# The growing use of mobility devices **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 27, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435 "2003-04-27T02:30:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/1 "2003-04-27T02:30:24Z")
Today we went to Hershey Park, and I noticed that a disturbing trend I’ve been aware of for some time seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Have you seen those Scamps? They are those little electric scooters that people can ride around on. Walmart has them too. It seems that up until recently they have served a valuable and useful purpose. If the institution offers these mobility devices they provide a service to their customers that have difficulty moving around. I can’t imagine begrudging anybody who needs one of these things. The problem though is where do you draw the line between necessity and convenience? What are the criteria of need? I am suspecting that if you simply ask for one of these things, they give it to you, or, like at Walmart, you just determine for yourself if you need it, and take it. I noticed an awful lot of these things at the park today, and I also noticed that they were numbered. Somebody was riding around on number 79. That’s a lot of electric scooters. I strongly suspect that a large percentage of these scooters are being abused. They **are** inconvenient for us pedestrians, so I think this abuse is a bad, potentially dangerous, and inconsiderate thing. For example, I got out of the way of a scooter heading for the same ride I was heading for. This was the slide I was taking my daughter on. The woman riding the scamp parked it, and preceded us up about a 150 foot vertical stair climb to the top of the slide at an impressive pace without any apparent difficulty. I run marathons, but I was carrying my 30 pound daughter up the steps, and we were travelling at roughly the same pace. My legs were burning by the time I got to the top. Other than being moderately overweight I can’t imagine how this lady needs a scooter. Perhaps I was missing something, and if I am that’s fine. Another clue about scooter abuse seemed to be the lack of skill of many of the operators. It was pretty clear from their driving, and parking that they weren’t used to handling the things. I know that there are people out there with legitimate problems that are nonetheless not readily apparent. If such a person can ride a roller coaster, they should feel free to do so without needing anybody’s approval. Nevertheless, the pattern I saw again and again was that these scooters were being used as conveniences by people who really did not need them enough to justify the inconvenience they created for others. Time and again, seemingly healthy people zipping about on these conveyances and hopping on and off them and doing things without any apparent difficulty. I saw an adult mother and daughter riding side by side (blocking the whole walking path,) smoking cigarettes and sipping sodas. They parked, dismounted and got on line for the Wildcat. I notice this too at Walmart. Seemingly able-bodied people electing to use the scooters, inconveniencing everyone else. I was always used to seeing a few of these things wherever I went, but I have difficulty believing in the sudden explosive growth of severe but invisible handicaps that are causing a large and escalating number of the population to need scooters at Department stores and amusement parks. Do these people think they are better than everybody else that they should be riding around having others get out of the way? What about the danger? A large number of these things being driven fast and irresponsibly by carefree people is not conducive to pedestrian safety, especially if you have small kids, and, there are a lot of small kids at amusement parks. It made me uncomfortable as they run silently and just suddenly go zipping by in tight pedestrian traffic. I also sensed that I was not alone in my suspicions and ire. The commonplace use and abuse of these things means that people don’t give consideration to them as once they did. Now it seems there’s a bit of resentment. A person that needs one of those should have it, as well as the consideration of those around them. Abuse of the privilege by those who don’t need it means there may not be scooters available for those who do, and more importantly, those that do will be the target of resentment and lack of consideration that they do not deserve. Unfortunately, I don’t think we can trust to simply making these things available at personal discretion. Walmart and amusement parks need to institute some kind of needs testing before they let someone have a scooter. I made a point of making a written suggestion to Hershey Park about this today as we left. ---
**Author:** ![DougAB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@DougAB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougAB)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/2 "2003-04-27T02:35:40Z")
You’re just going to flip when the Segway hits the big time. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/3 "2003-04-27T02:52:16Z")
Or you are going to literally flip when a Segway hits ya at 12 mph. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/4 "2003-04-27T02:52:19Z")
From what I’ve seen, it’s mainly the _ancient geezer_ and _grotesquely obese_ who make up the majority of users, at least in my area. As for why people not in those two catagories would use them, I can think of a few possibilities: 1. They may have rheumatoid arthritis which can make walking **extremely** painful. 2. They may only have their learners permits and thus it is illegal for them to drive an actual full size car. \*3) They are lazy AssHats who shudder at the thought of actually walking to get some exercise, because if they walk long and far enough they might start to sweat, and then where will they be and what will they do? \*4) They are selfish, self absorbed, self centered yak felchers who need to be kneecapped so they can find out what true suffering is. \*#'s 3 and 4 may actually be the same people, but they have been separated for convienience purposes. The kneecapping can also apply to those in catagory #3 as well. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/5 "2003-04-27T02:54:56Z")
My mom works as an RN at Disneyland and California Adventure. One of their big causes of accidents is people in scooters bumping, hitting, and running over others. My understanding is that Disney doesn’t ask any questions about whether one of their guests really needs a scooter, but they do have the guests sign multiple forms assuming responsibility for anything they do with the scooter. People get kicked out of the park fairly often for misbehaving with their scooters, and when another guest gets clobbered by one, Disney’s more than happy to give them the name and address of the scooter user. It’s a shame that in offering help to people with legitimate disabilities, Disney has to open itself up to trouble from the people who misuse those scooters. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/6 "2003-04-27T03:13:46Z")
I work at night and get home in the wee hours; consequently I see a lot of ads on the tube for life insurance, disability insurance, baby insurance, whatever the hell Billy Mays is selling and so on. I’ve noticed in recent months an increasing number of ads touting these scooters. I’ve also noticed they seem to be pushing them to not only the elderly or disabled but anyone who “just has a busy life”. Those were the actual words one commercial used. The whole thing bothers me too. There are already enough sedentary people in the country, me included, without creating more. ---
**Author:** ![macabresoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@macabresoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/macabresoul)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/7 "2003-04-27T03:18:14Z")
I am pretty sure that **by** law they have to give the person claiming to be disabled a wheel chair or cart thingy. The disabled person is not subject to question either. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/8 "2003-04-27T04:11:11Z")
Remember, if scooters are outlawed, only outlaws will have scooters. ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/9 "2003-04-27T04:27:17Z")
I read an article in the newspaper recently that the folks in charge at D/FW Airport are considered over the increase in “incidents” caused by people in these carts. In at least one of the local grocery stores, you must have a handicap hangtag to use the cart. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/10 "2003-04-27T04:28:21Z")
When I was on crutches for my broken heel I drove one of those scooters at the local market. It make marketing possible for me. But with that said, I won’t go near one of those things again. They are slow (slower than I walk) and hard to reach anything except for stuff at waist level. **Phouka** A Disney employee noticed how I could barley walk when I took my daughter to Disneyland (same broken foot, I had just traded my crutches for a cane) and gave me a disabled person pass. I wrote a letter to Disney praising her, as she had truely turned the trip from torture to a pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/11 "2003-04-27T04:58:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Particlewill \* > \*\*Or you are going to literally flip when a Segway hits ya at 12 mph. \*\* They’re banned here in SF, so i’ll never see them. Shame, since i want to mock anyone i see riding them who isn’t handicapped. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/12 "2003-04-27T05:21:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\*They’re banned here in SF, so i’ll never see them. Shame, since i want to mock anyone i see riding them who isn’t handicapped. \*\* Can you say “Day trip to San Jose?” ---
**Author:** ![Morrigoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Morrigoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrigoon)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/13 "2003-04-27T07:14:09Z")
Gee Tars, it must be lovely living in a free city like San Francisco :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/14 "2003-04-27T09:22:53Z")
Wow. Again Scylla is being a moron and deciding who is and is not in need of something. Before it was that people didn’t need a handicapped placard if they had a nice car. Bow down to the mighty Scylla and his amazing sense of who is deserving of adaptive equipment and reasonable accomodation. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/15 "2003-04-27T09:29:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Payton’s Servant \* > \*\*From what I’ve seen, it’s mainly the _ancient geezer_ and _grotesquely obese_ who make up the majority of users, at least in my area. > > As for why people not in those two catagories would use them, I can think of a few possibilities: > > 1. They may have rheumatoid arthritis which can make walking **extremely** painful. > > 2. They may only have their learners permits and thus it is illegal for them to drive an actual full size car. > > \*3) They are lazy AssHats who shudder at the thought of actually walking to get some exercise, because if they walk long and far enough they might start to sweat, and then where will they be and what will they do? > > \*4) They are selfish, self absorbed, self centered yak felchers who need to be kneecapped so they can find out what true suffering is. > > \*\* Wow. I swear, you must have sprung from Scylla’s overly advertised loins. Let’s see… I’m 32, have multiple sclerosis, and at times, have an excruciating time walking. Do I _deserve_ a cart when I need it? Oh… wait… I becme _fucking invisible_ to people when I’m in a cart, and some assholes stand in front of me and then give me a look of disgust when I politely ask them to move so I can get through, or I get some pricks like you and Scylla who act as if I am FUCKING JOYRIDING! Do you think I LIKE to ride in a cart? Do you not think I WANT TO be able to walk as I once did? I am not the only person who looks atypical for using a motorized cart. And I know from talking with others in my situation that they often don’t go out because they don’t want to deal with the humiliation, scorn, and futility. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/16 "2003-04-27T10:35:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > … It seems that up until recently they have served a valuable and useful purpose. If the institution offers these mobility devices they provide a service to their customers that have difficulty moving around. I can’t imagine begrudging anybody who needs one of these things. > > The problem though is where do you draw the line between necessity and convenience? What are the criteria of need?.. Americans are becoming more freakishly adverse to taking responsibility than I can give credit to… Ah well, let the fat roll on. ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/17 "2003-04-27T10:42:35Z")
Usually, people only need to touch the pretty red stovetop burner just the one time. Still, life would be awfully boring if everyone was usual. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/18 "2003-04-27T12:20:42Z")
**Mockingbird** , I sympathize. My mother also has MS, and the scooters make everyday things possible for her. Unfortunately, she’s had some sideways glances from people who’ve seen her walking from her car (which has a disabled hang-tag) into the grocery store (which is the farthest she can walk unassisted), plunk herself down on a scooter and take off. Last summer, when I was VERY pregnant, I had to use a scooter at the grocery store. I was so sore from walking that I couldn’t walk another step. Literally. And, yes, I got some squirrelly looks. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/19 "2003-04-27T12:25:14Z")
Mockingbird, I think your mobility would be much improved without that stick up your ass. _sigh_ from the OP: > [@](#): > > The woman riding the scamp parked it, and preceded us up about a 150 foot vertical stair climb to the top of the slide at an impressive pace without any apparent difficulty. > > I know that there are people out there with legitimate problems that are nonetheless not readily apparent. If such a person can ride a roller coaster, they should feel free to do so without needing anybody’s approval. > > Time and again, seemingly healthy people zipping about on these conveyances and hopping on and off them and doing things without any apparent difficulty. > > I was always used to seeing a few of these things wherever I went, but I have difficulty believing in the sudden explosive growth of severe but invisible handicaps that are causing a large and escalating number of the population to need scooters at Department stores and amusement parks. > > A person that needs one of those should have it, as well as the consideration of those around them. It seems pretty damn obvious to me that Scylla is complaining about able-bodied people using these devices. Using them because they are lazy bastards, inconveniencing others. He even voiced your particular concern, quoted above, so what’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![ravesaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb8c5e/32.png) [@ravesaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ravesaint)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435/20 "2003-04-27T12:36:52Z")
Some people enjoy taking offence where no offence is either intended or implied. The simple act of reading the op would have made that clear, however, if it makes you happy, I suppose… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-use-of-mobility-devices/171435.md?page=2)