Golf Cart Problems

[stacktester]

Last night as we were arriving to the campfire on my bike 2 teens on a Disney cart almost hit me. Had I not seen them before they took off I probably would be at Celebration Hospital right now. Both just laughing away and the driver hit the pedal as hard as he could. When he saw me he said whoaaaaaaaaaaaa and I said you damn right whoa. I asked him if he was 16 and he says oh yes sir. I got his cart number and told Cliff (a cast member at the campfire program) and he said he would get the contract of that cart out and go to the renter. Today as we were going to dodgeball the same 2 kids almost hit us again. Cliff happened to be right there and he got them redhanded. I have a good idea on the golf cart issue at the fort. When you rent a cart you sign that if any under age driver causes damage/injury that it's completely on you to pay all costs. When it comes to private carts have an agreement signed at check in that if an underaged driver is caught on the cart and damage/injury occur once again it's the owners problem to deal with. The cart should also be taken away and not returned until departure.

If the carts ever get restricted at the fort it's because people let kids drive them. Rules are rules and they usually apply for a reason. In this case Disney has decided no one under 16 can drive one. It's plain and simple. I don't rent carts often but I do enjoy it when I do. I plan on my grandmother being here with us in July and I would like her to have a cart to see the place in. Had that cart hit me last night I'd hate to see what condition I'd be in. It's just not right that people think it's ok because these kids can operate a cart. I think I speak for many for a lot of parents who come here. If a cart driven by an underage driver hurts my child somebody is going to carry home a full grown whoopin. Sorry but true. I can't for the life of me understand why, when the castmembers tell you no kids operating the cart do you still let it happen. It's because they don't think about consequences. I've see cart after cart going around with kids in them all week. Maybe one day it will be taken care of. Hopefully before an accident.

 

[Shannone1]

I can't for the life of me understand why, when the castmembers tell you no kids operating the cart do you still let it happen. It's because they don't think about consequences. I've see cart after cart going around with kids in them all week. Maybe one day it will be taken care of. Hopefully before an accident.

I totally agree. We saw alot of that kind of behavior too. Mostly in the rented golf carts. Kids thinking it was fun to try to squeel their tires and do donuts We have a golf cart and I allow our 10 and 13 year old dd's to drive it around our 17 acres here at home, but they are never allowed to drive them anywhere else. They didn't understand why I wouldn't let them when they saw so many other people doing it. I just told them that it was against the rules and just because some parents weren't following the rules, that didn't mean WE weren't going to obey them.

I hope people start paying attention to what their kids are doing before someone gets really hurt and we are all affected.

 

[tungpo1]

I agree my twin girls are only 10 but they have been driving my carts (with me on the cart in my neighborhood) and they drive better then most licenced drivers, but I would never let them drive at the Fort. There has been so many accidents with carts at the Fort is crazy. The bridge that goes from the Meadows to the bike barn / pool area should not be allowed I've almost got hit numerous times that little mirror is not enough.

 

[stacktester]

I'm glad some people agree with me on this. I would imagine a golf cart would hurt pretty bad. Bike riders are a minority around here now. Teens on carts just isn't a good mix. With the cars, buses, walkers and bike riders there's a lot to look out for.

 

[big kahuna1]

I do agree that there are always gone be the FEW who will not abide by the rules no matter the consequences. That is simply reality. I also agree that teens and carts usually don't mix but that is not all teens. I also agree you did the right thing and turned them in. But, the simnple fact is that golf cart problems in Disney are few based on the thousands they rent each year. In fact, your title heading should truthfully have read "Golf Cart Problem" and not "Golf Cart Problems".

 

[ftwildernessguy]

We keep going around with the golf cart issue and the golf cart supporters continue to claim there really isn't a problem. I personally have seen an increase in the underage and reckless driving infractions, and apparently I am not alone, since the complaints on the board seem to be increasing. I would think that golf cart supporters would be more interested in getting the violators off the carts and seeing the rules strictly enforced, since the law abiding cart drivers would suffer the most if Disney gets hit with enough lawsuits and the carts end up getting axed. I applaud you, Stacktester, for taking control and doing the right thing by turning in the violators. I don't want to see the carts banned, I just want them better controlled.

 

[Gatordad]

I agree that the rules need to be enforced, but in the words of Matt Hooper of the Ocean Institute at Woods Hole

"You aren't going to do anything about this problem, until it bites you in the ****"

Unfortunately, Disney has cut back so much, they don't have the bandwith to enforce the rules like they should/or they just don't care. I guarantee if they made a policy like the one on the mini boats on the lagoon that says they will take the cart away, and the person still pays, you won't have the underage drivers out there.

 

[Tent Camping Mom]

I'm so glad you reported them Stacktester. I'm usually oblivious to who's breaking rules until close calls like this happen. I'm sure there were a lot of underage drivers during Spring Break when we were there but I only noticed one (again, I'm oblivious to these things) but DS(11) noticed it (of course I had to hear "why can't I drive, she's driving" ). We had just picked up the cart when a man and little girl (looked to be about 9-10 years old), were returning their's and she was driving. I wish I had stuck around to see what the CM had to say about that, if anything.

 

[Colson39]

big Kahuna is absolutely right, just because we visit this forum every day and talk about golf carts, we can't sit here and claim that there is a massive problem with the golf carts as Disney sees it.

Considering how many golf carts they rent in a day, if people were almost getting hit ALL the time, we would see a lot more posts from people that visit on this forum. As it is, we still only get a few and sometimes it's the same people talking about it.

I'm not claiming that it's something that should be ignored or not rectified. Anyone under the age limit SHOULD NOT be driving a cart. But sometimes I think this board blows the problem way out of proportion.

It's understandable though, when people don't like something, they want everyone else to not like it with them, it's social acceptance. That's why the squeaky wheel gets the grease, because those that don't like it will be much more vocal about it than those who do.

Alas, this is just another one of those golf cart threads that will go around in a loop. The only thing I can say, is that I don't see Disney doing anything about this until there is a serious injury/death, as morbid as that sounds. As it is now, all we ever see people post about is how "I almost got hit". If people were constantly posting about going to the hospital because of the carts, I'm sure things would be different.

Just my .02 in this never ending (and sometimes annoying) discussion

 

[tungpo1]

Golf Carts RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tent Camping Mom]

Speaking of injuries, we came up on a golf cart accident the day we were leaving. But this was obviously a grown man and his wife and not a teen. A man was lying in the grass not far from the Meadows and 1500 loop. His leg was twisted and obviously broken. DH assumed his wife was driving and they were probably getting off the road to let a 5th wheel pass (they too were on the side trying to help). And being "smart" the man decided to stick his leg out for whatever reason (probably thinking it was going slow enough to just hop out or help stop the cart ). Anywho, it was not a pretty sight. The man was screaming in pain and medics had just arrived as we got there.

 

[Colson39]

That reminds me to stop scraping the ground with my sneakers when I'm driving the cart. Sorry, been doing it since I was a kid, it's fun! This guy must have really stuck his leg out though, maybe I shouldn't do that anymore

 

[tungpo1]

You should have told him it feels good when it stops hurting.

 

[catalexander]

have you ever noticed that anytime someone gets hurt on a golf cart, it's generally because they were doing something stupid, or breaking a "Disney rule" in some manner, shape or form?

You never hear... I was following all the rules, doing everything just like I was supposed to and BAM! I broke my leg!

karma?

 

[Colson39]

Well, actually, I do have a story where we followed all the rules and something did happen.

About 6 years ago, an ex-girlfriend of mine and I were riding around in the cart. We decided we needed to head back for something, and I made a u-turn. Mind you, I wasn't going fast, didn't try to zoom around, just made a normal speed u-turn. Well, she had a Coke in her hand, and the momentum switch caused her to tumble out the side of the cart into the middle of the street, where she banged her head pretty hard on the concrete, along with the rest of her body.

We ended up going to Celebration Hospital to get a CAT Scan to have everything checked out, and they bandaged up all the bruises and cuts. Needless to say, she wasn't in the worst shape, but was definitely banged up.

We weren't breaking any rules, weren't driving recklessly, it just was an "accident". Needless to say our "relationship" didn't last much longer after that....lol.

Now that time when I was 4 years old and climbed into the golf cart and ran it into a tree when my parents weren't looking, that was different

 

[Shannone1]

I agree my twin girls are only 10 but they have been driving my carts (with me on the cart in my neighborhood) and they drive better then most licenced drivers, but I would never let them drive at the Fort. There has been so many accidents with carts at the Fort is crazy. The bridge that goes from the Meadows to the bike barn / pool area should not be allowed I've almost got hit numerous times that little mirror is not enough.

I'm surprised they let golf carts on the bridge. I almost got clipped walking around that corner by a driver who was going WAY too fast...and he was an older guy. We always took the back ways to get to the pool or campfire program. I wasn't driving over that bridge. There was an awful lot of foot traffic anyway most of the time.

I am a supporter of golf carts. I think the majority of people followed the rules. Some people just don't like them. I got dirty looks from some people just because I was driving one...even though I drove slowly and carefully.

As I said before...I just hope that a few bad apples don't ruin it for everyone one day.

 

[big kahuna1]

Life happens...ain't nothing you can so about it except enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[Gatordad]

now I know why it's your ex.......


I was caddying one day, and two guys were looking for a ball, the driver made a hard left as the passenger was looking out the right side, and out he tumbled..... was funny to see. My old caddymaster used to yell at us if we rode with our left leg out. I still do it today out of habit, (bad one).


Carts kill about 50 people a year in this country.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

now I know why it's your ex.......


I was caddying one day, and two guys were looking for a ball, the driver made a hard left as the passenger was looking out the right side, and out he tumbled..... was funny to see. My old caddymaster used to yell at us if we rode with our left leg out. I still do it today out of habit, (bad one).


Carts kill about 50 people a year in this country.

That's more than have died at Mission Space, RnR and Tower of Terror!

On the course, I frequently drive with my left leg out. As a passenger, I seldom wait for the cart to stop before I get out, too. Just gotta get that next shot off.

 

[Gatordad]

with the way i play, it's usually quicker to walk the 10 feet, lol