Occasionally I have to take to the streets of Hythe on foot, today was just such a day. I’m crossing the main drag at a point between a pedestrianised area and No Entry to the right with vehicular traffic turning left, the only traffic that might arise had the road not been during it’s pedestrianised period (it opens at 3 to traffic) would come from the right, no traffic would come from the left, so I stepped off the kerb to cross looking right first, luckily I glanced left.. Only to have to quickly step back as a maniac at full tilt on the mobility of near death scooter from hell nearly totally took me out.

He, not really that old and didn’t look particularly unfit (no crutches or walking stick on board, no limbs missing)didn’t bat an eyelid in the middle of the road turns straight into the one way street the wrong way and hurtles off up the middle of the street scattering all around him

It’s a nightmare even when your in a vehicle, the place is often gridlocked with them, I find it very annoying they are not restricted to the pavement and don’t obey traffic rules when they travel on the Queens Highway, reminds me of certain road bike commuting types…

I didn’t react, just moaned at the lady in the bank as you do..

Disabled mum hit with £10,129 bill for mobility scooter pain
A disabled mother is being forced to sell her house to pay damages to a shopworker she injured with her mobility scooter.
.
Gloria Brown was driving a mobility scooter

Gloria Brown can’t afford to pay the £5,628 damages for negligence and £10,129 in costs without giving up the home where she lives with her husband and daughter.

The 61-year-old hurt 42-year-old Denise Bird’s knee at the Morrisons store in Rhyl by banging a trolley as she stacked shelves.

‘How else could I find the cash? It wasn’t even my fault, I was hit from behind by another mobility scooter and there was a shunt,’ she said.

‘I’d gone to the milk counter when someone hit me. Then I ran into a flatbed trolley which hit the assistant’s leg. I was badly shaken and couldn’t go on with my shopping because the scooter was so badly damaged.

‘I paid for my goods then reported the accident to customer services and asked if she was ok.’ She claims the accident in 2005 was caused after a woman on one of Morrison’s own mobility scooters had bumped into her – which was backed up by at least one eyewitness.

Perhaps you should print the above out and hand to all those reckless people terrorising us younger people using the roads and pavements.

project – Member
Perhaps you should print the above out and hand to all those reckless people terrorising us younger people using the roads and pavements.

Why thank you Project I certainly will, meanwhile I’m going to write to the paper demanding they’re banned from using the road unless they pay road tax and are licensed, their eyesight and sanity tested.

They’re becoming a bloody nuisance.

The speed the bastard was going he’d have done me a proper mischief..

Derek……I think you need to speak to someone

…meanwhile I’m going to write to the paper demanding they’re banned from using the road unless they pay road tax…….

Oh the exquisite irony of that old chestnut being used on a cycling forum. 🙂

mcboo – Member
Derek……I think you need to speak to someone

What? Like you think I might need help?

Hmm

“Doctor I’ve recently taken to ranting about mobility scooters on an internet forum for cyclists”

Yes I see what you mean 😳

My Dad saw an elderly lady on one of these scooters and she was using a mobile phone.

He said “I hope you have a hands free kit for that?” in a joking fashion

She said “You can f off too!”

My Dad never uses any bad language so was in utter shock!

Bugger me if I didn’t witness another incident today, same routine going to the bank at lunchtime, the car in front had to brake suddenly mid turn left as coming straight down the middle of the road against the one way flow, some old tosser, who then proceeded to tun into our bit of the one way again counterflow.

Once he’d gone traffic resumed, I then parked up, only to have him return then repeat the same action the other bloke had done on Monday.

No regard for traffic rules, not a care in the world.

To use the words of my hero

They should be dragged off the machines and executed on the spot.

And if they do it again executed in front of their family..

For Derek.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-16058646

Genuine question: do these scooter users need any sort of GP medical assessment/competency test before purchase?

Where I now live there seems to be quite a few of these around. Obviously it’s great that some folk can have independance but I’ve seen them driven in the road despite there being a pavement.

Also saw one being driven along a country lane where there was no pavement.

I’ve overtaken one on the A34 in Oxfordshire…

One has even been spotted on the M4…

There definately should be somekind of CBT type training for them, even the CBT re-test every 2 years would eb good as generaly they’re ridden by the types who will degenerate.

I’ve overtaken one on the A34 in Oxfordshire…

I think I’ve seenthe same one! Either that or Darwin’s getting behind on his work.

Just been Googling and it would appear that some can travel up to 30 miles in distance.

It was also mentioned that lights would be needed if driving on the road at night!

The A34!! Blimey!!

I am counting down the years until I can get me one of these scooters, so i do not have to walk again..
My dad fixed one for my aunty and i gave it a good testing…

Just checked out project’s link!

Well every now and again we do get a bit of good news when their braking mechanism fails, they lose control down some of the steep hills we have round here, career across major trunk roads causing traffic chaos and top themselves as they crash into walls, but sadly with not sufficient frequency..

my mates gran had one when we were kids, it had three settings, when she nipped in the shop or sometihng he would turn it from slow to fast.

proper funny watching her go up the highstreet out of control. 😯

Bugger me

If you insist.

Also saw one being driven along a country lane where there was no pavement.

A local lady walks her dogs on one, on a by way. It’s an old county road so there is some sort of surface, but I reckon most on here would want 6″ of travel either end to ‘tackle’ it 🙂

I always wonder if she’s got some sort of recovery service cover, in case it packs up in the middle of nowhere.

I tend to see these being used by two groups of people- O.A.P.s and F.A.T.s
If your old and infirm fair dos, use one, if your a lazy fat tw@ then you don’t deserve help so put down the fork and get walking, might do some good.
I agree that there needs to be some sort of test or competence exam as they are becoming quite prevalent and a number of incidents have happened already. I frequently see the same O.A.P/ F.A.T (bit of a tough one to judge that) bombing up and down the pavements and not stopping or looking when she crosses the road, just bombs straight out, this has caused a few people to brake sharply and its just a matter of time before she gets hit or causes an accident and carries on oblivious leaving everyone else to sort out the mess. The access it gives peple is good but “just cos you can go there, should you go there?”

I was in a pub in Lincoln having lunch with my OH. God knows what the pub’s called, but it’s on a corner with a load of floor level windows.

Anyhoo, as we were sat there an old bloke comes round the corner 4 wheel drifting his mobility scooter. There is no way he could have seen what was round the corner properly, but it was very amusing. The pavements were wet & it looked like he did that kind of manoeuvre quite often!

😀

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECaGhZzJHH8[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1nb_T1JKps[/video]

I realise this thread is old, and its on a forum for cyclists, but having found it by accident whilst looking for info on the rules of the road for mobility scooter users (oh yes, the irony, I was looking for details of how to behave whilst using a mobility scooter – doesnt really fit with your image of us fat fakers does it?) = and wanted to tell you how hurtful some of your comments were. So hurtful in fact that I took the time to register for this online magazine in order to respond. I am 43 and was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis 3 years ago. My walking has steadily declined, and I now struggle to walk more than a few meters unaided. I have waited for 6 months to finally be told i will receive the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, so have today blown the backdated payment on a secondhand scooter (£300). Without ir I am unable to exercise my dogs, go shopping, or get any air other than sitting in the garden. I did try bidding on a disabled tricycle first, but was outbid at £100 more than the scooter. I cannot afford the luxury of choosing a healthier method of transport. By all means moan about people that have wronged you, but before you tar us all with the same brush, please consider, given your hobby f choice, how you would feel if you could no longer walk. Let me tell you, it’s a living hell. And is worse knowing that people like you hold the views that you do. Shame on you. I really really wish we could swap lives.

And is worse knowing that people like you hold the views that you do. Shame on you. I really really wish we could swap lives.

a) This is an old thread. Isolated incidents
b) Nobody is moaning that people need to use them, but they just want them to use them in a reasonable manner

I myself have seen an old bloke on one near my home, on my way to work. He goes out at 6.15am, and rides along the road, with no lights, in the pitch black. I actually pulled alongside him (I was cycling) and suggested he use the pavement before he caused an accident because nobody could see him. But he didn’t care. He can just do what he likes and stuff everyone else, the person who hits him, those that have to scrape him up off the floor. He doesn’t care about them as long as HE can do what HE likes……

I don’t know how many of you know the B863 from Kinlochleven to Glencoe, and the A82 from Glencoe to Fort William.

But if you do, you’ll appreciate why we have been desperately trying to find a way of persuading two of our local older gents to use the bus for these journeys rather than their mobility scooters.

ppmsjane – I am sorry that you have been offended by the posts but some were written very much tongue in cheek. We have a real cross-section of people and personalities on this Forum which contributes to its success.

As cyclists we come in for a fair bit of stick from car drivers – many people here commute to work by bike and, indeed, for some it will be their only means of transport. Not all of us are fitness fanatics, there’s a huge range of ages on here as well as people with health issues and disabilities.

Nobody is wanting to stop people from enjoying independence but there needs to be some sort of competency test, both for the user’s safety and that of others. Surely you would agree with this?

I do hope that your scooter improves your quality of life and enables you to participate in social activities etc.

With best wishes.

C_G

Jane whilst im very sympathetic to your illness the posts above were talking about people who are irresponsible on mobility scooters, Presumably this won’t be you as you have taken the responsibility to try and find out what the rules are etc. I am a little unsure why your getting worked up about it?

Stick around, you will love this place!

What tyres for Bluewater?

I read somewhere recently that growing numbers of perfectly fit, able-bodied people are hiring the scooters in shopping centres and belting around on them because they don’t like walking and carrying all the shopping.

My late sister who had MS used one and sometimes when I saw the risks she took I really thought she wouldn’t have cared if she had been hit by a car, she had a miserable life and was deeply depressed.

@ ppmsjane

the person who started this thread is a troll and I would assume describe this post and thread as humour. I think they may be banned.

As you note you yourself have decided to read up on the rules but not everyone will.
One once hit my kids in a pram and it was their fault they were less than apologetic about it and blamed me for being on the pavement with a pram.

i dont think everyone in a mobility scooter is like this though.
Likewise you should not think everyone on this site is like this thread.

i hope you enjoy your new found mobility and it improves your life.

As others have said don’t take offense from banter on here its often robust but few have any malice

For reference my wife has had Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis for 24 years and now can’t get up at all unaided and despite having 2 scooters still takes the piss out of the old lady along the road who barges everyone out of the way on her scooter (mothers with prams etc)

Jane – I hope you weren’t put off. We aren’t all spring chickens at olympic levels of fitness. The forum brings together a wide range of characters, as you’ve seen, and might benefit from your input.

There was a RTC near to my home, between a car and a buggy at a difficult junction, one perhaps made worse by inconsiderate parking. The old chap on the buggy was killed. Please be careful out there.

@ ppmsjane

My ex boss had MS, so did a work collegue, and a customers wife,and now my cousin has it, so i know a bit about MS, and so sorry if some of the comments made have offended your good self, theyre not meant to be hurtful, but like others have said, we get it all the time as cyclists.

All i can hope and keep plugging is that disabled people are treated as a person, not somebody who uses a wheelchair or buggy,but that respect needs to come fronm both sides, ive seen buggies traveling at high speed down crowded pavements, and also ignorant people refusing to get out of the way or helping someone in a buggy, to get stuff off a higher shelf.

Best wishes for the future.