You’re on candid camera!
 

Just smile and wave. He/she’ll Wave back and open the gate. The picture is automatic...

Good question
1st, you have to understand that The Villages is NOT a gated community. It is a controled access community. ANYONE can enter through the gates by mearly pushing the red button at the visiters gate. All of the roads in TV are public roads. Controlled access means that every one that enters the gate is recorded. Their picture is taken and neighborhood watch roams TV 24/7 and if there is any suspicious activities they call it in. You are safe.

That is because it is not true

Ohiobuckeye
 

Easy answer, all the roads in TV are county roads & the Co. maintains them. They’re public!

Very true. That's what they are intended to be for. They do help more than nothing being there but with fast growing shrubbery blocking the driver's view of golfcarts crossing at MANY gates as well as the golfcart driver's view of vehicles coming through mainly the "guest" (inside) side of the gates it's still very dangerous and gives a false sense of safety. Also at the guarded gates the guards pay little or no attention to letting a car go flying through when there are carts "in the way." I have only seen one gate that had a "GOLF CART CROSSING" sign in front of it (I'm sure there are more but that's all we've noticed) which MIGHT make drivers at least think before speeding through. Point is, all they really do is break up the flow of traffic but the "safety" benefit is limited.

:ohdear: Yeah right! Like the STOP sign that is in front of every gate. :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

We can blame signage, shrubbery, Gate guards, the Morse family and a thousand other things..... or the people who are always in a hurry for some reason. SLOW DOWN folks. :icon_wink:

Suggest if you see these overgrown bushes...send a note to District Property Management. They appreciate being made aware of safety issues.

Assistant Director, Landscape, Water Resources, Road & Infrastructure Divisions
Mike Harris – Mike.Harris@DistrictGov.org

Not quite sure how that has anything to do with view blocking shrubbery or "guards" who don't guard but just put their arm up and down before every car without noticing any carts in front. That's just setting blame and not trying to solve the problem.

Any little preventative thing that could prevent someone in a golf cart OR a car from being injured as ROTFL funny as you think it might sound could only be a plus. Just blaming the drivers doesn't prevent injury from accidents. Since you imply the stop signs are useless and/or ignored should they be removed? NO. They shouldn't trim the hedges because it won't matter ? NO. If someone driving a GC THINKS the guard (or the gate) protects them they are under a false sense of security which was my point. Just setting blame doesn't prevent people from possible injury.

Thanks, didn't know they were the ones ... in some cases the shrubs aren't actually "overgrown" they just are too high and are in a bad place where you have to verrrrrrrry slowly crawl forward to make sure a car isn't going through guest gate because the height of the landscaping blocks it. Rather than hedges they should have low ground cover like plants. Also the guest "red button"/card scanner is much further back behind the gate than the "resident" scanner so the "guest" car gets a running start after the gate goes up. Most people are aware but there are lots of newbie GC drivers and speeding car drivers so they are up to 25mph before they even get to the gate itself since the red button/scanner is so far back on the GUEST side.

All roads are public, manned or unmanned gates are the same. This is not a private community and people in manned gates have no legal authority to question anyone, admit or deny, etc. It is also not necessary to go to "visitor/guest" lane to enter. It's just a way to give the illusion of a private community. All delivery people know this and simply push the button that opens the gate arms.... it's all "smoke and mirrors" so to speak, but when we were buying a lot here we actually thought it was all private roads. There are such places in Florida, but ..... they are VERY expensive ! We have friends who live near Orlando and EVERYONE who wants to visit is CALLED from the gate to make sure they are really expecting someone, including appliance repair, delivery, etc. Nothing like that here at all, actually don't even need the gate cards with chip in them, but they do bring in a bit of extra income (not sure, think we paid $50 for a card, but definitely it's only a convenience, hardly worth it to avoid pushing a button, up to you personally if it's worth the money, but at most gates you still have to open the car windows constantly anyway, so why not just push the button rather than mess with a card, but to each their own, LOL !

Hey, we admit it, worked when bought our lot and we consider ourselves educated folks....but, the rep kept rolling down the windows, sticking the little card across the (magnetic ?) plate, didn't find out until we'd spent $100 (or maybe more ?) for the stupid cards we never needed and seldom use... so yep, be blunt.... LOL ! Not sure the gates are "safe" either, but I am sure some do. Seems they often make a bad problem even worse, but it's debatable, yes. One thing for sure, they must be a terrible EXPENSE, I don't think there is ever a day in The V's when people are no working on these gates. Wonder just how much money is wasted each year to repair these things ? But, it's only money as they say.

And slow it they certainly DO. Cars sometimes blocking 466 with cars back up from past the library and high school out onto the highway ! What a mess. Relatives said same at their area where they are backed onto OBT.... it's a mess, that's for sure, but that should be a matter for law enforcement ! BTW, parking a police car near Pilmico rec center DID actually slow down the 55 miles and hour, double tandem "lawn service" crazy drivers..... but alas, I noticed while walking this week, that they ALL now know it's empty ! Too bad, even some of the crazy "race drivers" in the furniture delivery trucks who swerve into the cart lanes on a regular basis, did slow down for a week or so ! Wish they would move the empty car around, or better yet, if only they could afford to actually have an office write tickets to these people who think this is just a race track ! ? But, can't use an officer's time to write speeding tickets I suppose, we're so fortunate to have our police these days !

I agree ! But, we got "fooled" with the way the sales reps act and all. However, not at all upset, we could never afford a true gated/private community. But agree, if you can, it's the way to go !

Agree ! One point, can tell you we have a friend who did work at a gate house for several years actually. She in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM thought of herself as a "guard" of any kind ? Maybe some do actually think they are "gate guards" but really don't think so, but my opinion is based on actually personally knowing ONE person... so "take with the proverbial grain of salt !"

Glad you are happy here?