Monday, May 9, 2011

Old Farts Driving Carts

Ya know what gets my goat?  Old goats driving around in those little get-'em-around scooters. Most of the old people driving those things are a danger on wheels. Half of them can't see where they are going, the other half just plainly refuse to look and ALL of them expect to be excused for their lack of manners when in motion.


Now, don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying they don’t have a right to be mobile at their age, but I am saying that age does not mean they have the right to ignore courtesies and responsibilities.


Case in point:
There was a convention held at the San Antonio Convention Center not too long ago, with approximately 12,000 people attending this event, that's a lot of people in one place at the same time. As a friend of mine, KJ, who attended this event was walking through the double entrance door, she feels something literally clip and dig right into her heels and Achilles tendon. As she was trying to figure out what was happening, she looked behind her to see an old fart on one of those "Rascal" carts still inching forward upon her feet. Her foot was literally UNDER this idiot's front scooter wheel and continuing to move forward. Yes, it sounds funny when you think about a young woman being run down by a geezer mobile but it caused some serious pain that she felt for days and seriously interrupted her training for a Triathlon she planned on attending, for weeks.   The aluminum foot rest of this "senior mobile devise" was digging into her Achilles tendon. KJ was trying to get out of this road hazard’s way before someone (mainly her) gets killed by this 4-wheeled goat herding machine.  Here's the kicker:
Do you think the old geezer stopped to see if she was injured?  NO!
Do you think he even acknowledged the fact that he slammed into her?  NO!
Do you think he even stopped AT ALL??  NO!!  

He just kept on moving forward, slamming into her (and others around him once she cleared his path) with no apologies offered, nor uttering one simple "pardon me" to warn others of his charging approaches into a sea of patrons.


I see this kind of crap all the time, I myself have had a few close calls with people driving those things in superstores, and I have never seen or heard any person ever apologize for their lack of disrespect and responsibility for not properly operating a motorized, albeit battery powered, but still motorized, machine. I seriously believe we need to apply the same kind of laws with these machines that we do our other modes of wheeled transportation.


All people should have to attend a class to learn how to operate the machine safely, not only for themselves, but also for the safety of others whom they are near when in go-mode, and upon completion of said course, allow them to obtaining a (here it is.. wait for it... wait for it... ) LICENSE TO OPERATE THE MACHINE.
Oh, I almost forgot. They should also have to pass an EYE TEST. Remember what I said earlier? Half of them CAN'T see where they are going and the other half plainly refuse to look! 

I think this is a very reasonable thing to do, after all, we all have to earn a driver's license to operate a car, and pass that all important eye test. We have to obtain special (separate) endorsements on our driver's licenses to operate a motorcycle, a school bus, semi tractor-trailers, farming vehicles (if on public roads), and limousines. One even needs a license to operate mopeds and pocket rockets, where the engines are a half step up from a chainsaw. The fact is this: If the "vehicle" is not manually powered, as in a peddle-powered bicycle, and it has wheels, and it is to be operating within or around public facilities and/or near public populations (pedestrians), then the operators should have to OBTAIN (as in EARN it, not expect it!!) a license to use the machine in public.

Oh and PLEASE do not even get me started on how many of them dang things I see on the road - yes I said ON the road - MIXED WITH TRAFFIC!  I'm sorry, but if you are that STUPID  then you deserve to be a STREET PIZZA!  It's that kind of ignorance that plainly displays the lack of responsibilities these unlicensed "operators" take for themselves and for those around them - THEY are not only a danger to themselves but also a danger to the public!

But for now, we will have to tolerate the moto- grandmas and grandpas of the world ramming into people without caution or care for others as they would expect us to care about them.  Furthermore, I have to wonder just how many car pile-ups it will actually take before Congress (speaking of old farts) takes notice that Grandma isn’t just getting run over by the reindeer.

This is Da Canon - blasting off!

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