Golf Carts and Old Folks
The following snippet came from an article in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel back in 2006. It deals with the difficulties many older couples face in their quest to remain independent. It details the plight of an elderly gentleman, who has lost his driver's license, but wants to still be able to drive to grocery store to help and take care of his invalid wife. The city of Cedaredge must perceive old folks in golf carts as a safety hazard.
A “lot of golfers are upset” because the Cedaredge
town marshal decided to keep golf carts off city streets, but
no one is more upset than 92-year-old Bill Glassford.
Glassford said because he can’t drive a car any more, he has
used his golf cart for close to a year to get to the grocery
store to shop for himself and his wife Lillie, who is 95 and
confined to a wheelchair.
Glassford said taking the golf cart for the 0.6-mile trip has
kept the couple independent.
“I don’t know why they did this,” Glassford said of the recent
enforcement. He said he got a warning ticket from local police
a couple of weeks ago and was threatened with arrest if he
rode his golf cart on city streets again.
There’s towns in Colorado that have golf carts passed by an
ordinance of the city, like Eagle and Vail,” Glassford said.
“There’s no reason why the city cannot pass an ordinance for
the use of golf carts on the streets around the golf course.”
Police told Glassford to call friends or relatives to take him
to the store, he said, but that’s not very practical for the
couple.
As Mr. Glassford stated, Eagle and Vail allow golf carts in the roads close to grocery stores for the practical value of allowing the elderly to get to the store for milk and sustenance without being a burden on their family or imposing on neighbors. The Cedaredge town marshal probably decided to keep the the golf carts off of city streets due to complaints from motorists that it slowed them down and created congestion. I see both sides of the argument, but support the usage of golf carts for this purpose! If you don't agree, wait until you are 90 and are told you have to call your neighbor in order to take a needed trip to the supermarket..
A “lot of golfers are upset” because the Cedaredge
town marshal decided to keep golf carts off city streets, but
no one is more upset than 92-year-old Bill Glassford.
Glassford said because he can’t drive a car any more, he has
used his golf cart for close to a year to get to the grocery
store to shop for himself and his wife Lillie, who is 95 and
confined to a wheelchair.
Glassford said taking the golf cart for the 0.6-mile trip has
kept the couple independent.
“I don’t know why they did this,” Glassford said of the recent
enforcement. He said he got a warning ticket from local police
a couple of weeks ago and was threatened with arrest if he
rode his golf cart on city streets again.
There’s towns in Colorado that have golf carts passed by an
ordinance of the city, like Eagle and Vail,” Glassford said.
“There’s no reason why the city cannot pass an ordinance for
the use of golf carts on the streets around the golf course.”
Police told Glassford to call friends or relatives to take him
to the store, he said, but that’s not very practical for the
couple.
As Mr. Glassford stated, Eagle and Vail allow golf carts in the roads close to grocery stores for the practical value of allowing the elderly to get to the store for milk and sustenance without being a burden on their family or imposing on neighbors. The Cedaredge town marshal probably decided to keep the the golf carts off of city streets due to complaints from motorists that it slowed them down and created congestion. I see both sides of the argument, but support the usage of golf carts for this purpose! If you don't agree, wait until you are 90 and are told you have to call your neighbor in order to take a needed trip to the supermarket..
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