[MikeV]

I just saw a car on the golf cart path driving down towards the Sanibel gate. The gate person yelled at them and stopped all traffic. He then guided the car on to the street. How do they get on these golf cart paths?

[OBXNana]

How do the cars get on the paths? We did our preview in October and could kind of understand how a cart could end on the road, even go the wrong way on a road, but a car on a golf path confuses me. My question is to avoid ending up on a golf path with a car the next time we are in the area. Is there a specific area this happens more than other areas?

For those of us not driving all the time in The Villages is there something we missed on our preview that we need to be aware of the next time we come to avoid this potentially deadly situation? I'm certain the car did not want to be on the golf path and this forum has had this same post more than once. Guidance, if there's something other than logic, would be helpful.

[borjo]

When we use our cart a lot, we forget that we're not in it when we get into our car. Therefore we go the way we've mostly gone and that's turning onto the cart paths. It almost happened to me

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by borjo

When we use our cart a lot, we forget that we're not in it when we get into our car. Therefore we go the way we've mostly gone and that's turning onto the cart paths. It almost happened to me

and me .......... and it is very embarrassing especially if there are several cars watching what is going on

[NotGolfer]

I once encountered a woman on a cart path coming towards me...I waved her to stop so I could tell her she needed to get on the street as she was headed towards a tunnel. She told me she'd never driven in The Villages...so guess she was confused. Some folks drive their carts all the time...then when they get in their other vehicle they "zone" out and do what they're used to doing. Others may just think it's a street (who knows for sure???). Maybe they're playing "follow the leader"---carts in front!

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Originally Posted by borjo

When we use our cart a lot, we forget that we're not in it when we get into our car. Therefore we go the way we've mostly gone and that's turning onto the cart paths. It almost happened to me

[OBXNana]

Thank you for the feedback. We hope to visit again in March and have only been in The Villages once. I was unable to picture in my mind how this can happen and appreciate the first hand experiences of those that have had close encounters. We will be very cautious and aware of our surroundings. Something we should do all the time, but sometimes forget.

[jnieman]

I've known four people who have done it, one twice. I won't name names.

[redwitch]

I did it once. Was sooooo embarrassed. Fortunately, got no further than front wheels touching the path but that was more than enough. And, yes, I wanted to slink under the car when others saw be backing up and turning around (hard to do that well in a convertible sigh).

[DonH57]

This past week I was at the Paradise dog park. A car started down the cart path toward the cart bridge and luckily they were stopped by others in carts and were able to back up to the road. That plastic divider had to be missing. I'm sure people can be confused partially since a lot of traffic signage around here is so small some can't read it till they are right up on it. I can't keep count of how many of those plastic traffic markers have been bent over.

[chuck90199]

I almost did that once at night in the car turning right out of Mallory Country Club. The multi-modal trail appears to be wider than the single lane road at that point. Fortunately I quickly realized the error of my ways. My wife loudly pointing out my potential mistake helped a lot, too.