How sad is this!

[NJ2Boardwalk]

Enuf said.
We saw a DUI on an ECV last week! Cocktail in one hand stearing with the other. Lets put some limitations on these for the safety of everyone!

 

[Eljay]

OMG! Could you get pulled over for DUI with a scooter?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I know I'm going to get in trouble for this but... who administered the blood test or Breathalyzer, and what does the picture have to do with the post?

This is going to sound strange but, surprisingly, it really does take only one hand to steer/operate an ECV. There's a throttle and a handlebar on each side of the main column. This enables right-handed people, left-handed people, ambidextrous people, people who favor one hand but whose hand is tired (from controlling the throttle and the steering through crowds), and people who only have the use of one hand, to all use the same equipment. Nothing has to be specially-designed.

Note: This does differ from electric wheelchairs, which are customized to the user's needs.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

What is your point?

 

[MareSINY]

Is it just me or is it more sad that this person took the time to photograph that sign and post the picture?

 

[SharkyGoddess]

Personally, from some of the ECV operator accidents I have read about on here and accidents I have whitnessed myself in other places, I think anyone operating an ECV should be required to carry some form of operator's insurance like you are required to carry when driving a car. I have seen some very careful, aware drivers of ECVs and some driving them, speeding around as if they were getting points for the most pedestrians hit.

 

[Eljay]

I know this is a hot topic, but since an ECV driver hit my ankle a couple of weeks ago, I'm going to be very careful to stay away from them.

 

[MzDiz]

I have a health condition that hits me now and then pretty hard. One of those times was at AK last week and I had to rent an ECV for part of the day. I learned some things that morning.
A) the park scooters only go about .3 miles an hour, you could crawl faster
B) they don't have brakes
C) you are INVISIBLE when you are on one, unless someone wants to laugh at you and shake their head, which happened to me
D) people will walk in front of you, then get angry that you don't stop for them
E) the phrase "if you love your child, you'll stop throwing them in the path of this blade-less lawn mower I'm driving" tends to upset people
F) drinking would have made the entire experience better

 

[CanadianGuy]

Just a note of caution, ECV threads are rapidly becoming the new 'pool hopping' or 'reusable mugs' threads.

Keep it civilized and polite please. If this thread goes south, it will be closed promptly.

Thanks in advance,

Knox

 

[kimluvswdw]

I will only say that people should save the ECVs for the people who really need them. It is a sad thing to see someone using them just so they don't have to wait in the ride lines. I have seen them abused like this.

 

[MzDiz]

I will only say that people should save the ECVs for the people who really need them. It is a sad thing to see someone using them just so they don't have to wait in the ride lines. I have seen them abused like this.

Did they admit that's what they were doing?

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Being Handicapped does NOT get you front of line access.

 

[mgilmer]

Was the person driving the ECV while intoxicated using a reusable mug and traveling between resort pools?

 

[Eljay]

Being Handicapped does NOT get you front of line access.

Absolutely correct. The man who hit my ankle was backing up, because he was being turned away from the Fast Pass lane, without a Fast Pass.

 

[yxe dad]

Was the person driving the ECV while intoxicated using a reusable mug and traveling between resort pools?

I actually laughed outloud on this one!!!
Nice!!!!

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

I think the OP was just pointing out the fact that all of the ECVs were gone and then saw one person drinking while driving one. I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but I think that's what the OP was trying to get at.

Sadly wheelchairs and ECVs are abused by some, but for most they are needed. My mom needs a wheelchair because she can't walk long distances because of several health conditions. She looks 'normal' on the outside so she does get looks from people. Some people can be rude and there were several times during our last visit that I actually had to say to fellow guests, "excuse me. I'm sorry but if you don't move I'm going to hit you" and by no means would I do it on purpose or intentionally to be mean. However, my family is there to enjoy the experience together just like they are with their family. The only difference is is that my mom is in a wheelchair.

I can say I never pushed (we had a regular wheelchair) and drove.

 

[CPer'sMom]

My DD (who is a CM at Epcot) has seen way too many intoxicated ECV riders The most memorable one being the woman boarding a Friendship boat. The FB captains asked her to wait until they could assist her ~ She was loud and ignoring them. Her family members were clearly embarassed and kept telling her to wait for help. But, no, she didn't need any help. Yep, you guessed it .... she hit the loading ramp and promptly tipped right over!!

 

[MzDiz]

Absolutely correct. The man who hit my ankle was backing up, because he was being turned away from the Fast Pass lane, without a Fast Pass.

If I'm not mistaken, there are a couple rides that send you through the fast pass line with a wheelchair/ECV because it's a straight shot without all the maze action of the regular line. Perhaps he was confused by previous lines?
Honestly, if anyone thinks that an ECV makes things more convenient, just rent one and see for yourself. It's a 35 dollar lesson you'll remember. It's really a pain in the butt.

 

[Mike©]

 

[SueM in MN]

People should not be using an ECV while intoxicated. Just like cars, some people do drink and 'drive'. And, we have seen some pretty intoxicated walkers (especially some who were trying to have a drink at each of the WS countries).

CMs can confiscate the park rental ECVs from people who are using them in an unsafe manner. I have seen CMs talking to guests who were using an outside rental ECV in an unsafe manner (and security took the guests away after they didn't listen to the other CM - I don't know what happened afterwards). So, if you see someone who is using an ECV in an unsafe manner, tell a CM and ask for security to intervene.

I will only say that people should save the ECVs for the people who really need them. It is a sad thing to see someone using them just so they don't have to wait in the ride lines. I have seen them abused like this.

Being Handicapped does NOT get you front of line access.

edcrbnsoul is right.
People using wheelchairs or ECVs don't get out of waiting in line.
Most of the lines at WDW are wheelchair accessible, so there are very few situations where someone actually goes thru a wheelchair entrance. In most cases, they wait in the same line with everyone else. For a very few attractions, there is an alternate entrace because the regular one isn't accessible and was not able to be made accessible (most in MK or Epcot since they were built before accessibility was thought of). There are some others, where the boarding area is not accessible and wheelchair/ECV users wait in the regular or Fastpass line and then are pulled into a different area for loading (Buzz Lightyear and Splash Mountain are examples).

One of the other things that people who don't use wheelchairs don't know is where people with wheelchairs go when they are taken out of the line. They assume those people who 'disappear' from the line are boarding right away, but that is not usually the case.
If they can't board at the regular boarding spot, they are pulled out of the line - usually just before the regular line gets to the boarding area (so they have already waited as long as everyone that got in the line the same time as they did).
For example, at Buzz Lightyear, the 'pull off point' is after you have gone thru the room with the large Buzz Lightyear, near the point where regular line is beginning to enter the actual boarding area. Guests with wheelchairs/ ECVs are pulled out of line at that point and sent to the exit - not to board right away, but to wait. If there are too many people with disabilities already on the attraction, you have to wait for some to get off (for fire safetly and evacuation reasons). Because our DD can't get out of her wheelchair easily, we have to wait extra for a special car that the wheelchair can be loaded on. We usually see the people who were right ahead of us in line getting off after riding while we are still waiting to board. In some rides, boarding at the accessible area means you miss part of the attraction; for example, at Haunted Mansion, you miss the entire 'stretching room' part of the attraction.

The Safari at AK is notorious for extra waits for people with disabilities. Our longest wait there was an EXTRA 40 minutes at a time when the regular line was walk on and Safari Trams were pulling out partially loaded because people were not walking up fast enough to fill them.

AK and the Studio were built with what are called 'Mainstream Lines'. These are lines where the regular line is wheelchair/ECV accessible and a person using a wheelchair or ECV waits in the same line with everyone else.

Here's what it says in the official WDW Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities about Mainstream Lines and the list of attractions with Mainstream Queues:
As you can see, most of the lines are Mainstream Queues:

Magic Kingdom® Park
Ariel's Grotto
Astro Orbiter
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Donald's Boat
Judge's Tent
Mickey's Country House
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Mike Fink Keelboats (seasonal)
Minnie's Country House
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain®
Splash Mountain®
Stitch's Great Escape!™
The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacres Farm
"The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management"
The Hall of Presidents
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Laugh Floor
Tomorrowland® Indy Speedway
Toontown Hall of Fame
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (seasonal)

Epcot®
FUTURE WORLD
Imagination!: All Attractions
Innoventions East
Innoventions West
Mission: SPACE
Test Track
The Living Seas: All Attractions
The Land: All Attractions
Universe of Energy: "Ellen's Energy Adventure"
Wonders of Life: All Attractions (seasonal)

WORLD SHOWCASE
China: "Reflections of China"
France: "Impressions de France"
FriendShip Boats
Norway: Maelstrom
The American Adventure: "The American Adventure"

Disney-MGM Studios
Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour
Fantasmic!
Lights, Motors, Action!™ Extreme Stunt Show
Muppet*Vision 3D
Playhouse Disney - Live On Stage!
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith
Sounds Dangerous - Starring Drew Carey
Star Tours
The Great Movie Ride
The Magic of Disney Animation
"The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™"
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Walt Disney: One Man's Dream

Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
Caravan Stage: "Flights of Wonder"
DINOSAUR
Grandmother Willow's Grove: "Pocahontas and Her forest friends"
It's Tough To Be A Bug
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Lion King Theater: "Festival of the Lion King"
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Primeval Whirl
The Boneyard
TriceraTop Spin

I wanted to add that Soarin' and EE are missing from the list. They are both Mainstream Access.
And, some attractions have limited number of spots for wheelchairs. We have already shown up for shows where there was still room for ambulatory people, but the wheelchair spots were already filled for that show and we had to wait for the next one (Voyage of the Little Mermaid, where we had Fastpasses; and ITTBAB, where the CMs were practically begging people to come into the queue because there was no wait in the standby line.