Scooter hazards

In good spirits despite recent mobility issues (see Health Diary), I read the recent story about the woman in Boynton Beach, Florida, who struck a man on a scooter with her car, throwing him onto the windshield, then continuing on to her hair appointment. That caused me to wonder about scooter fatalities, but they don't seem too common. I found one accident in Tucson, Arizona, in Summer 2007, and another in Barrie, Ontario, just this month. The best survival story - which also happened in Summer 2007 - is that of 21-year-old Ben Carpenter of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who got pushed by a semi-trailer for 4 miles at speeds up to 80 MPH and was none the worse for wear! BeBe and I usually travel on the sidewalk, except when the brick sidewalks of Georgetown get too rough. We pooh-poohed the idea of a big orange flag on board (like a grocery cart), but we take care.