A Matter of Clearance

The floor seam was three millimeters higher than the surrounding concrete. I eased my weight onto the forward pads, letting the wheels turn at a measured crawl toward the threshold. Right at the joint, the platform struck the lip and caught with a sharp click. I absorbed the jolt by bending my knees slightly, keeping my footing centered on the grip tape. Rather than forcing momentum, I backed off two inches, angled the wheels at fifteen degrees, and tested the approach again. This time, both tires climbed the ridge cleanly, coming to a halt alongside the metal leg of a storage shelf.