On the road with the Golden Carriage

Since April this year, I have been riding the “Golden Carriage” as a volunteer for the Friends of the Binnenbos foundation. This foundation, which was established in 2018, aims to promote the well-being and prevent loneliness of elderly people living independently in the Hoge Dennen and Kerckebosch districts. By organizing low-threshold contact moments such as the Golden Coffee every Tuesday morning, they work on improving the sense of community at neighborhood level in and around the Binnenbos Meeting Center.

The carriage has an easy and high entry and is mainly made possible by financial support from the municipality of Zeist. With about seventeen volunteers, we pick up elderly people at home who have difficulty walking and would like to be taken somewhere. It is striking that I have more female than male colleagues who ride this electrically powered carriage.

I am usually scheduled on Tuesday afternoon and/or Thursday afternoon from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM and receive my schedule the evening before with what time, where, where to and who I have to pick up and also bring back. Most of my passengers are women, and yet they don't have me to choose from. It seems as if the men feel shy about being driven around in this trendy, striking, gold-coloured carriage.

Preparation

Look, the carriage is already waiting for me at the special "Golden Carriage" parking lot in front of the Binnenbos meeting centre. It was parked there by my colleague, the morning driver. The Binnenbos is the centre of the district and the meeting place with a district service point, a health centre with general practitioners, a pharmacy, physiotherapy, skin care, beauty salon, speech therapy, podiatry, Mensendieck, music school, sports hall and hall rental. Above that, 42 clients live under the supervision of Abrona. 

Before I pick up my passenger, I always consult the timetable first to see where I have to be so that I can figure out the best and safest route in my head. I do this to avoid busy roads as much as possible and to hinder traffic as little as possible. The carriage is not as fast as a normal car and has a button with which you can set a hare or snail mode (40 or 20 km per hour). I put it on the hare mode because every fifteen minutes I have to pick someone up, drop them off, but I also have to be at someone else's door at the end of that fifteen minutes.

Kerckebosch

Before my shift starts, I first drive a lap through our beautifully redesigned Kerckebosch district. The houses and apartments in all categories of social and private sector rental and purchase up to € 1,000,000+ are located right through each other. Due to this mix, the district, together with shops and schools and situated between old trees and heathlands, has become more liveable and is therefore an example for many other villages and cities. 

The district has only one cycle path opposite the Binnenbos and narrow roads where cars are not allowed to drive faster than 30 km per hour and only 15 km per hour along schools. So when driving with the carriage, you have to be careful because everything that walks and rides on wheels moves right through each other. What I notice is that many residents of the district itself, couriers and young fatbike owners drive much faster than the permitted speed. They overtake left and right, irritated by all that in their eyes annoying and slow stuff, at high speed and ridiculous overtaking manoeuvres where courier vans park in the middle of the street and the drivers disappear without a trace.

On the road 

I go to my first passenger, an elderly lady living in the apartment complex De Oldenborgh. Look, she is already waiting for me and waves from here I am, you must have me. As always, I am too early because I hate being late. Better 10 minutes too early than 1 minute too late. My daughter always says to her daughters, you know that grandpa is always too early. 

After I get out and we introduce ourselves, I hold the door open and let her get in. The walker goes in the back or with a maximum of 3 passengers on the back. I cross the Arnhemse Bovenweg and drive through the Hoge Dennen district to the parallel road of the Oranje Nassaulaan and then cross the Woudenbergseweg via the Jagersingel and a little later we are at the Diakonessenhuis. I still know this hospital as the Lorentz hospital and of course I pick up the lady later to take her home.

Passengers 

My passengers are always so grateful and happy when they see me, that they finally get to speak to someone again and talk a hundred to one another on the way. What do you hear? 

I have lived in Zeist for about fifty years and have worked and played sports here, which means that I know an incredible number of people by name and/or face. Almost always I have someone in the carriage of whom, when I hear the name and say that is a real Zeist name, or are you related to .... and then the stories come. That is my family, my cousin or son of my brother or sister, I am the only one left. Or no, I come from there and there. That openness can also be dangerous because people trust you with their whole heart and soul and are so grateful that we are there for them with the "Golden Carriage". Actually, as a driver, just like before in my work as a volunteer social services and debt counsellor at the Salvation Army, you should have a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG). After all, you work with vulnerable elderly people. 

After I dropped the lady off at the hospital, I quickly drive back to pick up a lady at the Mirtehof, she wants to exchange a flower at Albert Heijn that should be able to stand for a week but had already died after four days. This also shows that people want to get away for a chat. From Albert Heijn to Julianalaan, Bladerkroon, Slotlaan, house De Dennen, in person to the cemetery, GP, therapist, pharmacy, market, hospital, Anna Paulowna flat, Amandelhof and so on. Every quarter a new or old face, story and gratitude for a listening ear. 

During the rides you notice how many speed bumps and high on and off ramps there are in Zeist, which I drive over diagonally if possible. On the way I pass through beautiful avenues with buildings and houses and cars that let me go first, people walking and cycling who recognize me and wave with a smile or strangers who give me a thumbs up, looking at the carriage in admiration and amazement and you see that they say to each other and point to look, that is the Golden Carriage where they bring the elderly out of their isolation here in the Kerckebosch and Hoge Dennen district. I think it is wonderful to be a member of this club with passionate people. At the end of my shift I take the carriage to the covered and closed parking garage on Prinses Alexialaan and put it on a drip so that one of my colleagues can get on the road again tomorrow with a charged battery. It was another fun but intensive shift.

Free transportation

The Golden Carriage runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 09:00 to 17:00 and on Wednesdays from 09:00 to 13:00. We would also like to offer our pick-up and drop-off service on other days and we are completely free, but we do need passengers for that. Last week a lady with a blushing face told me that she had no money for a tip because she lived on her AOW. I told her that I do not accept tips and that we do this for free and out of love for our fellow human beings. After all, you do not live together alone. If you or someone you know wants to use our service, call our operator for an appointment on 06 143 208 72 and we will pick you up and drop you off at the agreed time from door to door. 

You can find more information at www.vriendenvanhetbinnenbos.nl 

I hope to see you soon in the carriage,

Arnie Della Rosa

You can read my walking stories but also many columns by other Zeister columnists on https://www.zeistermagazine.nl