I have seen people in the parks using the wheelchair much like a walker.We also had a rented wheelchair for our mom. It worked out so much better as we too were very worried about how she would handle the start and stop in the crowds and in the stores. The wheelchair allowed her to walk when she wanted, which was alot more than we thought she would, that was a big plus for her. She also used it to hold onto when she wanted to stand. We took turns pushing her around. It really worked out well.