[shazam]

Originally Posted by SteveZ

One of the beauties of TV is the fact that you can get every service or need via golf cart. Knowing that the day will come when my drivers license will need shredding, having the ability to get around via golf cart was one of the reasons why we picked TV as the "end of the rainbow."

There is only two golf cart "problem" here (to me, anyway): 1) "souped-up" carts which do greater than 19.5 MPH; and 2) the dumb-bell grandparents who let <14 year-old kids drive the carts either by themselves or while sitting in the driver's lap. #1 will get taken care of by existing law enforcement as it sees fit; #2 will probably be a matter fixed by natural selection.

Other than that - if it works, don't fix it!

Unfortunately Steve, it aint working. I have a post under the heading of "golf carts". Please read it. You may change your mind about registration. This guy ran a car off the road (only to avoid him) and could have seriously injured himself or someone else because he was riding on the roads with an illegal cart with signs on the front and back of his cart saying "Street Legal". It was NOT street legal. The cart had a split windshield. I have no problem with registration if it keeps these idiots off the road.

[dillywho]

Originally Posted by shazam

Unfortunately Steve, it aint working. I have a post under the heading of "golf carts". Please read it. You may change your mind about registration. This guy ran a car off the road (only to avoid him) and could have seriously injured himself or someone else because he was riding on the roads with an illegal cart with signs on the front and back of his cart saying "Street Legal". It was NOT street legal. The cart had a split windshield. I have no problem with registration if it keeps these idiots off the road.

Shazam, is call the SO and report the illegal "street legal" cart and where it is. If he is in the street or roundabouts and is not legally street legal or is causing safety issues, they will nail him.

[shazam]

Originally Posted by dillywho

Shazam, is call the SO and report the illegal "street legal" cart and where it is. If he is in the street or roundabouts and is not legally street legal or is causing safety issues, they will nail him.

What's SO? Sorry, I'm new here. Just moved into Bonita last month.
Thought about calling the Sumter sheriff, but figured by the time they got there, he'd be long gone.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

What idea was it that has you rolling on the floor laughing?

Sorry, maybe it wasn't you.

Yoda

[champion6]

Originally Posted by shazam

What's SO? Sorry, I'm new here. Just moved into Bonita last month.
Thought about calling the Sumter sheriff, but figured by the time they got there, he'd be long gone.

SO = Sheriff's Office = Sumter sheriff.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by downeaster

I think TH has a point here. I have heard many Villagers say we should be required to register golf carts so why not "talk" about it here? I didn't see where TH suggested it and reading between the lines gives no clue where he stands on the subject. All he seems to be looking for is a yea or nay.
My response is nay. I see little benefit.

Are you suggesting that we do this for every golf cart on every golf course in the country?

How about every golf cart?

That's what will happen.

Yoda

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by shazam

Unfortunately Steve, it aint working. I have a post under the heading of "golf carts". Please read it. You may change your mind about registration. This guy ran a car off the road (only to avoid him) and could have seriously injured himself or someone else because he was riding on the roads with an illegal cart with signs on the front and back of his cart saying "Street Legal". It was NOT street legal. The cart had a split windshield. I have no problem with registration if it keeps these idiots off the road.

You might be suprised how quick they will get there, there are cars in the Villages all the time.

[Yoda]

Do you have any Idea how fast a golf ball goes? The damage that it can do?
Shouldn't golfers be required to show a minimum of control over the ball? Perhaps for public safety sake a golfer must keep 95% of drives on a 60 foot wide fairway? The number of people struck by golf balls hit by elderly golfers is outrageous. Perhaps ones qualification sticker should be displayed on ones golf cart. If you can pass the driving test.

Yoda

With tongue firmly planted in cheek

[Hancle704]

This goes back to what is a golf cart vs LSV or NEV. If it goes over 25 MPH it is supposed to be registered by State because it is not a golf cart.

Granted responsibility always rests with owner/operator but there is hardly a day that goes by when you see evidence of lack of responsibility and disregard for traffic laws, failure to obey traffic signals/signs/ speed limits and the use of carts by underage drivers.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by dillywho

Shazam, is call the SO and report the illegal "street legal" cart and where it is. If he is in the street or roundabouts and is not legally street legal or is causing safety issues, they will nail him.

How would this work. Grab your cell phone, call the sheriff (not on 911 because it's not an emergency) and say, "there's a cart going down the road with a "street legal" sign on it, and I don't think it's street legal."

The dispatcher says, "where is this cart now." You say, "it's in the Morse Circle" "Okay" says the dispatcher, "We,ll have a car there in 10 minutes."

"10 MInutes?" you say, " the cart will be long gone by then." The dispatcher says, " can you describe this cart, does it have a (gulp) registration number on it?" OOOOPS. "No registration, not here in the Villages." Dispatcher, "Thanks for your call, is there anything else I can help you with today?"

[nitehawk]

Speaking of the SO - maybe there should be sticker issued for ever time a person calls in a possible DUI driver - it would be like pilots who have shot down an enemy plane - better make a lot of stickers

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by nitehawk

Speaking of the SO - maybe there should be sticker issued for ever time a person calls in a possible DUI driver - it would be like pilots who have shot down an enemy plane - better make a lot of stickers

When you call in this DUI cart, how do you describe it to the Sheriff? Do you follow it until the Sheriff is there?

And, let's say, you are lucky and the sheriff is right there and arrests this guy for driving his cart under the influence. (he's probably on a cart path, which is private property) What's gonna happen to him, are they going to suspend his license (no license needed to drive a cart). Are they going to pull his registration....ooops....what registration.

Complicated ain't it?

[bogey]

Thank you for bringing this up, I have lived here for six years, and am surprised there is no registration or regulation of size for golf carts. I would support some sort of registration, perhaps a small yearly fee, which could be used to keep cart paths in good repair...

[SteveZ]

Let us remember that TV is not an independent nation or state. All of the streets are county roads, so drivers must follow state/county laws, and TV doesn't have the authority to place any restrictions on what happens on county roads. To add more confusion, there's three counties and one city dissecting the TV area. If there is to any mandatory cart registration or driver qualification, that would have to come from the state.

Also, while there is nothing but good intentions with the idea of cart registration and driver "licensing," the law of unintended consequences may negate many of the good intentions.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like things safer, too. However, as in the earlier "streel legal" cart which wasn't example, if people consider themselves above the law, all of the laws in the world (followed only by the law-abiding) won't change that arrogance.

[rshoffer]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

This was brought up (I guess as a joke) in another thread, but it poses an interesting point of discussion.

What would be wrong with a registration process and proof of ability to drive for all golf carts operating in the Villages? Perhaps the registration would be free or minimal cost.

What are the pros and cons of a mandatory registration. I know there are people adamantly against it, I'm curious why?

The possibility of losing the registration would likely discourage people from allowing their underage grandchildren to drive. It would keep people who are no longer physically able from driving.

I can tell schools out and the grandkids are starting to arrive... they're behind the wheels of the golfcarts again. Yesterday I was riding my bike behind a cart here in Duval... on Gumwood. As I approached I saw that there was a youngster driving with grandma in the passenger seat. The right turn signal was on and I could even hear it beeping. I guess they didn't realize it was on despite the beeping. I kept a safe distance back, they came up to an intersection and the poor kid froze. I went around them on the left and I was ultimately out of sight and the last I saw they were still sitting there. It appears that the neighborhoods are training grounds before the kids go out and hit the cart paths.