Déjà vu or a parallel universe? “Arona to ban scooters” – again

[Janet]

From my website (where the links are):

In a seeming haze of amnesia about a bylaw passed last August – which I posted HERE – Arona has said that it is to take urgent measures and pass a decree this week to ban scooters. It is also hoping that Adeje will join in the measure, something that it actually did last September (link) in the wake of Arona's first decision to clamp down on the problem, and establish rules along the whole of the south west holiday coast.

In the forefront of the sudden rush to activity is an open letter written by Orange Badge proprietor Jeremy Mills which he also posted to my Facebook page HERE, in which he says that serious accidents have now already happened and that a fatality is just a matter of time. Routinely, now, people say they're not coming back to Tenerife because you're taking your life in your hands just strolling along the sea front, and complaints are made about 30km/h drivers on double scooters sometimes with beer cans being waved around as they beep pedestrians to get out of their way.

And so, yet again, the answer to a problem seems to be to pass new regulations when there are already perfectly good regulations in place ... which are either ignored or not communicated by council and local police. What is the point of new bylaws if these too are to get the same uninterested treatment? Will someone actually have to be killed?

Part of the problem, it seems clear, is that licences were granted to businesses under flexibilization schemes to help start-up businesses. These allowed operations to begin trading without the byzantine administration normally required. Economically, that makes sense, and it has clearly helped many small businesses set up that would otherwise never have got off the ground, but it has also resulted in a proliferation of the scooter market because it is a niche that clearly has a tourist appeal.

Surely what must happen is that the councils must revisit these licences and see whether they have licensed businesses to offer disability equipment, or tourist leisure facilities. If the latter, then it cannot be beyond the wit of man to legislate against tourist leisure activities including mowing down pedestrians, and driving road vehicles, while drunk, uninsured and unhelmeted, on pavements at a speed that at times it's impossible to reach on the roads in the more congested parts of the south west coast.

"Something must be done" has now itself been done to death. What must actually be done is that the existing bylaws are checked to see if they are up to the job, improved where needed, and then enforced!

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Advance warning to those who do not like profanity - skip over this post.

I wish they would get those stupid motherfucking assholes off the pavement and FAST.  They are such a menace and there is no excuse.  A bunch of able-bodied idiots who should know better but they are so selfish it makes me angry.  Shitheads.

[Nova]

Anyone remember the slogan for Mel Harvey's mobility scooter shop in the series Benidorm?  "You don't have to be an invalid to enjoy your holiday". I think that show has a lot to answer for.

[Perikles]

I wish they would get those stupid motherfucking assholes off the pavement and FAST.  They are such a menace and there is no excuse.  A bunch of able-bodied idiots who should know better but they are so selfish it makes me angry.  Shitheads.

That's a disgraceful way for a scooter driver to talk about people walking on the pavement. 

[Anne 2009]

Advance warning to those who do not like profanity - skip over this post.

I wish they would get those stupid motherfucking assholes off the pavement and FAST.  They are such a menace and there is no excuse.  A bunch of able-bodied idiots who should know better but they are so selfish it makes me angry.  Shitheads.

Glad to see you don't mince your words myrtle 

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Oh Anne, sorry, forgot you were a refugee, now former. 

I am not known for being subtle about stupidity.  But this time I gave a warning! 

[Anne 2009]

And i agree with every word of it 

[Michael]

They will act, but not until someone is killed and it's all over the British media. 

[Marion]

I've got two over here. One baby sized one that gets me to the restaurants and pubs down on my level and another humongous one which gets me if I'm going up the hills to the town at the top. I do drive carefully though!

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Marion, I am sure you do.  You have to see them zipping up and down in areas like Torviscas and Las Americas. 

I've seen them doing this manoeuvre more suited to dog agility courses on the pavements, using the trees as the poles:

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