Destruction of the gate arms......
 

What is it with the destruction of gate arms throughout TV? The last 3 weeks the one at the entrance to St. James via St. Charles has been knocked down 4 times. Today, we went through the exit side of the gate from Morse to 466 and both arms were torn down. With all the money that was spent upgrading the cameras at the gates to HD, will drivers have to pay for these idiot acts?

My turn to state the obvious...over age 55 community...many in their 70's, 80's & 90's. Many still driving when they should not...can't see squat...have the reflex's of a stick and still think they should be driving. Also many people on cell phones, chatting(and when you're older your attention span is sometimes that of a 3 year old).

Now go on...add it all up and it's a wonder there are not more accidents. The gate arms should be made of nerf and the posts at some of the cart intersections should be that flexible flat plastic that just bounces right back up when run over.

Now I could get into the bazillion meds people take. Many that tell you not to drive/operate heavy machinery(some folks don't think a 3000b car is heavy machinery)while on them. Many say they can cause dizziness, blurred vision and sleepiness.

So you're probably getting the picture now. Lastly take into account all those renters who come here to party and think....woooheee...I'm in the villages and I don't live that far...few cops around...lets drive home drunk...whooop! Was that a gate arm I hit? Nah...didn't feel a thing.....

Thanks for stating the obvious, I started to but decided to dial it down. These are probably part of the same group that the online news runs an article about every couple of days that also can't park without taking 2-3 slots. It's sad to think this person is still driving, but there was a gentleman that brought his garage door opener into a golf shop the other day to see if they could get it to start working because his wife's opener worked and his wouldn't.

Sad but true, but also true for many pre-seniors!!

I go through the St. James gates several times a day, and you are right, it seems like it is always down. I personally love the people that pull up to a gate which is knocked down, with a big red stop sign in sight and there they are, swiping their card up and down. I swear, one of these day I may have to just drag one of them out of their cars. Of course I'm kidding but ....

One complaint I have about the gates is they don't reflect very well at night because they are higher than the standard headlights on a coupe or sedan. I have a very hard time seeing them at night because of this.

But you do know a gate is there right? So stop!

///

I agree. The arms on the gates will be broken repeatedly in January, February and March. It is a capitalist plot. It keeps the gate repairers in work. It is done by drunken folks under fifty and some folks who are in a tearing hurry who don't live here and pay amenities. There are some old geezers in the fray too.


Please, OP, use the search function above and type in broken gates. This will bring up the opinion by many that we don't need them. I say they slow things down so golf cart's can cross in many instances and that we can tell our snooty cousins we live in a gated community.


If you want to amuse yourself, there are links to the cameras showing folks breaking the gate arms, somewhere. They SHOULD pay, but folks SHOULD stop in a hit and run too, like they used to. The world is becoming very strange indeed.


Good morning all. We didn't have a tornado. I'm tired, I didn't sleep well.

Maybe we need these: https://goo.gl/Ym0Opx

Now THAT would work. The only issue I see though is that it apparently takes out the driver as well as the vehicle. Of course, that could also prove to be the long term solution for dealing with people who drive through the gate arms.

Good job finding that!

nope, just look at some of the videos.95% of the gate breaks are from people too lazy or stupid to stop, instead they try to fly through while it is still open from the person ahead of them. the only age correlation is that younger people may be just as much to blame as are older.

I've watched the videos, and oddly the overwhelming majority of them appear to be over 60. The one who crashed the Morse gate was also over 60, because I watched it happen and know who they are. They actually went past the open gate on a golf cart, realized they made a mistake, and then BACKED into the gate arm, breaking it off. The gate attendant walked out, picked up the broken gate, and directed them which way to go in a golf cart. Didn't even ask for name.

IMO, the gates going south from Morse to 466 are unnecessary. There is a stop light there.

I know a 94 year old TV gentleman who told me he didn't feel safe driving a car anymore and then got in his golf cart..woosh!