License to drive an ECV

[Tinker Bell]

I know many people use them for mobility, however I have an absolute hatred for them. That is mainly because over 90% of the people I see or meet don't know how to drive them and are careless with it. Does it really takes that much to be patient?

Take for example a recent incident that could have been a serious injury. I was in TT and I go to take the next guest to meet the faeries. I'm on the side of the frames and on the other side of the frame a mom and her one year old child are playing peek a boo with a wall. Honestly there is no danger anywhere, and an aunt is watching from far away. I tell the guest to back my way as I'm standing there and will watch out. Way easier and no chance of her stepping on anyone toes. The other side is filled with guest and I'm afraid she may hit one of them. Why follow my instructions, right? She decides to go around and go thru the other side which is where mom and the kid are playing. I decide to move to the other side. Still to this day I haven't figure out what she did that she ends up heading straight for the kid, with no signs of stopping. I honestly didn't think what I was doing and before she pin the kid against the wall, I rushed and pick the little girl up. The baby girl has a fit of giggles because she thinks I won the peek a book contest. My first thought was "God please give me patience. I would love nothing more than to scream myself blue at this woman with the freaking ECV. Lord please don't abandon me because I really want to scream at her." Second thought was "Oh crap, I hope this woman doesn't complain that I grabbed her kid"

I really should go to church this week because God really came thru to help me. I can't say the same thing for the aunt who looked like she had an accident in her pants judging by the scream she lead out and the ghostly appearance she had. Mom couldn't seem to stop herself from thanking me for 'saving her baby girls life'. Nearby guests were not helping by going 'Ohh' and 'Ahh' about my timely saving. I don't think I did anything that big, but that's not the point. Anyway, needless to say the peek a boo game was over after that and poor baby girl ended up back in her stroller. Shame because it was cute to watch.

However the most astonishing thing of it all is that the lady on the ECV said NOTHING to anyone. At least an apology or some kind of remorse would have been good to watch. On the contrary she, and the rest of her party, seemed impatient that I was making them wait while I made sure everyone on the little girl's family had a working heart.

Then you have the people who carry children in it and snap and yell at you when you tell them that children can ride with the adults. Damn they get nasty! Look buddy I don't make the rules and I don't care if you pay for it, it's park regulations take it up with the people who make the rules. However if we fail to protect them it's all "Disney's fault". You are damn if you do, and damn if you don't. There seems no way of making them happy and quite honestly I'm sick of hearing how Disney is to blame for everything because we didn't do this or that. How about you take some responsibility too?!

I have seen and been the victim of several ECV accidents and I wished that Disney, or the government, would put a sort of license to drive to those things. I'm sick of seeing people get hurt by it or being ran over by them. With it I think they should find a way to give some folks compassion and consideration classes. What they operate is a motor vehicle and you are doing it in a place where there are children around. This is not the Indie500 and no you can't whatever you want with it even though you pay for it or brought it from somewhere else. It is sad that I don't even expect good driving whenever I see one of those things. I simply scrunch my toes and try to keep everyone around them within a certain distance; then I pray. Because the one thing I CAN expect is someone being hurt by an ECV.

[joanna71985]

Unfortunately, I agree with everything you said. I really wish there was some way people could get used to using the ECVs before arriving. I haven't had any accidents yet, but I do know many people who have been run over by them.

[Csaks]

I still have nightmares about getting clipped in the World Showcase in '08. Walking along, minding my own business and bam. I received a shot to the side of my left ankle by an ignorant woman trying to pass me and my wife. I say ignorant because I look over and she shoots me attitude like I was the one that did something wrong. A quick apology would have sufficed but I was the one getting crap.
Besides it was crowded and no one was going anywhere fast, so I don't know where she thought she was going. She reminds me of those idiots that change lanes every time the one beside you starts moving in rush hour. They just slow things down and don't get there any faster than you do.

[Mayonnaise]

I took an ECV bumper to my right achilles tendon on my first day of my only trip in my adult life... solo. Also on the world showcase, between Italy and Germany.

Not only did the jerk drive up onto the back of my ankle when I was mid stride, trapping the top heel of my shoe under his bumper. He then hit the accelerator harder (I could hear the electric motor get louder) and drove further onto my trapped ankle. I don't know if he thought he was in reverse by then, or was trying to induce me to get out of his way, but after I let out a rather undignified scream of pain, he finally backed up off me and just drove away muttering about people "always stopping," while I collapsed to the ground in pain. Not one word of apology. Didn't stop to see if I was Ok.

Some other guests found me crying and sitting on the curb, and mistaking me for a child, kept asking where my family was, It took some explaining to convince them I was actually 24, and just injured, not lost, but then a very nice CM from Italy brought me some ice, for my ankle. I was lucky... after about 4 days it only hurt on stairs, but it could have quite nearly blown my whole damn trip.

8^S

[ktulu]

If someone rammed me or my family with an ECV, they'd find themselves tipped over. My patience runs very thin when someone harms me or my family, especially when they just keep on going. A simple apology goes along way with me.

[Buggy]

My wife needed an ECV in Universal last time we were there. She took a few laps around the ECV lot to get the hang of it before going out to rest of the park.

Hm, Segway makes you drive a course before unleashing you on the park. Maybe the ECVs should do the same thing. You could even get an "I passed the ECV course" pin. :D:

[DonohoFlnkr]

Makes me think of this lady

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjSwL-9Bzf8

[Malpass93]

Hm, Segway makes you drive a course before unleashing you on the park. Maybe the ECVs should do the same thing. You could even get an "I passed the ECV course" pin. :D:

Decent idea :D: .

[DisneyMom]

I agree that an ECV course (and pin!) should be required-
but it was kind of fun watching my elderly FIL do a wheelie off the curb in DCA! :p:
(he actually did quite well for a first-timer and nobody got hurt ;) )

[DragonFox98]

...and this is why I did not rent one for my MIL this past trip! LOL We rented her a wheelchair instead and me, hubby and our two older kids took turns pushing her. No way in hell would I let her get behind the wheel of an ECV in my presence.....she might've really hurt someone.