General Chat

As a mobility scooter user and before that a wheelchair user, some of the problems I regularly experience on my local high streets and larger shops are:-

Pedestrians, who are cheerfully chatting away on their mobile phone or are busy typing text messages, totally oblivious as to what is going on in front of their eyes.

Groups standing in the middle of the pavement or in the middle of a shopping aisle having a good old chinwag, and when you politely say excuse me, they look down at you as though you were something they scraped of the sole of their shoe.

Cyclists

Youths racing each other on scooters (not mobility scooters)

Mothers with children in pushchairs taking up the whole width of the pavement by walking 3 abreast

I believe I am a responsible mobility scooter user, for example when I go into my local town I have to go through a tunnel about 50 yards in length - if I see someone coming through from the other end I will wait at my end till they have come through, or if the pavement is narrow and a woman with a pushchair is coming towards me I will stop and let her get past. I often wish that in the high street and larger shops, that people would show me that sort of consideration.

Perhaps when able bodied people see someone in a wheelchair, on a mobility scooter, or with any kind of mobility problems, they would do well to think of the words "There but for the grace of God go I"

AnnCardiff,

I think you will find that Errol is referring to......

the content of her first paragraph and the attitude of the hit n run scooter driver!!

From my observation it's the speed at which they travel that creates problems. If those that travel on pavements were restricted (by law) to only move at walking pace that would go towards eliminating the problems caused by a few inconsiderate users.

I do agree it's the temporary drivers of them who cause problems in shopping areas. Coventry precinct can be like a mini race track sometimes. Very dangerous for those not agile enough to leap out of the way - they seem to believe they have right of way wherever they go.

I realise I made a mistake and apologise :-)

AnnC <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Mobilty Scooters and cyles should come pre-fitted with a bell!!!

That way at least they could warn you they are around.

Cyclists today no longer use hand signals (when did that stop?) nor do many now have bells. And do not get me started on those who have no lights!!!

I heard someone ringing their bell behind me as I walked on the pavement the other day, and turned round to see a cyclist impatient to get past me.

There was a cycle lane on the road right next to the pavement, but when I pointed it out, I just got a load of abuse...

an umbrella "accidentally" through the spokes might help :-D

Cycling on a pavement or footway alongside a carriageway is an offence, unless the path is also designated as a cycle way. Police can issue a £30 fixed penalty notice to anyone over 16 - magistrate fines can go up to £2,500 for dangerous cycling.

As far as disability scooters are concerned, as with most things there are good and bad drivers, but many do tend to put their foot down and go oblivious of what is going on around them.

I want to echo what Sylvia said, that *some* people with mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs seem to be the ones who think in black and white - they are the ones with problems (and rights), the rest of us are just barriers and scenery

my tall dude looks like a hale and hearty fellow in his forties ... in reality he won't see 60 again and he had a series of strokes last year and spent long weeks in rehabilitation

he can walk a few blocks without his roller walker and prefers to do that, and it is better for him, to build up his strength and stamina again, but he is weak and has poor balance

a few weeks ago we were waiting for a taxi after doing our shopping, at the corner of two busy streets ... not a lot of room on the pavement but we were standing aside from the entrances to the crosswalks ... and here came someone in a powered wheelchair barreling around the corner on the pavement and came close to knocking my tall dude right over or making him tip as he moved quickly out of their path

no thought that someone else might have problems, no slowing down, no apology, just onward ho

I very much agree that speeds on the pedestrian pavement should be pedestrian speed!

that said I have every sympathy for people who use mobility devices and find their paths blocked in the ways OneFootInTheGrave describes, and I would add another that particularly annoys me to see

people who block the pavement with their vehicles, either by leaving the ends sticking out over the pavement when they park in their drives, or by pulling up on the pavement from the side of the roadway (usually when parking there is just illegal anyway)

sure there is enough room to walk around them on the remaining strip of pavement... or if necessary a pedestrian can jog out into the roadway for a few steps ... but someone in a wheelchair or on a scooter has to go out into the roadway and that is a much more complicated and dangerous undertaking

militant pedestrians have been known to walk over cars blocking pedestrian routes ... if only people in wheelchairs or on scooters (or even mums with those big prams!) could drive over top of them :-)

JoonieCloonie wrote - militant pedestrians have been known to walk over cars blocking pedestrian routes ... if only people in wheelchairs or on scooters (or even mums with those big prams!) could drive over top of them :-D :-D :-D now that might spice up my day :-D :-D :-D

On a serious note, I agree that some mobility scooters go far to fast. On the high street in my local town, one of the mobility shops hires out mobility scooters, you can spot their scooters a mile away as they have a 12" x 12" advertising sign on the back of them.

I have noted, firstly several of the users of these scooters do not appear to be disabled, for example they park out side the supermarkets or large stores and then amazingly, manage to walk round the store without any difficulty, maybe shops that hire out mobility scooters should ask for proof of mobility problems.

Secondly, on the high street in my local town, the majority of mobility scooters who race past me are these hired scooters.

Is there a requirement that users of mobility scooters have to have mobility problems? I assumed anyone could buy and drive one.

What about tractor drivers?

They are always in the front of a long slow queue where I live! Even mobility scooters have the ability to overtake them.

To the best of my knowledge there is no requirement that users of mobility scooters have to have mobility problems, therein may lie the problem - able bodied individuals using them as a means to quickly get around town - so perhaps there should be a requirement.

I am pretty certain that anyone can hire a mobility scooter. And the ones that I spoke of way back on this thread were all hired scooters. They do seem to be the ones that speed through the pedestrian areas. maybe the hired ones should have a speed limiter fitted.

My Oh bought me a mobility scooter and they go about 4mph,
I also have a wheelchair and I go faster in that when OH pushes
me.

I remember several years ago holidaying in Tenerife and you could hire
a scooter.
Nowadays it appears that when in Spain etc on holiday the young and able
bodied hire them.
Agree with AnninGlos I think anyone can hire them in this country.

Emma

do you know I think there is an easy solution to part of this problem

... too easy probably ...

in order to 'drive' a motorised 'vehicle' :-) on the pavement or anywhere meant for pedestrians, the 'driver' must have and display a disability badge just as a real vehicle driver must

I'm confused my scooter is for driving on pavements
or footpaths its not licenced to drive on the road.

Emma

As mentioned earlier in the thread, there is a class of mobility scooter that is licenced to use the road.

See here:
https://www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules

I don't see that ensuring users are disabled would mean they are responsible drivers. I think it unlikely that any fully able bodied people would want to use them. They can be a godsend for those who are getting old but do not qualify as disabled.

Nice idea about needing a Disability Badge. However, I've seen hired ones being used in the Shopping Centre by people with broken legs. They wouldn't qualify for a Blue badge as their condition was temporary.

Scooter users must be more considerate round our way. If not, then there are probably so few users that the low numbers don't register.

Our tractors tend to beetle along at about 30mph, then either turn off or pull over relatively frequently. Any problems occur when they meet something 'big' (or a selfish Chelsea Tractor driver) coming the other way.