PLEASE READ - A WARNING TO ALL MUMS!

[mammabelleboo]

Wasn't too sure where to post this, so thought I'd use this category as it's a popular one and I want as many mums to read this as possible.

My 2 yr old dd had a near miss of an accident this morning involving an infirm lady in a motorised wheelchair and I want to warn all other mums to keep their little ones as far away from these lethal things as possible.

I was in the local Co-op queueing at the till when I decided I fancied a bar of choc so I asked my little one to go and choose me one......big mistake. The choc was by this old lady in the wheelchair and I think she meant to reverse the chair to let dd get to the choc easier but accidentally put it into fast forward and my dd ended up being dragged horizontally along by the chair and was squashed in between the chair and the cash counter. The old lady was in such a flap, she wasn't concentrating on stopping the thing. I was absolutely helpless and the look of panic on my dd's face will stay with me to my dying day. An ambulance was called - thankfully she is OK and just has a very grazed abdomen and a bit of shock - it could have been so much worse. My fear was that at any minute she was going to go under the wheels of this thing and the consequences of a 2 yr old being run over by a heavy chair with a hefty old lady sat in it dosn't bear thinking about.....I am one grateful mummy, someone was watching over her today - words can't describe how lucky I feel that she's in one piece..........she can play up merry hell today - I don't care!!!!!

I don't want any other mum to experience what I did today - panic, hysteria (a few choice words were said to the old lady, I think the odd f word here and there , completely lost the plot basically and thought I was going to lose dd . Please be aware of these motorised chairs - the ambulance lady said they get called to so many incidents of old people losing control of them and running people down. At the end of the day the combination of being old and slow coupled with infirmity equals dulled reflexes - I don't think they should be allowed to use them unless they can prove they are in control. Keep your little ones well away. x.

[beautifulgirls]

Have you been in touch with your local MP to see if there is any chance a debate could be started to see if some sort of legislation about competence can be brought in for users of these chairs? You should be able to find your MP details online and get in touch by email. It is scary the numbers of other stories that are being mentioned here. I agree they are a great lifeline to those unable to get about - but so are cars and they have to be fit to drive those safely. Ultimately it is of no use or sense if they are running people down and even causing deaths.

[mammabelleboo]

tbh beautiful, part of me just wants to wash my hands of the incident and leave it as far behind as i can & just move on from it - but what you have said has struck a chord in my conscience - maybe it should be raised. my bruv in law is high up in insurance & has been cajoling me into claiming against the lady - but, no - don't want to as I simply want to forget it......but I think a line to my MP would be worthwhile - who knows what it could achieve? x.

[hazeyjane]

My MIL was knocked down by a motorised wheelchair, it was horrible, she suffered a broken collarbone and cracked ribs, even worse because she had just come out of hospital where she was being treated for cancer. The lady in the wheelchair not only didn't apologise but actually sped of up the road shouting "It wasn't my fault...". We wrote a letter to our local paper, and MP, but nothing came of it, there should definitely be some sort of a license required to use one. I hope your dd is okay, it must have been really scary for her, and you.

[needmorecoffee]

I don't get why they have to go so fast. They are there to replace walking, not sprinting!
My wheelchair goes at 3mph. Those scooters scare the crap out of me cos I have been boradsided and nearly knocked out. I can't walk but the old man driving his scooter could (saw him walk into a shop).
What on earth did old people do 20 years ago? They still went shopping. They just went slow and with sticks.

[honey2theb]

bloody hell, thats so scary! big hugs to you an dd.
i get stressed when i see old people on scooters driving them down the middle of busy roads, happens a lot here! so dangerous!

xxx

[mumof2pixies]

I have to sympathise, although my experience wasnt as bad, but could have been! i was in a local supermarket with my ds who was 14 months old at the time. We had pulled away from the tills and were loading the pram with our shopping when a lady in one of those motorised things came speeding towards us from the till point...i can only assume she must have lost control of it! The chair was ramming into the buggy with me pinned to the wall. I couldnt get to my ds who was screaming...it was just horrifying! Eventually she managed to untangle herself from my buggy and sped off...but unfortunately in doing so she seared of the wheel off my buggy! My pram is a mamas and papas three wheeler all terrain contraption, so is very hardy...couldnt believe this happened! A very kind gentleman ran after her as she sped out of the shop at full pelt to ask her to apologise, and apparently she just said no and carried on speeding out of the shop! The manager of the store had to take me home in his car as we had no way of getting back! I was so upset...we had no spare funds to fix the pram. My dp had the genius idea of emailing the pram manufacturer about it, and they fixed it for free which was so kind! I dread to think what would have happened to my ds if he had been in a lightweight stroller! It would not have stood the force at which we were being rammed! We also wrote to our local newspaper as we wanted an apology from this woman, but nothing came of it, except a response from shopmobility saying that the vehciles were safe! Hmmm! I definitely stay well away from them now!!

[lovecat]

So glad your dd is safe and well (apart from her battle scars!).

Those things are a liability, I don't see why they can't be speed-limited, I have lost count of the number of times I have had to leap out of the way at the shops in Romford (where they have a place in the mall that hires them out to all and sundry, for frick's sake!) thanks to some mad old get speeding down the pavement like they own it. Had a similar incident with a 'lady' in Hobbycraft a few months back when she reversed at speed to block off her place in the queue (not that she was actually in the queue but she saw us approaching and decided to get ahead of us) and if I hadn't done the 'superman' thing and yanked dd out of the way she'd have backed over her.

Outlaw them!!!

On the subject of elderly drivers - they should definitely have to retake a test at 70 and every year thereafter. My dad should NOT be driving, at 77 his reflexes are no longer what they were and he just pulls out in front of people with inches to spare (at 10 mph) - I refuse to get in the car with him anymore, esp. now I've got dd, but really he should not be on the road.

How do you start a campaign like this? Letter writing to your MP? He still hasn't responded to me over climate change, so I doubt that this will get much response...

[generaldogsbody1]

I'm afraid I would have called the police, I am aware that these skooters are a life line to some, however they are a menace.

What happened to your daughter may well have been an accident but what about the next person?

The person who is in control of the vehicle is responsible not just for them self but for those around them also.

My brother, who is disabled, would gain so much from having one of these would not dream of having one as he is aware that he would not be able to drive it properly. He is more physically and mentaly able than others I have seen on these death traps.

Unfortunately there is no legislation regarding them. I would support any action. As a mother, a carer and a potential victem.

I would like to appologise for spelling, grammer and possibly stong tone of this post. I have had several glasses of wine

[Twinklemegan]

OMG Mammabelleboo, that's terrifying. I hadn't thought of that before when I've let DS wander a little way in my sight. Will definitely be using the reins much more in future.

[BrandyButterGalore]

i am loving:

"I would like to appologise for spelling, grammer and possibly stong tone of this post. I have had several glasses of wine "

what a fabulous way to end a post, think i need an avatar made which says that