small scooters with petrol engines

Howard ( snipped-for-privacy@physchem.ox.ac.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

No.

The message from "Howard" contains these words:

Not on the road.

There's a kid across the road who thunders up and down the pavement on one of those electric scooters. It goes faster than her 10(ish) year old brother can run, and I'm just waiting for her to hit some old biddy, or crash it into a parked car - which she often did with her earlier trike.

Are they legal for kids? I understood *any* powered vehicle needed a licence or at least had an age restriction on it for public places.

But I haven't seen it recently - I suppose the batteries have clapped out. Thank god these cheap toys have even cheaper chargers...

Dave Plowman ( snipped-for-privacy@argonet.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Electric's a slightly different kettle of fish to petrol.

Probably not.

Internal Combustion powered, yep, but electrically "assisted" bike riders don't - there's different legality applying to electric bikes than to a VeloSolex, for example, and there's specific exemptions for the powered disability buggies.

The message from Dave Plowman contains these words:

Dunno. There's a few parents round here who let their kids ride to school on those electric cars - the sort that cost about £50. What's wrong with walking or riding a bike I can't imagine.

What do they do with them when they get to school?

The message from "Tom Burton" contains these words:

Parents (and you may struggle to believe this) bend down and push the go pedal and walk like doubled up munchkins all the way home. Daft, the lot of 'em.

Still I suppose it provides entertainment for others.

Better than getting the 4-wheel-drive out I suppose.

Tom

The message from "Tom Burton" contains these words:

It's actually quite hard to drive to our school and very easy to walk. Which is why there's going to be an almighty fight about the proposals to open up a through road slap bang in the middle of the estate just to please the supermarket that's being enticed into the redeveloped middle.

Please, please tell us where this is, I'm on my way there with my camcorder, that's a guaranteed £250.

The message from "SimonJ" contains these words:

Woodside - Telford.

Strangely I was up there the other weekend, and was impressed by how much it has changed. I lived on Woodside (Wigmores) some 20 years ago for 6 months (while waiting to have a house built) and it was dire. I also ran WSM (the countrys first community radio station that transmitted through the Woodside, Sutton Hill and Madeley TV/Radio communal aerial cables).

But now, from the Madeley Court Road, Woodside looks very nice. All the trees being in bloom helps I suppose. Although a friends mother who lives in Park Lane still says that the Woodsiders break into her garden and house regularly...

The message from "Simon Atkinson" contains these words:

That happens just about everywhere, I'm afraid.

I'm running a campaign to stop the redevelopment building on the local park and opening Park Lane to through traffic.

Yes she was telling me all about that - she lives on the corner of Park Lane and the Perimeter Road (Helena Marrion - I went to the Abraham Darby with her son Lionel - look out for her and send my regards).

Sounds like it's a stupid idea really - I remember when Park Lane was the only way to Lightmoor and beyond from the top end of Madeley... Must be getting old.

The message from "Simon Atkinson" contains these words:

And if the developers have their way it will be again.

Woodside centre used to be a nice little local centre (Liptons Supermarket, Star news shop and a cafe in the community centre), I understand they want to knock it down and rebuild it further down Park Lane...

The message from "Simon Atkinson" contains these words:

Thing is - they don't want to build it further down Park Lane - they want to rebuild it exactly where it is, which is fine, but they also want to build a new Community Centre (which we need) on the park. Opening what would end up as a busy road right through the middle of a housing estate is just bizarre - but the commercial interests want it to attract passing trade.

I see - I wondered what the hell they were playing at. It would end up as a busy road (it used to be busy as hell when the lorries from Lightmoor brickworks used it to get in and out).

Of course there wasn't a school and housing estate there in those days. Would they open it all the way from the Park Inn to the Elizabethan (if that's still there on the perimeter road by the flats)?

The message from "Simon Atkinson" contains these words:

Right through from the Lizzy to nearly Madeley. Following its original route as far as the old folks' home and then swerving West to go round the other side of the new shops and run right alongside Woodside1 school.