First, the board reported at the March meeting, that six cars in the condo area, had been entered, and electronics, etc., stolen. The cars, it was reported, had all been left unlocked by the owners. It appears, that if you lock your cars, you may be left alone, no windows, etc., were broken, for entry. Just something to consider.
Last weekend, Easter weekend, we, and our children, and probably grandchildren, were out and about the plantation, enjoying the holiday weekend, and spring like weather. When you hand over your car, or golf cart to young people, do you have any idea how they are using the privilege once they leave your immediate area? In the case of golf carts, are you sure they are old enough to be both legal and safe? Two instances, observed during the weekend, cause question.
The first occurred on Wedgefield Rd, around the intersection with Francis Parker. I was driving out of the plantation toward the circle. The golf cart had been moving slowly, and jerking, and swaying from the very edge of the road, to over the middle. There was a young female at the wheel, who appeared to be in the 10 + year old range, a passenger in the front, and two in the back. Some were young males. The problems presented by her driving kept me focused on her. The boys in the back, appeared to be yelling at her, to alert her that there was a car behind her, and pointing at us. She appeared to pull over in an effort to stop, hitting the grass area. As we slowly began to try and go around her, she swayed into the middle again, and almost into our car. It appeared as we went around her, that her erratic driving was caused by the fact that her legs may have been two short to comfortably reach the pedal. She kept trying to move forward on the seat enough, to reach the pedals, apparently causing her to unintentionally move her hands on the wheel. My husband wanted me to stop the car, so he could get out and ask them where they lived, and follow them home. I was not willing. I have witnessed to often, children driving golf carts, who endanger themselves, those of us unfortunate enough to be near them when you allow them to take these unsupervised joy rides with their friends, and our property. If an accident had occurred, who would you have blamed? The driver of the heavy car, or the young children, in the much smaller, open, easy to tip over, golf cart? Please evaluate, who you allow to leave your yard, in your golf cart.
The second situation occurred on Easter weekend, after 6:00 PM. I was out on my back porch with a cup of coffee. I heard the acceleration of a car motor, and looked up across the canal, where the sound was coming from. At the same time you could hear loud laughter, and yelling. It appeared that the dark green SUV, had either come out of a yard, or off the circle, at the end of Pine Grove Lane, as it quickly accelerated. The laughter, and yelling came from two males, who were laying down, and riding, holding on the rails, ON THE ROOF OF THE SUV. The windows in the front of the vehicle were open, and it appeared that there was a passenger, in the front, with the driver. They slowed abruptly for the curve that takes you from Pine Grove Lane, unto William Screven, and then rapidly accelerated, as the road straightened. By the time I was able to run through the house to the front yard, I was unable to get their license number, or I would have called the police, and reported them. The area I just described has many, many, dog walkers, some quite elderly. We also have some very young, well supervised children, who ride their very small bikes, with their parents. None of them would have had a chance, when that vehicle accelerated, after coming off that circle, or the curve. Do you know who owns this SUV, and allowed irresponsible youth to drive it, endangering all of us, and the two males, riding on the roof? What makes this OK?
