Friendly Reminder for Snowbirds in Golf Carts
 

Now that alot of our seasonal residents have returned and many snowbirds have already made the migration for the winter...

Just a reminder that when parking your golf cart,
1 space = 2 golf carts

Thanks in advance

Then again we find a few drivers that are dyslexic 2 spaces = a cart

Thank you for this post! Upon my late afternoon arrival at the Atlas dog park Sunday, there were FOUR car spaces taken up by a single golf cart parked in the middle of each space - very frustrating!

I was entering a roundabout when a car shot out in front of me in the right lane. I laid back as I try to never stay even with a car in the roundabout.

Sure enough, they driver went 3/4 around the roundabout in the right lane!

Be careful out there!

Thank you Mark.

Amen. And be very careful. Meta Minton was hit by a golf cart a couple of days ago when she was riding her bicycle.

While an excellent reminder, something tells me that those who do it already know the proper way to park...but have decided that they are above the rules or common courtesy. :ohdear:

....and if there is a designated cart parking area, don't park your car there.

And just as important:

1 of the carts forward in the space
and the other cart back

The privileged/entitled. :mad:

That happens all the time, year round. The worst place is cars headed east on Stillwater to north on Morse. Particularly annoying (and dangerous) if you are properly placed in inner lane to go straight thru on Stillwater, or if you are going straight north on Morse and the car in the right lane goes 3/4 to Stillwater west. I find I can generally spot the bozos by the way they drive on the road leading up to the RBs.

I, too, avoid going side-by-side with anyone in a roundabout, which kept me out of an accident in a roundabout in Kansas City on Monday. In my case, the car in the left lane switched to the right lane in front of me during his exit (the right lane--mine--was required to exit and the left lane--his--had the choice to exit there or the next exit).

how could one cart take up 4 parking places? it doesn't seem like it would be long enough to do that.

But remember, it's ONLY a courtesy. Golf carts don't have to share a parking place. I agree there's plenty of room for two, but you don't have to share.

Not only golf carts and car driving! Yesterday on Morse, a bicycle club was going north and ALL were in the right lane and from our observance were following the law. Stopping and yielding when appropriate etc. (I say this for the nay-sayers againest bikers). Anyway, a guy in a small white sedan must have had it out for these folks. He wove in and out twice, aggressively---almost clipping a biker and never signaling! It was frightening to watch. As we slowed for the north of 466 gate, he did this and a biker yelled at him to watch out. I said we'd seen this happen the two times when one of the bikers said a woman on a bike had been hit a week ago with something similar. :22yikes:

We were down this summer for a couple of weeks (when snowbirds had flown the bubble) and more than once saw one cart taking up single car space.

Reminders aren't a bad thing but no need to "single out" the snowbirds. Snowbirds are not the only ones that don't drive the roundabouts correctly either. Fore!

Food for thought -

My brother is handicapped and walks with crutches. He was complaining to me how he thinks it is awful that the golf carts park two to a space (he lives outside of The Villages - but shops here).

I explained to him how it was nice to park with another cart, because it helps take up less spaces overall in the lot.

He said people don't think about how hard it is for someone like him to get out of his car. He has to swing the door out wider in order to exit the car, and when people park two in a space, they are pretty close to the lines of that space, so he has less space to swing the door open.

My husband and I were at Fresh Market yesterday night, and watched a senior park next to a space with two golf carts (it was very hard to even find a spot in the lot). She too had to squeeze out of her car to exit, because of the carts.

So I guess, maybe two carts in one space can be good.....and maybe not so much.... Guess it depends on your point of view. My brothers handicap has had me look though another set of eyes.

I agree....it's not just the Snowbirds!

Can your brother get a handicap plaquerd?
The handicap parking spaces have extra space on each side that would make it easier for him.

He actually had one in Michigan. He moved here recently, and would have to go to a doctor and get examined again to prove he is handicapped...yada yada yada. He has cerebral palsy, but HATES to be considered handicapped. So he will still park in regular spaces.

He just showed me a different point of view. Plus, that poor lady in the parking lot at Fresh Market may not even be eligible for a permit.

So next time you are in a parking lot, take a look again at what it does to the car parked next to you.

And yes, we have always parked two carts in a spot. I guess now I see his point. :smiley:

"So next time you are in a parking lot, take a look again at what it does to the car parked next to you."

Some people might not do that, but I know people who are actually considerate of others when parking their car or cart.

When I park cart in parking lot I away park behind the front doors of cars so they can get in or out. That means my cart is away at the beginning of parking spots (or the end depending on which way you look at it).


Probably the most important Thing you can tell new cart drivers IMO is NEVER make left turn from the diamond lane, that will get you killed quicker than anything IMO. Please pull into the car lane when safe using your blinker light and or hand signal and make you left hand turn properly. I only been here two years and have seen several wrecks or near misses from carts swerving for diamond lanes turning left or doing U'ey.

I believe, sense it is a courtesy, you have to share!! Otherwise you are discourteous.:22yikes:

There is no excuse for bad etiquette whether on a golf course in a parking lot or traveling on the road.

The Villages is over saturated with people and it is all the more reason to share and to follow the rules of the road, play ready golf and otherwise continue your defensive driving. It also is a good to remember that as a driver that in the past, you have also committed the same errors as the driver your currently ready to rage at, other than of course those yo yos that do so intentionally

I don't care what is said, I love The Villages!

Perhaps if the cart driver parked in the back right side of the space, then the next cart would park on the upper left side of the space. That might help.

But if the back cart parked on the on the left back side to begin with, then the next cart would pull up to the right upper spot, thus causing the driver of a car to have to squeeze out of the car. (as what happens to my handicapped brother).:smiley:

In The Villages, Golf Carts rule. And don't you forget it!

Huh?
 

I said there were 4 carts, each one in the middle of a parking space.....if they had doubled up, two more cars or 4 more carts could have had parking places.