Golf Car Options Magazine March 2020 GCOptions Mar20 MAGZTER | Page 37

still couldn’t ride it in the streets.” The text of City Ordinance 78-96 states, “The driver of any vehicle on the recreation path system shall, before leaving the recreation path system to enter or cross a public roadway designed for automobile traf- fic, stop as though a stop sign were present and yield the right of way to any traffic on said public roadway that is within the intersection or so close thereto as to create a hazard.” The city has posted a video demonstrating the new rule at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=D05qaLGh2RE&feature=youtu.be. The same mandate also applies to bicycle riders. Although city law requires vehicular traffic on roads to stop for pedestrians already in crosswalks, car drivers should not stop for golf carts about to cross the street because carts do not have the right of way; doing so can cause accidents and injuries. G olf cart users upset about regulations being enforced MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Mardi Gras is here. Thou- sands showed up to see the Conde Cavaliers kick-off the parade season in downtown. It’s a Mobile tradi- tion that’s been around for centuries. And one pop- ular tradition for RV City campers is the golf carts, but this year that tradition has been nixed and it’s outraged residents. People told News 5 they are upset that they paid $25 to the city to use their golf carts and now cannot even get their money back. They say the only place they can drive their golf carts is inside of RV City. TJ Thompson said, “No it’s not street legal but it’s never stopped anybody before” People in RV City said they had no idea about any golf cart regulations. Thompson said, “Cop stopped us first thing this morning. He told us that even though we paid for the parking pass and everything that we Thompson said he has been bringing a golf cart to Mardi Gras for the last seven years and it has never been a problem. he said, “We been down here for the past two weeks. If they would have told us two weeks ago, we wouldn’t have paid for the golf cart pass.” Thompson said he is upset, and he is not alone. Mar- cus Skipper also has a golf cart. He said, “Typically the rules of government once you set a precedent you can’t go backward, but you know without prior no- tice, so we didn’t have any notice. You know, people trailer-ed these golf carts down here this year basi- cally to use them for nothing.” Ivan Harber also has a golf cart. He came to Mardi Gras from Pensacola. He said, “I mean I’ve seen peo- ple drive a golf cart drink a beer and so now we’re all being punished for this for I don’t know what prompt- ed it.” But Mobile Police say they’re just following state law. The State of Alabama does not allow golf carts on roadways; however golf carts that have been up- graded to what’s known as low-speed vehicles can be allowed in some cases, but there are still rules. Mobile Police Chief Battiste said, “those are the things that we will enforce is the rules of the road. If they’ll comply then they’ll enjoy themselves and they won’t catch a lot of problems from us, but they do have to follow the rules of the road and be in compli- ance that the LSV says they have to have to operate on streets.” Thompson said he just wants his money back. He said, “When we ask about our money back, nobody mes- sages us back, nobody emails us back, nothing like that it’s just dead silence.” MARCH 2020 37