scheherazade_79
Steamy
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2003
- Posts
- 9,677
Forget muggers, forget gang culture, forget illegal immigrants, gypsies, counterfeit condoms, drug dealers, bird flue and BSE - it seems that a new menace has surfaced on the streets of Great Britain:
Hell's Grannies
I'd like to say I was kidding, but this actually made the headlines last week. Liberal Democrat MP, Bob Russell, has claimed that users of motorised wheelchairs need to be governed by greater safety regulations.
Last year there were 402 "adverse incidents" involving the contraptions, including 7 deaths - one of which inolving an unfortunate lady who hit the reverse switch while she was on the edge of a pier.
The most powerful motorised wheelchairs can reach breath-taking speeds of 8mph, and there are concerns that some unscrupulous dealers are selling off machines far too powerful for the intended recipients.
Although users are encouraged to take out third party insurance, relatively few do, and Mr Russell would like to see this changed. Alongside other changes he advocates the introduction of a new 'driving test', which would test eyesight as well as general awareness of other pavement-users.
Disabled Organisations have hit back at this adverse publicity, claiming that although there are some who drive motorised wheelchairs like "stupid idiots", the majority of users pose no risk to the general public.
Mr Russell's suggestions were thrown out of parliament by Health Minister, Stephen Ladyman, who stated that the lives of disabled people were restricted enough without imposing further controls. There are also concerns that the myth of policemen hiding behind trees with radar guns might deter a lot of elderly ladies from going out to do their weekly shop.
I honestly don't understand what the fuss is about. I've seen a guy on a motorised wheelchair trundling down a dual carriageway and another wheeling around a roundabout, but the only times I've ever had the skin removed from my heels while out shopping have been the direct result of women who treat their babies' pushchairs like Roman chariots.
Give the motorised wheelchair users a break, damn it!
Hell's Grannies I'd like to say I was kidding, but this actually made the headlines last week. Liberal Democrat MP, Bob Russell, has claimed that users of motorised wheelchairs need to be governed by greater safety regulations.
Last year there were 402 "adverse incidents" involving the contraptions, including 7 deaths - one of which inolving an unfortunate lady who hit the reverse switch while she was on the edge of a pier.
The most powerful motorised wheelchairs can reach breath-taking speeds of 8mph, and there are concerns that some unscrupulous dealers are selling off machines far too powerful for the intended recipients.
Although users are encouraged to take out third party insurance, relatively few do, and Mr Russell would like to see this changed. Alongside other changes he advocates the introduction of a new 'driving test', which would test eyesight as well as general awareness of other pavement-users.
Disabled Organisations have hit back at this adverse publicity, claiming that although there are some who drive motorised wheelchairs like "stupid idiots", the majority of users pose no risk to the general public.
Mr Russell's suggestions were thrown out of parliament by Health Minister, Stephen Ladyman, who stated that the lives of disabled people were restricted enough without imposing further controls. There are also concerns that the myth of policemen hiding behind trees with radar guns might deter a lot of elderly ladies from going out to do their weekly shop.
I honestly don't understand what the fuss is about. I've seen a guy on a motorised wheelchair trundling down a dual carriageway and another wheeling around a roundabout, but the only times I've ever had the skin removed from my heels while out shopping have been the direct result of women who treat their babies' pushchairs like Roman chariots.
Give the motorised wheelchair users a break, damn it!
