Scooter rentals now TARGETING the lazy!! (LONG)

[oobidoo]

Unfortunately, this problem will only get worse. We have 7 yr olds riding around in strollers now.

The guy who was in his 30's and said he was just lazy was probably pushed around DW in a stroller when he was 10. These habits begin early in life.

In defense of the way to big to be in a stroller kids, we have rented a stroller for DD when she had blistered heels, extremely hot days, etc., but that is in no way affecting anyone else. That is purely a personal choice. This is not because she is "lazy." We try to do whatever we can to make the trip as pleasurable, and pain-free, as possible for all of us. I dont know why that bothers people so much.

I think we need a scooter abuse task force!!! ::cop:

 

[wic0721]

We stayed at POP back in May, after waiting in line for almost 20 minutes for the bus to MK, as soon as the bus appeared two women in ECV came flying out of no where.....as everyone knows wheelchairs get on the buses first, we all waited patiently for 40 minutes (I kid you not!) for these two women to try and manuever this things into position, they had no clue what they were doing, and the bus driver has to secure them before he can let everyone else board the bus. Finally they both got off of them and let the bus driver lift them into position so he could secure them. Then we all watched these two women sit down on 2 seats, not sit on the scooters.......so with the 2 scooters taking up 6 seats, these two women took 8 sitting positions total. Those of us waiting in line wanted to wring their necks!!! We saw them later in the week walking around DTD, and nothing appeared to be wrong with either one of them. After that episode, my DH would cringe everytime he saw a scooter in line at the bus stops!

 

[BrianD]

I park in thre blue spots near the front of the parking lot. It really is not cool at all.
Be careful what you wish for because I sure do not wish that for you or anyone I know or love.

Actually, I was being tongue-in-cheek/sarcastic about it. I probably should have added a or something like that. The fact is, we do park there, as we have a handicapped son. I just think this whole scooter thing is getting out of hand, and why not force people to have some kind of tag/card or doctor's note or something to allow them to rent these things? Just like with parking in a handicapped spot? If it becomes too much of an issue, I hope Disney takes some sort of action. I cringe thinking about someone truly needing a scooter not able to rent one because some kids or someone who wants to save their energy for dancing that night have rented them all out.

 

[iwannabeminnie]

You have to have a special card or plate to park in a handicapped parking place. You should have to have a card to use a wheelchair or ECV that is provided for you. Those people who own a wheelchair or EVC need them. Not many folks shell out the big bucks for "convenience". Department stores, grocery stores, and WDW should ask for a card. Those with temporary injuries should be issued temporary cards, just like temporary tags are issued for handicapped parking.

 

[LBAK]

My DH is always encouraging me to get an ECV when we go down. I refuse to for now. I am actually afraid of the comments I'll get. I in no way look like I have a disability. I can walk for a fairly good distance at the beginning of the day. Later on I cannot straighten up and limp but I make it. I have rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and Sjogrens Syndrome. Nothing to see on the outside but I sure feel it on the inside. I get horribly rude comments when I park in handicapped spaces at the mall. For now, I walk slow and take lots of breaks.

 

[cooper1204]

I was at WDW last May and was furious after seeing someone on a scooter cut a very long bus line - this made the line move even slower since the bus driver had to assit her on the bus - low and behold, when she got on the bus - she had no problem getting out of her scooter and walking over to a seat that could have been given to someone else ....to make matters worse - she had her whole family cut the line with her (there were probably 6 of them all together)....

While this would not upset me if the person had a "legitimate" disability - this was simply outrageous...

 

[jpeka65844]

OP here! Wow! I didn't think this would stir up such a nest! I think it's really sad for those of you who've posted saying "I really needed one but didn't appreciate the stares and evil looks." Isn't that sad that the people who REALLY might need one are now ashamed to use it because they might be considered abusers????? Hey, if you need it, you need it. I have a DF who struggles with debilitating asthma and if she were to go to WDW, she'd need one. You might not know it looking at her, but she would.

What makes me mad is that scooter stores, rentals, etc.... are now TARGETING these lazy people! They're actually a demographic whose business they want to attract! They're ENCOURAGING it!!!!

Personal responsibility surrenders!!!!!




Denice T.
Olathe, KS

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Last year we were waiting for a bus at POR. After a long wait one arrived but wouldn't let anyone board. After about 10 minutes of sitting there with the doors closed a family of ECV riders came along. Mom, Dad, Grandma & 2 kids. The pulled up to "their" bus. The they each got off of their scooter, removed their shaded roof things (you know what I mean! LOL) And walked around to stretch their legs at they loaded all 5 of the ECVs. Then the 5 opf them hopped on the bus & left. Apparently they get their own private bus.

This is true. We made a trip in Dec 2003 and had 4 people using scooters, all 4 were definitely needed, not just wanted. We would call Disney transportation and they would send a bus to our resort and pick us up. Most Disney busses accommodate 2 scooters, I think, but they have busses that will accommodate more than 2 and they use those for picking up groups of scooters. When we were ready to be picked up, the bus came and got us. It was our bus, they took us where we wanted and did not follow the bus routes. Without this service our trip would not have been possible. The reason we were there was to spend Christmas with my son who was on the College Program at the time. We were most thankful for this service, without it it would have taken forever for all of us to meet up at a park for the day, having to take more than one bus.

That being said, I do not condone anyone using a scooter just because they don't want to walk. I simply wanted to explain why those scooter people got their own bus.

 

[minnie61650]

I was at WDW last May and was furious after seeing someone on a scooter cut a very long bus line - this made the line move even slower since the bus driver had to assit her on the bus - low and behold, when she got on the bus - she had no problem getting out of her scooter and walking over to a seat that could have been given to someone else ....to make matters worse - she had her whole family cut the line with her (there were probably 6 of them all together)....

While this would not upset me if the person had a "legitimate" disability - this was simply outrageous...

I cannot speak for the lady you saw but I also get up off the ECV and take a seat after backing my EVC into the tiedown area. If a HA guest is able to take a seat the bus drivers and Disney prefer that they sit in a seat and not in the EVC. An EVC is very top heavy and even when the drivers use all the extra straps required to secure the EVC plus the guest into place it really is not that secure. EVC's with passengerson them have been known to tip onto other guests when the buses make their turns. It is far safer for all the passengers if the EVC driver takes a seat.

I have a spinal disorder that will worsen with time. I can walk about 150-200 feet and then my legs will become numb and then they will buckle and I will collapse to the ground if I do not have support. I know my limitations so while I may get up out of the EVC to stretch my legs for a minute and I may look very able bodied to others I am not.

So please do not make assumptions just because someone is able to get off the scooter and walk a few feet to a seat.

 

[goofie4goofy]

this past spring we were at USO at the Portofino Bay Hotel. There were 2 teen boys in ECV's. They were racing down the hallways, racing each other in the piazza, laughing their butts off. One night as we were going for dinner we saw them at the Piazza driving the ECV's thru the water and again laughing their butts off. They must have been in a room by ours because the hallway was scuffed all over the place with skid marks from them hitting the walls.
These jerk off's, er I mean kids were not sick or unable to walk...how did they get an ECV?

Don't get me started on lazy people in ECV's. Like another poster stated, if you needed a card from a Dr. to get one, there would not be that many. Sad to say that people that need them most are too proud to use one...my Dad was the same way.

I guess there are a lot of "George Costanza's" out there. Why walk when you can sit it a sad way to go thru life...sometimes your actions can be self fufilling prophicies. It's pretty evident that we are a nation of laziness and over indulgience. It seems that everything in WDW had to be widened.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Minnie161650 ---

I agree with you, just because your disability cannot be seen, does not mean it isn't real. It is awfully easy to judge someone by what you think you see or "don't see".

 

[tlmdisney]

One thing that I have noticed on this thread and on others is everyones paranoia that there is someone out there who is going to cheat the "system" get over it or it is just going to make your time much worse trying to figure out if the person actually needs help or are the taking advantage. Most people in the world are good!

 

[dvcgirl]

Of course there are many people who absolutely need those ECVs, and their disabilities are not always evident from looking at them. However, at the same time, it's glaringly apparent that as we continue to blow up in size as a nation, that the use of ECVs by obese people at WDW (and elsewhere) has skyrocketed. WDW seems to draw a disproportionate amount of heavy people as it is. Seriously, ever look around the parks these days? Years ago, a lot of these heavier folks would have had no choice but to walk. And now, if they can afford the ECV, they don't have to walk. And it seems to me that this only increases the problem.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I don't know how they handle truely disabled people on scooters as far as lines. Do they go in a special entrance therefore not having to wait in line with others? Maybe this guy is using the scooter not only because he doesn't want to walk but also because he wants to avoid the lines??? It's simply disgusting to me.

Ideally, no. As many queues as possible at Walt Disney World (especially MGM and Animal Kingdom) were designed to handle wheelchairs and ECVs. And MANY times, if the Guest in the wheelchair does use a different entrance/path to get all or part of the way through the line, it doesn't mean they get on/in the ride faster. Um, example: I once had to wait in Norway so long, some people who were in the regular line when I got to the wheelchair door were already out before I was in.

On our last trip to MK (Sept 2004) we stayed at POP, and after Wishes we were waiting 2 hours for a bus that could accommodate us to actually get back to the hotel. In that time, 5 scooters got onto the bus - and 4 of the lazy so n so's were walking around, didn't need scooters, and were frankly just fat, lazy slobs

Last year we were waiting for a bus at POR. After a long wait one arrived but wouldn't let anyone board. After about 10 minutes of sitting there with the doors closed a family of ECV riders came along. Mom, Dad, Grandma & 2 kids. The pulled up to "their" bus. The they each got off of their scooter, removed their shaded roof things (you know what I mean! LOL) And walked around to stretch their legs at they loaded all 5 of the ECVs. Then the 5 opf them hopped on the bus & left. Apparently they get their own private bus

Since I don't know any of the ten people involved here, I'm NOT defending any of them - just trying to explain possibilities.
Forgetting the fact that two hours is WAY too long to wait for transportation back to your resort (and I'd have complained both there, to the person in charge AND back at my hotel), the safest way for a person using an ECV to ride a bus is to get off the ECV and sit in a regular seat. That way, the driver just has to tie down the vehicle, NOT the person. This greatly lowers the center of gravity and reduces or eliminates the chance of tipping/injury.
And for the other five-ECV incident, it's extremely possible that, since each bus can ordinarily only handle TWO wheelchairs or ECVs at a time, that a special arrangement was made to transport all five people. I haven't got the slightest idea how the vehicles would be secured for the ride, but again, it's safer for everyone if the users sit in regular bus seats. ANYway, ideally this special arrangement would have been made AFTER they'd waited for transportation and discovered they couldn't all ride together (although, IMO, if they were all adults I don't see why they couldn't have gone on three separate buses, along with the numerous Guests NOT using scooters)

We had been waiting for a while when they all arrived at the bus stop. One of the women proudly announced to the group "It won't take us long to get a bus. We get to go first on these things!" And sure enough, when the bus arrived they boarded first along with their whole traveling party and we got to wait even longer for a bus!

Yep, that's Disney's policy - I don't know if they set it on their own or if it has anything to do with the ADA. But you will all be happy to know that if I approach a bus stop with a long line as the bus is arriving (or if it comes within a few minutes) I will NOT board that bus. I can wait just like everyone else.

While I agree with most of the posters here that it is wrong to is a scooter if you dont need one. I mean reallly how is a person who doesnt have the stamina to walk around WDW for the day going to have the stamina to dance all night.

Sigh... leave it to a DIS-er to display common sense...

I commend you for using the busses in this manner but in my two trips I haven't seen anyone else do this. It has always been that people in ECV or wheelchairs wheel up to the front and load on the next bus. They never waited in line.

Absolutely unfair, and frankly ridiculous. I use an ECV when I travel. I am not any more privileged than anybody else at that same vacation destination. I should not be entitled to any more special treatment than anyone else there.

We have never been to the theme parks so are unfamiliar with the process. Should we bring bungee cords to attach the crutches to the back of the scooter chair? ( If there is one avaliable.) Help...

Eh, there's probably not a secure way to do this. But I've (almost) never had a problem just riding with the crutches upright in front of me, between my knees. Or the rest of you can take turns carrying the crutches for him. Also, CALL Universal. I don't know if the policy still exists, but in the past it's been possible to actually reserve an ECV in advance!

Then we all watched these two women sit down on 2 seats, not sit on the scooters.......so with the 2 scooters taking up 6 seats, these two women took 8 sitting positions total.

Again, I know it seems unfair - but it's for safety.

One thing that I have noticed on this thread and on others is everyones paranoia that there is someone out there who is going to cheat the "system" get over it or it is just going to make your time much worse trying to figure out if the person actually needs help or are the taking advantage. Most people in the world are good!

Well, of course - but good is boring No news, no controversy, no difference of opinion...

Seriously, ever look around the parks these days? Years ago, a lot of these heavier folks would have had no choice but to walk. And now, if they can afford the ECV, they don't have to walk.

OTOH, years ago some of us couldn't GO to Disney World, or any other vacation destination that involved a great deal of walking. I went to Washington DC about fifteen years ago. The second day, I was with my brother - he was talking to me, then suddenly he wasn't. I was fifty feet back, flat on my face.

 

[moonvine]

What makes me mad is that scooter stores, rentals, etc.... are now TARGETING these lazy people! They're actually a demographic whose business they want to attract! They're ENCOURAGING it!!!!

Why does this make you angry? Scooter stores and rentals are in business to make money. If they can make money, that is more money going into the economy and more jobs. If I owned a business, I would not hesitate to target a profitable market, provided it wasn't illegal (selling cigarettes to minors, for example).

 

[moonvine]

Of course there are many people who absolutely need those ECVs, and their disabilities are not always evident from looking at them. However, at the same time, it's glaringly apparent that as we continue to blow up in size as a nation, that the use of ECVs by obese people at WDW (and elsewhere) has skyrocketed. WDW seems to draw a disproportionate amount of heavy people as it is. Seriously, ever look around the parks these days? Years ago, a lot of these heavier folks would have had no choice but to walk. And now, if they can afford the ECV, they don't have to walk. And it seems to me that this only increases the problem.

I have to say that as a fat person, I am glad there are going to be other fat people in the park when I go. It is always nice to not be the only one. Disney is pretty much known as a fat friendly destination, and since there are lots of fat people in the U.S., making themselves fat friendly is a good business decision on their part, as far as I am concerned.

I do not have a scooter, but lots of my fat friends do. For many of them, it is either purchase a scooter or stay at home.

I'm really sad to see the amount of anti fat bias there is on these boards.

Fat people are just people. We aren't necessarily lazy, though certainly some of us are.

By the way, I don't have a problem being fat. It is just the size I happen to be. If others have a problem with it, well....I am not sure what to say there. Seems a waste of their time to me.

 

[BillSears]

I commend you for using the busses in this manner but in my two trips I haven't seen anyone else do this. It has always been that people in ECV or wheelchairs wheel up to the front and load on the next bus. They never waited in line.

There are a couple of reasons for this though. I have arrived just as a bus was boarding. Once people are going in through the normal entrance they will no longer load wheelchairs so if I'm not right up front and waiting even if there is room on the bus I won't be able to board at all.

There have been times where I hung back just abit and the bus driver didn't notice I was there. He opened up the regular doors and let people board. I went up to the doors and asked to be loaded and I got chewed out for not being up front where he could see me(well it was a mild chewing out) and even though I was there waiting for a long time I still had to wait till the next bus arrived.

So when you see me roll right up front and center it's because that's what I've been told to do. I've been told that if I'm not there then I'm not going to be able to ride the bus.

 

[FDV]

If someone wants to embarrass theirselves by renting a scooter because they're too lazy or too out of shape to walk, then I really couldn't care less. My problem with these scooters is that there are too many people using them that are too stupid to watch where they are going. I have had my heals clipped by them, and I have seen a couple of people receive minor injuries from them by careless or inconsiderate riders. I think as they become more common and people get fatter and lazier, there might have to be some sort of license required to use them in public, just to protect the rest of us.

 

[goofie4goofy]

Of course there are many people who absolutely need those ECVs, and their disabilities are not always evident from looking at them. However, at the same time, it's glaringly apparent that as we continue to blow up in size as a nation, that the use of ECVs by obese people at WDW (and elsewhere) has skyrocketed. WDW seems to draw a disproportionate amount of heavy people as it is. Seriously, ever look around the parks these days? Years ago, a lot of these heavier folks would have had no choice but to walk. And now, if they can afford the ECV, they don't have to walk. And it seems to me that this only increases the problem.

It is a very very sad situation we are in. As an active person and a healthy eater, I find it very difficult to find healthy food choices in WDW as they are limited...most likely due to the lack of interest. It does seem that WDW enables the obese, not only by letting anyone rent a scooter, but also with huge fattening portions of food. The point of this post is not for the people that are in need of ECV's, but the ones that abuse them.

 

[badblackpug]

Oooh thank you for having the courage to post this. I thought we were the only ones enraged by scooter and wheelchair abuse. I have been run down by more wheelcahirs and scooters in WDW than I care to mention! ...and most of the time an hour or so later I will see that person walking and another family member riding! Or the wheelchair is used as a "shopping cart" to wheel around bags, ETC.! Except when it is time to get in line then someone "convienently" can't walk! ARRRGGGHHH!

...and while boing politcally incorrect....the same goes for strollers!!!! If I get rammed by one more stroller schlepping around a 10 year old........