You can hire those electronic scooter-things elderly people ride in the shops and on pavements - has anyone?

[Fauve]

Apparently the British Red Cross lend them out. Anyone know how it works? Do people often have accidents? I'm thinking it could work for my Dad, but his mind's not what it was.

Our local shopping centre (such as it is) has a "Shop mobility" scheme. I'm not sure if it's free to borrow or if you have to pay, but I think you can get them short term for a shopping trip. It might be worth a try to see if your Dad likes the idea. (My Gran HATED with a passion the wheelchair suggestion, especially after I borroweed one to take her shopping and nearly tipped it over going round a corner).

I would think you could probably get the sort of info you want from the place the scooter comes from, or similar Age/Mobility charities.

The scooters seem to be very popular so the user requirements can't be too tough surely?

I hope you get sorted.

IIRC from my time working somewhere which helped to run a shopmobility scheme, there was a small charge to register and there was a driving test.

The test was very simple and pretty much involved driving forwards and backwards, maybe turning left and right, iirc.

A driving test! That's where the MOnty Python bit comes in. I'm not sure he could manage being tested; poor old chap, his marbles aren't what they were (short term memory loss).

I think I will tentatively mention it - you're right, RML, he might rule it out straight away. But it would give him the freedom to nip to the local shop on his own.