Collision with a mobility scooter!

[Goforitmama]

Headed out today for my second post graduation run. The weather today is much cooler, the last couple of days were around 40 Celcius. It was a mild 21 Celcius when I headed out with a pleasant breeze. I decided to head out later and go from the gym. It gives me a better variety of possible routes, if I run from home (we live at the end of a long dead end street) there's only one way out and then one way back until I venture past 6k runs. Today's route takes me alongside a a few major roads until I veer off and head into the suburban streets. I like to see e different houses and gardens, the hills give me a challenge too - so it's a new favourite.

I was about 25 minutes into of my 30 minute run, heading downhill alongside a major road. I could see a long brutal uphill ahead and noticing a left turn heading into a suburban street I decided to go that way, after all it couldn't surely be any worse than the prospect of the hill I saw ahead of me. My legs were tiring by this time. I had picked up speed because I was keen to get a good average pace rate and because I was free running downhill (woohoo!) I took the sharp left turn and ran into an elderly gentleman on his mobility scooter coming the other way. Presumably he was also picking up speed, attempting to get around the corner (probably on 2 wheels) and use some of his accumulated speed to get up him up the hill I just come down. Anyway I somehow managed to avoid him. It was funny and he almost ended up with more in his basket on the front than he had set out to collect from the supermarket.

He seemed to find it funny too, and I'm left wondering if he will attempt to scoop up more runners next time he is out.

Take care, happy running and try to avoid old men in mobility scooters.

goforitmama

[Saartjie Graduate]

😂 Glad you didn't get carted away by said scooter! All sorts of new hazards with this running lark!

[Goforitmama Graduate in reply to Saartjie]

There sure are! I hadn't considered meeting him. I was prepared for dogs, cats and people. Closer to home (living in the country) I have to be prepared for all sorts of critters. I've never encountered a skunk up close, fingers crossed I never do.

[sallenson Graduate]

For some unknown reason, mobility scooters have always been known in our house as "Squirrels".

Mind the squirrels, they can be dangerous.

In an incident a couple of years ago in Eastbourne (it had to be really) a Squirrel Driver clad in racing leathers (yes) killed (really) a pedestrian by running over them "at speed".

These things happen in East Sussex. Land of Affordable Mobility Solutions.

I'm glad he didn't pursue you waving his stick!!

[Goforitmama Graduate in reply to sallenson]

I was lucky then! He didn't have racing leathers only a pork pie hat and cheeky grin...or .....was it a menacing grin?......

[sallenson Graduate in reply to Goforitmama]

I suspect either menacing or addled or some combo of the two.... Why the racing leathers tho? Baffling....

[Goforitmama Graduate in reply to sallenson]

Hmmm... well my dear departed Dad needed a mobility scooter towards the end. The only way we could get him in one was to get him one in Ferrari red.

I guess the racing leathers took him back to younger years. If only he had a boom box blasting out some ACDC then the other guy might have stood a chance.

[Jay66UK Graduate]

Pretty sure hitching rides is cheating 🤣🤣🤣

Well run!

[Goforitmama Graduate in reply to Jay66UK]

I never thought of that, he could have given me a lift back to the gym and my Garmin would not even have realized the difference. Oh, bugg*r! - that was a missed opportunity.