So far Governor Crist has received in excess of 1500 calls and email in opposition to this bad bill. We only have 15 days left to continue making our voices heard. If you haven’t already called and emailed Governor Crist and urged him to Veto HB 971, now is the time to do it!

Phone: 850-488-7146
Email: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

Has anyone contacted PETA, AARP, the Humane Society, and other such organizations to get their help to veto the bill? Also, is there an organization speaking up for children’s safety while children use sidewalks.

Having motorized scooters on sidewalks endangers pets (animals), senior citizens, and children.

Even having non-motorized bicycles on sidewalks is hazardous to senior citizens and other adults. On rare occasions, I’ve bicycled for a little bit on sidewalks. No matter how slowly I approach or calmly I call out that I’m passing, the adults jump from being startled. Some almost fall off the sidewalk when they’re near the edge. For a person with osteoporosis, a fall causes a broken hip which often causes death.

Then, there is the risk of tangling with dog and cat leashes as you pass. Yes, we have a few cat walkers in our city.

Thanks,
Kimberly Cooper

P.S. For those who haven’t heard, HB971 contains a law that allows cities to let motorized scooters on walkways.

One more thing, has Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) been notified that the law allows people to have driver licenses after 4 DUIs? You could get nation-wide letters and probably a MADD spokesperson meeting with the governor if MADD knows about the DUI item.

REMEMBER – if you don’t have time to compose your own email, you can always send one in through:

http://vetohb971.x10hosting.com/

Or you can copy/paste the text from the site into your email to Crist.

You can also print out, in .DOC format, a flyer that you can post at all your local bike shops. DO IT NOW!

-Kurt

[...] Florida Bicycle Association reports that over 1,500 people have since called or emailed requesting a veto. A minimum of 2500 [...]