Wooden ramps, traffic cones and other obstacles covered the parking lot of PG Surg-Med Thursday for a training rodeo for mobility aids like scooters.
The event, organized by the Prince George Power Mobility Society, was held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the same day as PG Surg-Med's customer appreciation day.
"Scooters open up the lives of people with handicaps. They give us a chance to get out and be free," said John Nieson, the society's president. "Without a scooter and without any kind of mobility device, we're basically tied to the house and not able to get out."
There are a variety of reasons one needs to use a scooter, like multiple sclerosis, amputation, scoliosis and other conditions that render those affected unable to walk. That doesn't stop the members of the society, which has been around for four years, from being active by having a presence at events like the B.C. Northern Exhibition, Summerfest and the Show 'n' Shine.
"We teach safety and we [educate] on what to do with a scooter, how to drive it, what's right and what's wrong on the road, sidewalk control," Nieson said.
The rules of the road are different for somebody using a scooter then a vehicle like an automobile or bicycle. They are classified as a pedestrian, which means they use the sidewalk and walk against traffic.
"We don't drive on the sidewalks like we own the sidewalk, we drive on the sidewalk to be there with the rest of the people that walk it," Nieson said.
Another part of the training involved how to deal with rough patches in the streets.
"Some of the streets are rough," Nieson said. "We teach them how to control ourselves when we're going over the bumps and stuff."
However, Nieson said the streets of Prince George aren't too bad for somebody using a scooter.
"There are still a lot of spots in Prince George that are hard to manipulate and get around but on the average, it's getting better," he said. "When I started driving, it was almost 15 years ago, we never had curb cuts - we had a few, but nothing real serious."
Potholes can sometimes be a problem. If a scooter runs into a pothole deep enough, it could bend its axle, requiring expensive repairs. The same need for repairs can happen if the scooter hits a curb; repairs for that can range from $500 to $1,200 to fix the front end.
A scooter can cost $15,000 to $17,000, said Nieson - $3,500 of that is funded by government grants.
The Prince George Power Mobility Society is also looking for new members. Their Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/ScootersafetyPrinceGeorge.
