The latest super mini caravan.

[Steve L]

I've seen it all now.
A caravan to go behind a disabled electric buggy. I saw the feature in the Metro free paper in the Birmingham QE hospital. The ad featured the mini caravan being towed around a supermarket to show how versatile it is. But it must of been a 24hr one at 3am.

Now while this might be a gimick, it wouldn't suprise me if someone out there doesn't actually try to tour in one with their unlicensed buggy.

These buggies while of great use to those who genuinely cannot get about due to a physical or medical disability, as they are not means tested or licensed in anyway, any tom dick or harriot can just buy and drive away.

Recently at a craft & hobby fair at the NEC, I was suprized at just how many buggies they could get in one place and howmany variants there are. You get the portable ones that go in the car boot, others that look like off road quad bikes. Mind you the majority were better off on the dodgum car ride. The were used as battering rams to push anyone standing out of the way by a considerable number of folks who clearly either didn't know how to drive them or new exactly what they were doing!!

If a fully functioning adult can't tow a caravan without a further test if they passed their driving test after Jan 1997, then it should be mandatory to have these buggies regulated too, and as for encouraging the towing of trailers behind them, I do have to wonder where the sanity is in that?

At the NEC, I had one middle aged woman try to drive her huge nobbly tyred all terrain buggy right up my leg. It only stopped because of a tilt alarm cuttout switch which is designed to stop the buggy tipping over and the fact that my walking stick was stuck in her wheel. As it happened no one was hurt as such but if she couldn't see me at 6ft 1 and 18 stone, a small child walking would of stood no chance!!

The sooner these buggies are regulated and the drivers tested the better as far as I'm concerned. The only riders who wouldn't want that are those who don't need to use them. I've worked with disabled people in the past and trust me they fight to the bitter end to be able to do what us able bodied folks take for granted.

Some of you will recall my own adventure touring Scotland with my wife's disabled parents. The both used buggies to go more than 100mtrs. We always set there caravan up first because their contribution to being as normal as us was to ply us with tea and sarnies while we set up the other 3 caravans. Between us we gave our disabled parents/inlaws nearly 10 years of doing what the rest of us do at the drop of a hat.

 

[Parksy]

I'm not really sure if your post was meant to be about the ETA mini caravan which advertises breakdown cover for mobility scooters or if it's just a rant about users of mobility scooters in general Steve but the Home Page of this website features an article on the miniature caravan.
http://www.practicalcaravan.com/news/well-thats-just-silly

 

[mcghee]

Maybe we should ask for all walkers to be tested and licensed too. People bump into me all the time in the shopping centre. Walking sticks too. It wouldn't be the first time I'd had one of them on the toe, I think they should be fully regulated.

 

[Parksy]

I often wonder how Premiership footballers get on when they go shopping.
The way that the spoiled immature brats carry on nowadays when they're on the pitch I wouldn't be surprised if the merest brush of an ankle from a little old ladies open toe sandal would see them rolling over and over in feigned agony along the supermarket aisle or describing a graceful arc into the frozen peas before screaming their outrage like four year olds at the checkout girl.

 

[Steve L]

Don't forget the MI 5 (muppet intelegence) security guard running down to blow his whistle. Parksy.

I saw the caravan mentioned in the birmingham local rag. There they were saying that for £5 1/2 K anyone could purchase one.

As for regulation and certification for buggies and non leisure walking sticks, I'd welcome that. I have to use a stick myself at present. I quickly bent the cheap folding stick which shows just how much pressure I transfer to the stick. Also, i'm not proud of it but I have now got a blue badge. I use it purely for accessing a wider parking space so that I can open the car door fully to get in and out of my car. Once I'm upright I can walk reasonable distance with a stick before the excruciating pain of comressed discs and degenerated vertibrae kick in. I liken the discomfort to riding a unicycle without a saddle. But it too two consultant surgeons letters and a supportive letter from my local GP before I could pass the County Council "non medicall assessment" which consist's of a questionaire and no physical demonstration of mobility. So that in eccense is about as much use as a hand brake on a canoe!

It never ceases to amaze me how many blue badge holders or buggie drivers stop where they fancey and quite openly sprint to the bookies or the take away at a simlar pace to able bodied folks.

Oh BTW I found out that our traffic wardens can police the blue badge scheme but have been told to "avoid confrontation". So basically in as many words a person who passes a non medical test can get a privelidged parking permit (that's what it is) and use it for 3 years before renewal without question, unless they park closer than 10 metres from a junction (no matter what yellow lines are there) or are stupid enough to park on a clearway or the zig zags of a pedestrian crossing, where if your lucky enough to see a policeman, you could then be nicked for obstruction.

Likewise in our own caravanning faternaty, I would welcome a proper driving test and periodic assessment for all people towing trailers let alone caravans. All that has come in legally is the post Jan 1997 drivers license catagory change which restricts what some car drivers can or can not do.

Yesterday was quite enlightening watching how capable or otherwise some of the caravanners were at towing or reversing. Trust me, there's plenty of footage for the tv comedy show. But I must congratulate some folks who did show a good level of skills. So if 30% can do some practice and hone their skills why can't the remaining 70% who just get there by luck rather than judgement?