fasten the track
• Lowes charges a flat fee of $65.00 to deliver anything
• I could, (and have on a spring day), easily walk the 3.9 miles - free load
• It is now a cold raw November.

Options:

• Wait till an unreliable friend has time and inclination to take me over and carry it back on the roof of her car
• Take the bus over and carry it back myself on Monday morning
• Forget it and just deal with the uneven surface
• Bow to the east 3 times while standing on one leg - won't help but it might make me feel better
• Suck it up and pay the $65 - forget it - not happening
• Other? Suggestions?

Here is the rout:
Unknown road to 35 Harrison St, Boston, MA 02131 - Google Maps

Note: It would not be "dangerous". There is a sidewalk the entire way.

The odds are I will take the buss and carry it back if for no other reason that someone said: "you can't do that". < bemused grin > Never tell me I can't do something.

 

Option#1

Wait till an unreliable friend has time and inclination to take me over and carry it back on the roof of her car.

May be today...may be tomoorow...may be next week...may be next month. BUT...sure beats walking in the winter !! JMO.

.

 

Do a search for "boston area run errands" - there are several errand services in Boston, reputable ones like TaskRabbit and "Run My Errand". For a small fee (much less than Lowe's delivery charge), they will take care of you...

 

You could always go to the store, hang around outside, and offer someone with a pickup $20 to haul you and your foam home.

Or call a taxi and tell them you need a handicap van.

 

Does anyone on this forum live somewhat near, maybe they could take you. I know I would if I were close enough, I have always had pick-up trucks all my life, just for this type of situation, best of luck !

fatalxsunrider43

 

It's not heavy, just bulky. If the weather is good (i.e. no rain or snow) then bring a dolly with you and bundle them up with some string or masking tape.

 

I wish I were closer or we were heading that way for the weekend. I would help you out.
Not sure if I could pass a five hour round trip off on my wife and kids as an errand...

 

If I lived near you I'd do it in exchange for a cheap lunch out for my kids and me.

In addition to some of these, you may check around your neighborhood. We have a couple guys around here who are unemployed or underemployed, but own these contractor vans and such. They do hauling for folks at rates around $25/hr. You may find something similar in your area.

 

I was at Lowe's one breezy day and watched a guy haul a sheet out the door - whoosh - crack!

A light breeze can make hauling this stuff a real chore; put it on top of a car and you have a real problem under your hands to keep it from wanting to lift off like an airplane wing. You almost need to have a piece of plywood the same size on top of it so that you can tie it down without ruining it...

 

I took some home last January.. no wind when I went into the store.. then about a 15-20 mph wind when I left..

that was a lovely 10 minute drive home..


and i wish i lived closer cause i would be very happy to help you out even if i was an hour away.. :tb-sad:

 

I actually like challenges like that. It makes me feel great when I accomplish stuff nobody would even think of. I carried a sheet of plywood once, don’t remember how far it was, but it had to be at least a mile. I bought a plastic plywood carrier that extends your arm and wraps around the bottom with a handle. It was a piece of cake except for gusts of wind that blew me around every time a large truck went buy.

 

Using plastic electrical tape, make a couple of wraps around the bundle at the ends and a couple more 3 feet in from the ends. That should hold them together and stiffen the bundle. The store can provide you with some string to make a handle or a sling to hang on your shoulder while you walk. You can do it.

 

I would cut them all down to 4x4 sheets, and bundle them together. sure would be easier to carry.

I personally wouldnt wait, and I would hike it, but 3.9 miles is a ways with flippy floppy wind driven stuff.

 

I am sure you belong to a good church, there are always easy answers when it comes to your church and people that are more than thrilled to help you. At my church, one phone call and you'd be on your way and back already.

fatalxsunrider43

 

No don't cut them because it would be too thick and then it would realy be a chore.

 

I'm willing to help a local fellow modeler. I live in Medford right off I-93 and own a Toyota Tacoma pickup with a shell on the back. Shoot me a PM or email and we can talk - should be available in the afternoon/evening over the weekend.

 

Hand-carrying it may actually be better. As a previous poster said, if you put it on the roof of a vehicle and drive too fast, it will lift and break. If you have access to something with wheels, you can tie one end to that and push it. Pick a day when it's not too windy.

MH

 

I don't know about Lowes, but Home Depot rents a small truck for $19.95. You might even check craigslist for people needing hauling and you could break even on the trip