Small challenges driving
Spotted these days on everything from quiet cul-de-sacs to bustling main streets, golf carts are no longer just for the fairway. They’re now street legal in many communities as families ditch their minivans and SUVs to run quick errands or ramble around town. “A slow-rolling cavalry is conquering America’s public roads,” The Wall Street Journal recently noted. While four-wheeled carts are changing the way small towns move, not everyone is on board with the craze. In the Reddit forum, one user recently asked, “When did we decide golf carts were fine for the roads?” “This sounds like a ‘rich side of town’ problem,” commented another user. Yet another person wrote, “I began hearing about them referred to as NEVs — ‘neighborhood electric vehicles’ — in 2008 as a greener way to reduce traffic for short distances.” But another person said, “Golf carts are far safer than pickup trucks (especially lifted), SUVs and even sedans. Basically, golf carts are safer than cars for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.” When used properly.
The center of the gold cart universe is still “the Villages” in central Florida about 50 miles from Orlando. This senior community now has about 82,000 residents and 6 zip codes, laying on three counties. Of course every house has at least one golf cart many have two, some even more. The current complaint is not that there are too many golf carts in Florida, but that everyone else is buying and using the golf cart like a teenager on a bicycle instead for driving responsibly like they would in a car. “They are a plague in my neighborhood,” said one person about today’s ubiquitous golf carts. The post continued, “I’m not judging. I just don’t understand it. We don’t have a golf course anywhere nearby. I feel like this is something that is maybe more common in the further-out suburbs.” It went on, “I’ll often see them driving through the neighborhood or even on the larger streets nearby where the speed limit is 40 mph. Sometimes it’s teens/tweens driving them like teenagers.
“I have mine street legal and run errands on the weekends or cruise around on it when I’m bored,” the person wrote. “It’s a fun and exhilarating machine that gets good gas mileage, but can also shred going up hills or in the snow.” One city law says golf carts are only permitted on roads with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less — and that the carts must remain within four miles of the owner’s residence. The City of Greenville in South Carolina recently reminded residents about a new state law regulating golf carts. In Peach Tree, Georgia — a city of just over 38,000 residents — more than 11,000 golf carts are registered, according to the town’s website. As you would expect are causing and involved in many collisions even though they look harmless and you would think every would know they are really pretty fragile toys. Golf carts and go-karts caused 50 traffic crashes, resulting in three deaths in Michigan.
Florida funnies
There was an elderly Florida gentlemen that was told by his doctor to lose weight and get more exercise. A friend who knew of the situation discovered him sitting on the beach under an umbrella watching the girls going by. “Abey, you told me you vas going to get some more exercise.” “Vell, that’s right.” “You never gonna get exercise sitting on the beach.” “That’s where you are wrong Ralph. I come down here every day to watch these girls in their bikinis and I walk three miles each way.”
A Florida woman called 911 because she was locked inside her car. The unidentified woman was parked at a Walgreen’s store in Kissimmee. “My car will not start. I’m locked inside my car,” the unidentified woman said. “Nothing electrical works. And it’s getting very hot in here, and I’m not feeling well.” The dispatcher then suggested pulling up the lock. The woman tried it and was successfully able to open the door.
A giant python was discovered in Florida. Spooky news for a state that derives half its income from a giant mouse.
In Texas, if your name is Carlos, you’re a Mexican. In Florida, you’re a Cuban. In New York, you’re a Puerto Rican. And I come to Canada and I find out I’m an Eskimo.
August 3rd Birthdays
1941 – Martha Stewart, 1979 – Evangline Lilly, 1981 – Hanna Simone, 1999 – Julia Thomas
1926 – Tony Bennett, 1963 – Isaiah Washington, 1977 – Tom Brady, 1940 – Martin Sheen