I am a relatively active 77-year-old who keeps fit by trying to walk about six miles each day, come rain or shine.
Most of my walking is done within a three mile radius of where I live.
I have noticed an increase in youngsters nipping around on e-scooters, even though it is illegal to do so on public highways.
For the police to offer ‘words of advice’ to two males riding an e-scooter on Braishfield Road beggars belief.
For the Mayor of Test Valley, Cllr Alan Dowden, to agree that the police should do so when it is against the law makes you wonder why we have laws at all.
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No wonder there is so much petty crime when the criminal is told to sit on the naughty step and don’t do it again. I really don’t think they could care less.
To obtain their details will have little or no effect. Parents either couldn’t care less what their offspring is doing or don’t know, which is suspect.
However, if they did know and the police had the address etc of the user, if someone such as myself was injured by an e-scooter user driving into me, would they immediately pop round and arrest the user or their parents and start proceedings against them?
Would I be able to sue them personally for damages? Would their House and Contents Insurance cover the claim or would I have to issue one through the courts? Who would be liable, the rider, their parents or the police for allowing the use of an illegal vehicle on public thoroughfare in the first place?
Or should the Transport Secretary - thankfully NOT Grant Shapps anymore - ban their sale and use outright across the UK?
Or am I allowed to carry out a citizen’s arrest, grab the offending scooter and somehow disable it and march its owner to a police station that is open?
Virtually impossible as the nearest cop shop must be at least six miles away.
Chris Tyler
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