Local Sheriff Does not Know Law:
 

Living in Sumter County I know nothing about how the Marion County Sheriffs office works. I will tell you that answers to questions I have posed the Sumter Sheriff have been answered incorrectly. Most involve golf carts.

Today’s Daily Sun has an article about Coconuts Internet Café and their shutting down by the Sumter County Sheriff. My wife went to Coconuts last spring and bought one of their telephone cards and this card not only provided free long distance calling but time on a computer to recoup her money. The same as McDonalds Monopoly game.

The total time she received this card allowed her to make long distance calls all summer long at no additional charge. We estimated that the value of that card using a figure of $.10 a minute was over $3,600. It even work for calls to Hawaii.

So when compared to the sweeps at McDonald or Burger King they lose hands down we will take Coconuts any time.

Or as PT Barnum said; " There's a s------ born every minute!

What does that mean? The Sheriffs down here don't know the law. Half make it up as they go along. Just ask them questions the next time they have government day some questions about the rules governing golf carts and then look up here.

http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/ind...316/ch0316.htm

I read the article in the paper and have to admit I know nothing about Coconuts. (I also know nothing about McDonalds Monopoly game.) Maybe someone can educate me. How much do you have to pay to get this card that gets you $3600 worth of phone calls? And then you get time on a computer to recoup your money? What does that mean? How do you recoup your money? And what does this have to do with the sheriff's knowledge?

Rkimball,

Could you please be specific about what golf cart laws you feel that the Sumter sheriff is unaware of or is not abiding by?

i'll give you one. If you have others you should ask the sheriff your self.

According to Sheriff Farmer's public information officer " it is Illegal for a faster golf cart, as long as it doesn't exceed its 19.9 miles per hour, to pass a slower one on public highways. The Lady Lake police Chief, Ed Nathanson already disallowed this back in 2002. There is no such law.

I'm confused............If I'm "cruising at 19 mph" and someone is sightseeing at 10 mph, you're saying I can't pass (if not governed by double yellow lines) the slower cart. Think you are misinformed on this one...........Please educate me!!

According to Sheriff Farmer you would break the law if you passed that cruiser. Ask him yourself tommorrow.
http://www.districtgov.org/images/wh...yer%202009.pdf

I have read these requlations at
http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/ind...316/ch0316.htm
and I can't find any that refer to passing slower golf carts.

Local govermental authorities can add additional restrictions to these Statues, but according to you the Sumter county sheriff and the Lady Lake Police Department have given you conflicting information. These are two different local governmental authorities, so I would think maybe they could possibly have different regulations.

Where in the statues are the passing restrictions addressed?

The basic argument is that if you are driving your golf cart on one of the county roads that has the rightmost lane set up for golf carts with a solid white line and diamonds (like Morse Blvd.), then you cannot cross over the white line and enter the middle part of the road that is for registered vehicles only.

If you do this, even just to pass a slow moving cart that’s in the cart lane, you are technically operating an unregistered motor vehicle on a public road that is not designated for golf carts.

Does this mean when the maintenance people park there, we are to do what? Wait an hour or so until they decide to park on some other cart path? This happens regularly on Lyndhaven and Belvedere. I guess we (dozens of us) are just lucky there's no sheriff's officer watching us veer into the, shudder, automobile lane to pass the obstruction. :confused:

So how about when you have to cross those roads, for example to make a left turn?

On county roadways you may operate a golf cart if the county or municipality has designated that road for golf cart use and signs are posted to indicate that such operation is allowed. I'm pretty sure TV falls into that category. I read through the statutes and don't see anything that says there can/must/will be designated areas of the roadways for golf carts. The white lines and golf cart lanes are probably there to give some sense of order to traffic flow. Imagine the chaos that would take place if the major roads didn't have those lanes.

BTW - what happened to the original comment about Coconuts? I'm still waiting to find out what that was all about.

Yes, and that's what makes this whole issue so controversial.

ba lo ney

Wow, what a thoughtful response!

What about the walkers?

In addition, they have for the construction on Morse Blvd, autos driving in the cart path lanes. You are also required to merge with traffic when making a left turn.

The Coconuts thing was once thrown out by a judge once before and the machines returned. The problem I see in Florida is the Sheriffs have too much power and counties have become little fiefdoms.

It sounds as though someone does not like authority !!!!!!!:crap2:

I think that's bogus as originally enforced by Lady Lake PD and then rescinded. If that solid white line was as you have stated and indicator of NO PASSING, you would not be able to pass a bicycle or walker.

Lt Wolfe of Sumter Sheriff's Office may have a clearer explanation in this case. You may wish to check with him as he told me that it is also legal for a car to move over right into the "diamond" lane to pass a car waiting to make a left turn as long as the pasing car stays on the road.

Perhaps the enforcement is when a "golf cart" that has been souped up passes another legal golf cart at a speed greater than 20 MPH. A street legal cart of course can pass and in my opinion if it is doing the speed limit, it should stay out of the diamond lane.

http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/online.html
 

A solid white line marks the right edge of the roadway or separates lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. You may travel in the same direction on both sides of this line, but you should not cross the line unless you must do so to avoid a hazard.

Double Solid White Line
A double sold white line separates two lanes of traffic going in the same direction. Crossing a double solid line is prohibited.

Not sure if this helps answer your questions about solid white lines. I posted link to Driver Handbook.

An automobile may use the “golf cart lane” to pass a car making a left turn. It must stay on the paved surface.

Wow! If Passing a Golf Cart is an issue of such proportions that it has prompted 3 pages of dialogue, I can't imagine how many pages would be written on the subject of how to properly negotiate a ROTARY. That folks is how someone is going to be killed some day, a much more probable likelihood than a fatality resulting from passing a golf cart at 19.9 MPH or crossing a solid line to pass a Pedestrian who probably should be smart enough to get out of the way in the first place.

I think somebody is misinformed about this.

What do you mean?

316.084 When overtaking on the right is permitted.--

(1) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass on the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:

(a) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn;

(b) Upon a street or highway with unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving traffic in each direction;

(c) Upon a one-way street, or upon any roadway on which traffic is restricted to one direction of movement, where the roadway is free from obstructions and of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles.

(2) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle on the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. In no event shall such movement be made by driving off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the roadway.

(3) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.

I read this very carefully several times. I cannot find in it where it says that cars may cross over to the right over a solid white line and into a pedestrian/golf cart lane. It does say they may not drive off the "main-traveled portion of the roadway." To my way of thinking, the path where people walk and unregistered golf carts travel is not the 'main traveled portion of the roadway."

In a court of law, a jury would likely look with disfavor on a driver who was so careless as to drive into a pedestrian walkway and kill or injure an individual.

I have been wrong in the past, and may be this time too. But I'm guessing that cart/pedestrian lanes are not passing lanes for cars and trucks.

Self-explanatory: (b) Upon a street or highway with unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving traffic in each direction;
Doesn't have to say anything about linage.

.There are walkers in the villages that will say those lanes are not for walkers as there are walkers that will say those lanes are walker only. How many times have you heard that the walkers should move to the grass when a cart comes? Many areas beside the cart paths are private property and residents really do not appreciate people walking on their lawns

Read it very carefully. "sufficient width for two or more lines of moving traffic in each direction." The golf cart path is not a lane for cars. It is a restricted lane for golf carts and pedestrians. It doesn't qualify for inclusion as a place for "two or more lines of moving traffic."

A car may not use an HOV lane to pass other vehicles on highways. Cars cannot use the shoulder to pass on any road. Both are paved portions of the road, but are off limits.

I firmly believe that under no circumstances does the law allow automobile traffic to use the cart paths. Cart drivers (and walkers) should reasonably expect that their right of way will never be legally encroached by cars and trucks.

Are we having fun yet? :MOJE_whot:

You are wrong. I see GEMs and the Ford Think LSV on the cart paths and golf courses all the time. They are licensed Low Speed Neighborhood Vehicles. In addition, I don’t mean the lanes on the side of the road but the multi model paths along Buena Vista and El Camino Real.

I stated before that any one viewing this thread would have the opportunity to ask the sheriff Saturday. If you did not avail your self to get an answer from the horse’s mouth, please don’t waste my time with opinions instead of facts. I suggest that you avail your self of the Defensive Driving Course offered by AARP and they will able to answer all your driving and traffic control questions.

This thread was started on the closure of Coconuts Internet Café. Even though a Judge threw out the last closure of Coconuts, allowed them to reopen and HAD the sheriff return to Coconuts their equipment the sheriff in his ultimate wisdom thinks he is smarter than the judge is. Maybe, but this new arrest and closure smell to me like an act of retribution not a true enforcement of law. Alternatively, as I stated before, the Sheriffs may be lacking knowledge of the law.

The sheriff HAS, I repeat HAS not enforced the law regarding water restrictions even though he has been so directed by the State of Florida.

The golf cart paths and multi-modal paths in TV are private and therefore are not under the jurisdiction of the county Sheriffs’ department as far as traffic violations go.

The diamond lanes on the public roads within TV are under the Sheriffs’ department and include use by both golf carts and low speed vehicles.

I'm afraid you are going to find out the hard way! Either way, I don't care.

I don't know what you are talking about. What is it that you think I will find out the hard way. All I have stated is that the SCS doesn't do his job. How will that ever have anything to do with me. That is not an opinion but a fact. Anyone viewing this thread had the opportunity to question the sheriff yesterday to refute what I said. If you or any one else that disagreed with my statement did not follow up on that then that is their problem not mine.

That is also why I post with my name not an alias.

Are you saying that he doesn't do his job because of Coconuts? (The subject mentioned in your original post and your wife buying a telephone card.) That seems to be what started this whole thread which has somehow detoured to who can use what lane on public roads.

Question! Why is it up to us to follow up on your statement. It's your statement. You made it. You should be the one to prove it.

I know the correct information, I don't have to follow up on your statement.
10-4 good buddy. Over and out.

JLK

Talk about an attitude. :censored:

Dear Honorable Administrator/Talk Host:
How did this sheriff'n thing get onto Contractors and Services?
Talk about being in 'the wrong lane!'
What if someone visits looking for some help in that area?

Yes

If you can read you would already know that a Sumter county judge made the Sheriff return the computers to Coconuts so they could reopen once before. That should be proof enough. What you are saying is that the SHERIFF NOWS THE LAW BETTER THAN THE JUDGE.
IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THEN THERE IS NOTHING ANY ONE COULD TELL YOU BECAUSE YOU ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING.

Got that right! Glad to see at least one of you emerge from the clouds!

Mr. Kimball.

This is your original post and I have been intermittently reading this thread and trying to understand the issues here. Can you state again what happened? Did you receive a ticket for passing on the right?