Get out of the way, I need mah twinkees

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326511/Couple-knocked-hit-run-mobility-scooter-driver-Tesco-run.html

A disabled woman on a mobility scooter sped off in a ‘hit and run’ accident leaving an elderly couple badly injured on the pavement. June Petty, 69, was left with a broken pelvis and spent ten days in hospital, while husband Ken suffered cuts and bruises after being knocked to the ground near their home. The middle-aged woman drove off as they lay stricken on the pavement, shouting:’I have to go to Tesco.’ Now the couple from Mexborough, South Yorkshire, are calling for a change in the law to tighten regulations covering the use of the scooters.

Police were called and want to question the unidentified woman, but it is not clear whether she has broken the law as scooters are not classed as ‘motor vehicles'. Mr Petty, 69, a retired milkman, said:’She must have been going at some speed because she hit us with so much force that I thought it was a car that had mounted the pavement. The couple are calling for a change in the law to tighten regulations covering the use of the scooters that have been responsible for a string of accidents ‘We both ended up on the floor, and the scooter ended up on top of me . I was shouting for her to reverse off but she just looked as if she was in a daze. ‘She eventually got off but while we were still down she just sped off and said she was going to Tesco. There were loads of witnesses in the shops nearby and they came to help. They couldn’t believe what they had seen.' Mrs Petty, who is having to use a wheelchair following last month’s accident, added:’I was in a lot of pain and I knew I had a serious injury. We were both in a shock and I couldn’t believe what had happened. The woman didn’t seem to care about what she had done and she just drove off. ‘Because of my injuries I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I need help with everything and I don’t know how long it will be before I fully recover

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326511/Couple-knocked-hit-run-mobility-scooter-driver-Tesco-run.html#ixzz14L20lHmj

Not as novel a story as it seems. Happens many times a day at retirement communities all over. Old and even young people getting run down and hurt, even killed, by people flying around in those power scooters.

Retirement communities are probably worse than normal because of the walkways filled with slow moving walkers and fast flying scooters operated by people with old and slow reflexes.

Sounds like a job for Big Government!

There was an article in the paper a couple of years ago about retired engineers who, out of boredom, started "playing" with their electric golf carts. They got a bunch of them up to 60mph....the locals were not happy, but the engineers were sort of having their own challenge build all the time.

1988RedT2 wrote: Sounds like a job for Big Government!

This incident occurred in the UK. One guess on how the driver got her scooter; and the odds are in your favour.

Scooters are ruining the theme parks too. They are everywhere and the seem to have no regard for people. They stop in the middle of the walkways and take off unexpectedly.

I usually see them piloted by the lazy, not by the people with mobility problems.

So many times I want to shout at them, "You're fat and the scooter just makes it worse. Get off that thing and walk, it's good for you and will help you lose some weight!"

story says: The middle-aged woman drove off as they lay stricken on the pavement, shouting:’I have to go to Tesco.’ ... ‘She eventually got off but while we were still down she just sped off and said she was going to Tesco. '

So who was yelling about Tesco? I laughed a little at first thinking about the old people on the "floor", hurt, yelling that they have to go to Tesco... but it was actually the scooter lady?

carguy123 wrote: Scooters are ruining the theme parks too. They are everywhere and the seem to have no regard for people. They stop in the middle of the walkways and take off unexpectedly. I usually see them piloted by the lazy, not by the people with mobility problems. So many times I want to shout at them, "You're fat and the scooter just makes it worse. Get off that thing and walk, it's good for you and will help you lose some weight!"

That's because they are handed out to pretty much anyone who asks. I spent about three weeks in a rehab hospital after a car accident. Since I was fat and did a good job on breaking pretty much everything I got a visit from the scooter fairy. She let me know that if the rehab was too much for me I would probably qualify for a scooter through disability, atleast temporarily. Even though I am fat I figured I'd rather limp around then be wind up on one of those People at Walmart sites, though I did occasionally take one at the mall when I had to get out of the house for a day but still had the cast on.

Scooters at theme parks are the worst! My wife used to work at Disney World, and she has a ton of stores about old people use their scooters as weapons so they could get their grandkids to the front of lines. I think was even knocked over by one once.

Scooters are good for old people, but they get the sense of power and it goes straight to their wrinkly heads.

carguy123 wrote: I usually see them piloted by the lazy, not by the people with mobility problems.

So you can tell that for sure just by looking at them?

carguy123 wrote: I usually see them piloted by the lazy, not by the people with mobility problems.

Your comment makes no sense.

Lazy people, by definition, have mobility problems.

Thanks to the ADA, anybody who can't reach the Fruity Pebbles on the top shelf or can't tie their own shoe can get a Handicap Placard. Unfortunately "fat" has become a disability

stuart in mn wrote:

carguy123 wrote: I usually see them piloted by the lazy, not by the people with mobility problems.

So you can tell that for sure just by looking at them?

Yeah, when the get off the scooter and dash across the store to grab something off another rack or jump off the scooter and get in line at the amusement park.

Guilty, your Honor. I plead guilty.

I was once visiting a zoo in [large midwestern state] with a sibling. They had recently sprained an ankle, and had rented a mobility cart so they could see the sites. I rented one, too, so that we could drag race them.

JoeyM wrote: I rented one, too, so that we could drag race them.

That's the first sane comment I've seen from a scooter user. Who won? Did you have to go 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 4 to win? Did you cheat? I would have, you can't let some kid beat you!

I won, and I suppose I was "cheating", although entirely unintentional.....they had been using their cart for nearly an hour when I decided to get one. That meant their battery was partially depleted when mine was fresh.

There were several races....in fact, we'd try it every time nobody else was near us.

stuart in mn wrote:

carguy123 wrote: I usually see them piloted by the lazy, not by the people with mobility problems.

So you can tell that for sure just by looking at them?

I used to think that way.

Then my cousin ended up in one.

He's got ALS and he's stuck in a scooter.

Guess what? When you can't move all that well, and you can't exercise, you gain weight.

He's not in the scooter because he's fat, he's in the scooter because he can't walk.

He probably won't live to see his baby girl graduate.

Just remember, you may not know the whole story.

That being said, if you jump of your scooter to make a mad grab for the last box of jelly rolls, you're a fat berkeleyer.

Shawn

Some really should come with a rev-limiter. My Mom's (which she doesn't use in our house of narrow hallways) can hit some good speeds.

It's like the monkey said when they cut his tail...

Won't be long now.