mobility scooters, your thoughts

[D-Rider]

A few weeks ago I was driving down to Reading to visit my mum and on the radio there was a discussion on this subject.
There was a chap on there who runs a charity for the users of these scooters who organises social events and what you might describe as a "rambling club for mobility scooter users"
Clearly these things are a fantastic invention that bring a new dimension to many people's lives but this "expert" chap on the radio was absolutely clear that there must be better training for users of mobility scooters. It seems that a significant number are let loose with little knowledge or skill in driving these things.
In fact his charity has decided that if people cannot show a level of competence, they cannot join in the "rambling" activities.
They are certainly not wishing to exclude people - their aim is to include people in what they offer but they recognise a degree of competence is essential.

So, yes, these things are great and can be a fantastic enabler for people - but some required basic training / demonstration of competence .... makes sense to me.


Oh and according to some in this discussion, these scooters are not just used by those that can't easily get around - some have realised they are a great means of getting around more quickly than you can walk. Allegedly there were cases of people using them to travel to football matches ... and then playing !

[Aladinsaneuk]

there is a weird nun in beccles who uses one

she is a weird nun, partly because she wears a brown habit, but mainly because she is a psychotic cow in her scooter... after she ran some one down on a pavement, questions were asked of the police - apparently, she had done nothing illegal

I am all in favour in people regaining independence etc - but must be taught how to use them, and be (financially/insured) responsible for them

[nicketynoo]

I think its time we got away from all this insurance bull and got back to good old fashioned values ( we're not in the USA) and if some maniac nun runs over your toes then I think your quite within your rights to smack her round the back of the head with a lump of 4"x2". This should be written into the laws of the land.


Did I mention I'm running for councillor in our local elections

[D-Rider]

... after she ran some one down on a pavement, questions were asked of the police - apparently, she had done nothing illegal

other than (potentially) assault (potentially) with a weapon .....

[lazarus]

I have never used a scooter but I have had a spell in a wheelchair and it totally changed the way I thought about disabilities. If you have not had this experience you would not believe how unpleasant and obstructive many members of the public can be. The attitude often is " you are getting in my way". Which is also the attitude many people take to aged parents

People are living much longer. They need mobility - would you like to be trapped indoors 24/7? So maybe the rest of us have to be more tolerant of oldies doddering around on a scooter. Well most likely join them at some point

[D-Rider]

I have never used a scooter but I have had a spell in a wheelchair and it totally changed the way I thought about disabilities. If you have not had this experience you would not believe how unpleasant and obstructive many members of the public can be. The attitude often is " you are getting in my way". Which is also the attitude many people take to aged parents

People are living much longer. They need mobility - would you like to be trapped indoors 24/7? So maybe the rest of us have to be more tolerant of oldies doddering around on a scooter. Well most likely join them at some point

I don't think this is the point.
There is no dispute that they bring benefit - and may of us either appreciate that already through people we know or will benefit through our own future experience.

All that's being discussed is the requirement for some basic training - to help users of the scooters and protect those users that have no inherent empathy with the machines from their own actions and others that may come into contact (literally) with them.

In other words, something that will enhance those benefits that we all know to exist.
This is not a lack of tolerance.

[Aladinsaneuk]

I would apply the same rule to cyclists.....

[D-Rider]

I would apply the same rule to cyclists.....

6th post in ......

I wonder how long it will be until someone extends this debate with the word "cyclists" .............

.... maybe Nostradamus is my middle name .....




and how long before we get the discussion back on track and we see:

I would apply the same rule to Futura Riders as they are merely in transition between bikes and mobility scooters.....

[BikerGran]

[mangocrazy]

People are living much longer. They need mobility - would you like to be trapped indoors 24/7? So maybe the rest of us have to be more tolerant of oldies doddering around on a scooter. Well most likely join them at some point

I refer the learned gentleman back to my initial post (which went entirely ignored, I notice). This is is almost certainly something that some of us will have to deal with at some point later in our lives. Make my mobility scooter a Go-kart with a tuned 350LC motor, thankyou...

[lazarus]

The issue of tolerance comes in IMO because most of the problems you see with mobility scooters are with old people, maybe with a touch of dementia, poor motor skills, poor eyesight etc. You can never say that training is a waste of time but I doubt that it will be very effective. So I reckon it does come down to a willingness to accept the problem will if anything get worse as more people live into their 90s.

As bikers we long ago learned to allow for idiots in cars. This is similarly intractible

[BikerGran]

Well put - I have to agree.

It's only when you get to be older that you realise how much - and how quickly - things change. Ten years ago my brain was a lot more capable of learning than it is now - and I'm only 67.

I do accept that there are people who ought not to be let loose with a mobility scooter - but on the other hand, who's going to pay someone to do their shopping and take them to the doctors, if they can't walk far and don'e have any other option? It's no picnic being old/disabled nowadays!

[randomsquid]

most of the problems you see with mobility scooters are with old people, maybe with a touch of dementia, poor motor skills, poor eyesight etc.

There's one I see regularly on the roads around here that seems to have vision and coordination issues because of the huge dog on his lap.

[D-Rider]

I guess the question is where does the dividing line fall between tolerance and significant concerns over competence that brings appreciable danger to themselves and others.

Wherever that line is set, basic training to help people achieve that minimum competence and basic assessment to confirm they have achieved it seems like a good thing for all - users and those that come into contact with them alike.

We don't just "tolerate" people that would benefit from the mobility a car offers if they don't reach the standard required for that and although a different standard would apply, I can't see any reason to object to some "cbt" for mobility scooters. Hopefully the overwhelming majority of users would find no difficulty whatsoever in reaching the standard but for those that don't, some will get there with a bit of training (which would be good for them) and the handful that don't ..... well, maybe another social solution needs to be found to help them.