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Hershey and Golf Carts


1925 Gray

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How does one go about getting a golf cart in Hershey to use at Hershey? Transporting one from home is not practical. Does anyone rent them there, and, if so how does this work? Do they bring it to you? Do you have to pick it up? I have a legitimate handicap card. Unfortunately, conditions have progressed where I really need one this year.

Any light you can shed on this to help me out would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

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They way I understand it, golf carts are not allowed by anyone other than Hershey Region Workers. The only kind of wheeled transportation allowed by regular attendees with proper handicap credentials is a personal one-passenger cart. There are exceptions to the rules, but I don't know the details.

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Al, thanks. I checked the website and private golf carts are allowed IF they are registered as legitimately handicapped by showing your handicap information at the scooter rental area or an AACA tent. I guess that answers your questions, too, Restorer32 and West.

But, now, the question is -- and hopefully someone can answer this -- once in Hershey, can you locally rent a golf cart from some local company and, if so, does anyone know what the company or companies are? Any information would be helpful.

Thanks.

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  • 1 month later...

All I know is people carelessly using golfcarts to tour the car corral create a real nuisance and an extremely dangerous situation. I don't for a minute believe they are all workers. Yet I am not planning to be at Hershey this year because I am having too many problems with my legs.

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Guest Torino75

They are a nuisance and I personally under my breath threatened to cut the can! Had my son laughing hysterically every time I mentioned cutting the can off! Seriously, I know they are necessary to warn pedestrians before they get run over but there are way, way, way too many people using them.

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I really hate to sound like a complainer but it seemed to me that the number of golf carts have escalated substantially since my last visit to Hershey ('08) and that more people will get hurt as a result. I had a couple close calls and although the can noise is annoying, at least you get a warning. I would welcome a return to the fields (and mud) simply to keep this a primarily pedestrian event. I understand some people need them for legitimate reasons but I think if this isn't better controlled it is going to significantly downgrade the flea market experience.

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Steve M. got a kick out of the mini soda can that I had tied to the rear axle of my "Hershey Hauler" Radio Flyer wagon to alert other folks to it being there. :D

On Friday the tab on the can came loose so I found a large, thick metal washer in a $1.00 pile to replace it. I admit it was not as loud/annoying. It sounded more like a temple bell :rolleyes: and less like "finger nails on a blackboard" :eek: as one woman told me. But I would like to add that she said she understood why I had the can tied to it as she had nearly tripped over some other carts/wagons because she didn't notice them. :o

Some carts are so quiet it is easy to miss that they are there.

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Guest Torino75

Love the can replies! Just seems there are way too many carts and they most definitely are not Officials riding them. Also lots of bikes, scooters and the like.

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I really hate to sound like a complainer but it seemed to me that the number of golf carts have escalated substantially since my last visit to Hershey ('08)...

I'm guessing that your observation is directly related to the escalating age of the AACA membership... :eek:

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I officially hate the golf carts hauling non-handicapped people or the people who are just plain overweight. Sorry, being able to finish the 96-ounce steak at Big Al's Steak Emporium doesn't qualify you as handicapped. I saw some poor Rascal power chair hauling several hundred pounds of fat dude. The tires (which I presume are solid rubber) were considerably flattened as they struggled to roll along the pavement. How often does he need to charge THOSE batteries?!?

While I was retrieving some lunch for us on Thursday, my lady friend had her foot run over by a different fellow on a scooter. He stopped, looked down at her bleeding toe, said something akin to, "Oops," and motored on. Not even a "Sorry." She was reluctant to point him out to me, fearing that I might pull him off and have a "conversation," handicapped or not.

Later, in the car corral, a pair of young guys with an ancient fellow in the passenger seat tried to maneuver their cart close enough to our 1929 Lincoln phaeton so the old dude could get a look. At the same time, the rack on the back put a nice scratch down to the primer on one of the rear fenders, so they throw it in reverse in a big hurry, bump into a pair of guys looking at the Lincoln's engine, and beat it the hell out of there. What can you do about that? Grrr...

At least they didn't hit the Isotta-Fraschini we had parked next to it, which had people 3 deep all week, and for the most part, they were all respectful and careful. Just the two incidents, and both cart related. Bah.

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I decided the cans are an indication that the carts think they have the right away and that all foot traffic should clear out of there way when we hear them coming.

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Matt, I will leave your post up without editing it as I think it is a learning exercise for us all. While I have in the past leaned to the same comments you have made, I am now ashamed of making them.

Yes, some people could use some restraint in how they handle their personal health issues. I have had some ownership in health clubs for many years and attended numerous clinics on fitness and diet. I believe our country and our children should take the lessons learned on the terrible toll obesity takes on our health and economy. That being said, not every overweight problem can be tied to someone's personal eating habits and it is unfair to categorized anyone. Some people have serious health issues which contribute to their condition.

It is also unfair to look at a person and say he or she does not need a cart. There are many medical issues that are not obvious to us. I helped get a cart for a gentleman who has a very, very serious spine disease and will be operated on in a few weeks. To look at him you would never know it.

No one would like to see fewer carts than I would but it is a product of some aging within the hobby, some abuse by people who just want convenience over fairness and some people like me who use a cart for mostly official business. I hate driving mine but there is no way around it.

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Interesting this subject should come up! I was down Thursday and walking, even with a bad knee! I noticed on the way in from the handicapped lot, a line of 12 people waiting for the carts! As I was walking up the road in the car corral just beyond the overpass, I saw a cart approaching! I stepped to the side and a cart coming at me from behind managed to stop just 3" from my bad knee! No rattle can, no horn, no shout, nothing! Believe me, those rattle cans are a blessing!

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Guest billybird

You don't know how bad I wish I could go back to not needing something to help me get around. Before my heart attacks, I NEVER, EVER used anything except my feet and legs. I spent my whole life in a gym, never smoked,drank alcohol or used any drugs. Nevertheless I had not one but TWO "widow makers" { the worst of all heart attacts } in the same day. In short, I now need something to assist me at something like a shopping mall or flea market. Also , I am not overweight. The Doctors blamed it on genetics. Steve is right. You can't always tell whos handicapped by looking at them. I can jump off a golf cart, sprint up to a table and look around becauese I don't have a bad joint or a pain anywhere in my body, and I'm thankful for that. However, after just one one of those small sprints its a good while to catch my breath, and if I wasn't riding something some days I couldn't make it five rows. As a hadicapped person now, I still feel the placecards, golf carts, etc. are over used. When I am on my device, whatever it may be, I do not want to get in anyones way so I am ALWAYS mindful of those walking. But I'll tell you this: I sure wish I could go back to like it used to be when I could walk where I wanted to for as long as I wanted to.

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I'm sorry but being YOUNG, FAT, and LAZY is not handicapped, and a large percentage I saw were just that, and I KNOW OF SEVERAL WHO WERE NOT WORKERS WHO WERE DRIVING THEM........... and what's with all of the dogs? Also what is with all of the people riding bikes rather fast?

No disrespect to those who worked the show and meet they did a great job, but I think it is time to start re-thinking the rules before something really goes bad

Edited by Biscayne John
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Your dad is indeed blessed!

Hopefully some of those genes made there way down to me. I will admit that at the end of each day I was absolutely beat. Walking on asphalt is tough. It was heartening to see so many old dudes walking the fields, while it was equally disheartening to see the next generation. I don't want to be politically incorrect, but I do not consider a self created situation a medical condition.

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I was hit by a golf cart this year. I think the son was driving and the dad was telling the son to look out for me and the son kept coming. He hit me in the back of the leg, not hard but enough to notice. There was no "I'm Sorry, Are you OK?" nothing, he just kept on going. He is lucky I was not feeling well or he may have been hurting too.

I feel that all motorized carts and bikes should look out for the pedestrians, not the other way around.

Maybe the golf carts and motorized carts need to have a governor on them to keep the speeds down???

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My only comment on this is that my 86 year old dad walked all the fields as he does every year. I saw many older gents walking too. I was also surprised by the number of "younger" people using scooters.

I have to agree, I saw some very health people driving scooters, I mean with muscle on their legs that look like they exercise or walk regularly.

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I really do not want to get into a discussion about the ADA rules, and that is not the point. However keep in mind a person whom is handicapped must have a handicapped card to park in handicapped parking. My Grandfather was a victim of polio and lived in a world where there was no ADA rules. So maybe it erks me a little more than most when I see three 30 something years old guys drinking beer driving a golf cart, claiming to be handicapped. I know we all saw that at one point or another over the last four days

Here's the key question: are these people insured who drive these vehicles? If so who checks it?

Edited by Biscayne John
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Maybe you don't want to discuss ADA and I agree with your sentiments but it is ADA rules that Hershey has to abide by. Rightly or wrongly insurance is not required for Personal Mobility Devices in Pa. If you really want to get your drawers in a knot consider this; there are rules currently being formulated that would define Segways as Personal Mobility Devices under the ADA.

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Steve, your point on my comments is well-taken, and I'll leave it up so that it will deliver the message you intended. While I'm not exactly ashamed, you do have a point and in my anger at the incidents that DID happen, I perhaps painted with too broad a brush. No, I don't know if the people in the carts have health problems or not, and I'm not qualified to judge.

However, even if one does rightfully have a reason to use a cart, it is the driver's responsibility to look out for pedestrians and hardware, not the other way around, just as the pilot of the largest ore freighters are obligated to yield the right of way to the smallest rowboat. I think that's the frustration that's being expressed here, and I'm not the only one questioning the validity of many of the cart-users seen at this year's show. I'm not even the only one who had a cart collision! It IS an issue and it DOES cause friction at an otherwise pleasant event. My girlfriend's big toe will heal (the toenail fell off this morning--yuck!), and I'll spend some cash to have the fender on the Lincoln repaired. I just wish those things didn't happen, caused by people who were merely careless and selfish, regardless of their handicapped status.

I'm certainly not demanding a change in policy, because the Hershey folks have enough to worry about organizing that wonderful meet, but perhaps a message will get delivered to those who are, shall we say, bending the rules to suit their lifestyle...

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The carts should not be too big of an issue if both walkers and riders look out. I saw a minor altercation by the food concessions in the Chocolate field one day, that luckily did not escalate beyond words and gestures.

On a positive note, proud to note my dad had open heart surgery just over 6 mos. ago, he walked for 3 days and noted he felt much more energetic this year. I lost about 15 lbs in the past month, which helped me a lot this year as well. Another 15 or so to go...

A.J. - if we can just get him to use a cell phone now... :D

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Matt, you are always reasonable.

This entire issue (I do think there are more great things to talk about besides the negatives) is not as simple as one might expect.

First of all, the region contracts with a company who is experienced with events that are much larger than ours including Disney locations. They understand the ADA laws and administer them on behalf of the region. The ADA laws are complex and in many cases we might not agree with them but they are the LAW. It can be a frustrating subject at times.

I am not inclinded to add more fuel to the fire except to state that all of the issues brought forth in this thread are well known to the region and to national. We all have eyes and those of us with carts constantly worry about safety. As I have said before it is a two way street as I have seen people blindly walk into the path of a vehicle while being distracted. I also have been guilty of driving to fast on an occasion trying to get to one place or another and fixing some type of problem.

Hopefully, we can co-exist with motorized traffic and it does not take a horrible accident to find a solution.

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.....

there are rules currently being formulated that would define Segways as Personal Mobility Devices under the ADA.

Saw an older couple and each of them was riding on a Segway. No red 2011 Handicapped tag on either one.

Saw quite a few bikes being ridden. A guy on roller blades. A few razor scooters. I did tell one young father that his two boys should leave their razor scooters in the car and he did but said the boys had ridden on them last year and no one said they couldn't. Hmmmm...."Foot traffic only is permitted". Wonder what part of that he didn't understand last year? :confused:

Many golf carts with no 2011 tag on them. Many personal transportation carts with no 2011 tag on them. And one idiot on one speeding on the elevated bridge that nearly hit me as he laughed and came zooming up the bridge. :mad:

I belong to the Telcom/Telephone Pioneers and we have many projects to help those with handicaps. So I have no issue with those that truly qualify as handicapped. But it irks me to have those that are not take advantage. Now people are taking their dogs into businesses, including where food is sold and served, and claiming that they are "Service Dogs" when they clearly are not. No tag to that effect, no "vest" to that effect and no paperwork to that effect. They just don't want to leave FiFi at home.

And more BIG dogs than I have ever seen at Hershey this year. On two occasions in two different areas two aggressive dogs wanted at each other. It was rather scary. One has to wonder when someone will be bitten or somone's dog injured by the attack of another dog. Hope they stop the "dog show" before someone gets hurt.

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