Which one is the handicapped guy?

[MEfree]

Today on Keystone River #3 , a par 3 that is suppose to be cart path only, the guys in front of us have one of their carts just off the right front of the green, almost in the hazard.

I make a comment to the guys I am playing with and one responds that maybe they have a handicap (or whatever the politically correct term is these days) flag, and sure enough they do.

So after taking what seemed like 10 minutes to putt out, 3 guys walk towards the cart path (which is actually closer to the mid-back pin than where the other cart was parked) and the fourth guy runs to the cart in front of the green.  After seeing this, I ask

So, which one is the handicapped guy?

[Golfingdad]

Why are you asking us?

Follow up question ... if you walked off the back of the green with your three friends, one of whom is handicapped, and then realized that his cart was on the other side of the green, and you're holding up the group behind, would you make him limp over and get it?  Or, perhaps, would you or one of your other two buddies go "no worries Joe, I'll bring it around for you?"

[Dave2512]

I thought they closed for the season 09/30?

[Fourputt]

Today on Keystone River #3, a par 3 that is suppose to be cart path only, the guys in front of us have one of their carts just off the right front of the green, almost in the hazard.

I make a comment to the guys I am playing with and one responds that maybe they have a handicap (or whatever the politically correct term is these days) flag, and sure enough they do.

So after taking what seemed like 10 minutes to putt out, 3 guys walk towards the cart path (which is actually closer to the mid-back pin than where the other cart was parked) and the fourth guy runs to the cart in front of the green.  After seeing this, I ask

So, which one is the handicapped guy?

That's just like the jerks who manage to get issued a handicapped flag to hang on the rear view mirror so they can park in the reserved spots at the grocery store.  Half of the people parking there are less handicapped than I am.

At my home course, all you really have to do is ask for one, yet I can't recall seeing anyone abuse the privilege.

[rkim291968]

That's just like the jerks who manage to get issued a handicapped flag to hang on the rear view mirror so they can park in the reserved spots at the grocery store.  Half of the people parking there are less handicapped than I am.

At my home course, all you really have to do is ask for one, yet I can't recall seeing anyone abuse the privilege.

I saw one in my home course.   This guy has one leg shorter than the other and walked with a slight limp.   I guess that makes him a legit handicapped person.   He rides alone and drives around the course like a maniac at full speed.   He plays super fast, pressuring group in front, and skips holes if he does not want to wait.  Given his limp and the handicap flag on his cart, everyone gives him wide berth.   That keeps him acting like a licensed terror in the course.

[rkim291968]

So, which one is the handicapped guy?

Was this a trick question?   If it was, the most likely answer is, they all are.

[MEfree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave2512

I thought they closed for the season 09/30?

The Ranch (and Copper Creek) closed 9/30, the River (and Breck) close this Sunday.

[Dave2512]

Most of the people using handicap carts at the courses I play are older. Less about having an actual handicap than just being old and not getting around well on their feet. I don't mind that folks that would be unstable walking on hills and uneven footing use the cart to avoid it. In two years I've never seen anyone in a marked handicap cart running. Especially if it speeds them up.

[Strandly]

I played a round with a threesome a couple weeks ago where one of the guys had a handicap flag on his cart.  And yeah he damn near parked on all the greens, it was ridiculous.  I couldn't tell what his handicap was other than being really fat and bad at golf.

[Dave2512]

Thing is you can't always "see" a handicap.

[Meltdwhiskey]

Maybe he had restless leg syndrome or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

[Jeremie Boop]

I could technically be considered handicapped, I have a gimp right leg which requires me to wear an AFO because I have what's called "drop foot". Basically, because of a car accident when I was 18, I broke my back which cut the nerves that actuate several muscles in my leg, primarily all the muscles that control lifting my foot up towards my shin. Long story short, they didn't give me a handicap label when I was young even when I was still in a wheelchair so I refuse to use it now. Some people, on the other hand, will take any excuse to take advantage of the handicap label.

[Dave2512]

Some do some don't but you can't tell by looking at someone. I've been on the "some don't" side with my Dad. He died at 62 because of multiple heart problems and appeared healthy until just a few weeks before he died. Foolish pride kept him out of a chair and scooter when we took him to the store and had to use his placard because his heart ejection fraction was less than 35%, walking even short distances was difficult. He was so sick his doctors didn't attempt to rehab him with PT after his 3rd open heart surgery because any activity was dangerous. More than once some asshat made a rude comment. It was tough to bit my tongue at times. I never assume someone isn't handicap just because they don't appear to be.

[Jeremie Boop]

Some do some don't but you can't tell by looking at someone. I've been on the "some don't" side with my Dad. He died at 62 because of multiple heart problems and appeared healthy until just a few weeks before he died. Foolish pride kept him out of a chair and scooter when we took him to the store and had to use his placard because his heart ejection fraction was less than 35%, walking even short distances was difficult. He was so sick his doctors didn't attempt to rehab him with PT after his 3rd open heart surgery because any activity was dangerous. More than once some asshat made a rude comment. It was tough to bit my tongue at times. I never assume someone isn't handicap just because they don't appear to be.

I agree that you can't tell by looking, as in my case you can't tell that I'm technically handicapped, but others are perfectly fine by most accounts and don't need the help that the handicap flag offers. It's those people that cause this bad image.

[mvmac]

Why are you asking us?

Uh yeah.  So the guy that ran might not be handicapped but one of the other guys is.

[dave67az]

Without knowing the full story, it's probably best not to assume anything.  We have enough of that going on already these days.

For instance...

Dad and I went golfing every now and then after his heart attack and hip replacement.  I knew how hard it was on him because I'd see him AFTER the round and notice how difficult it was for him to get out of bed for the next couple of days.  I learned my lesson, and decided since he had too much pride to ask for the handicap flag, I'd ask for it and I would be his driver for the day, trying to do my part in making sure his round was as non-strenuous as possible.

If he hit it on the front part of the green, that's where I'd drop him off.  He may have to walk to the back of the green after his putt, but I'd just pull the cart around to the back and pick him up there.  It seemed to work just fine, until I started getting ugly looks because obviously I wasn't handicapped, and sometimes I'd be spotted alone in the cart as I went to pick him up wherever he was.

The story isn't mine, personally.  It's from one of my golf buddies a while back.

The point is, if there is ONE story out there, then there's more.

You may witness PART of the story, for 10 minutes in this case, but that doesn't tell you the WHOLE story.

Without knowing the person, and without knowing his particular medical history, no fair judgements can be made.

Could they be jerks just taking advantage of a handicap flag?  Oh yeah.  Definitely.  Just like the people who park in the spots when they have no business doing so.  There are plenty of people out there who apparently don't feel any guilt when they take a handicapped spot away from someone who needs it.  But it's probably best to do what you did in this case and NOT say anything or else you may find yourself listening to one of these stories and feeling like a jerk afterward.

Just my opinion.

[Golfingdad]

I agree that you can't tell by looking, as in my case you can't tell that I'm technically handicapped, but others are perfectly fine by most accounts and don't need the help that the handicap flag offers. It's those people that cause this bad image.

Not really, because unless you know "those people" you have no way of knowing if they fall into the category of needing, or not needing, assistance.  It's the people making assumptions based on minimal facts that cause them to have this bad image of others.

Why don't people just relax and worry about themselves, live and let live, not assume they know better, and just carry on with their day?  Basically picking on mefree here ... what is the entire point of this thread?  To start a flame war against people WE THINK may not be handicapped and are using handicap placards anyway?  Why?  We don't know them.  We don't know they aren't handicap.  And to top it off, we do know that they aren't bothering us.

And on the flip side, if they, in fact, are not handicap, then again, what's the point of the thread?  They're a$$holes, and 100% of people who aren't them would agree with you that they're a$$holes, so why waste everybody's time getting riled up and talking about a$$holes?

Anyways, sorry about the rant (just get a little bummed by the quantity of "lets bitch about other people" threads on here) and off my soapbox now.

[Dave2512]

Could they be jerks just taking advantage of a handicap flag?

Just about everyone but the handicap people on the course are there to enjoy the course for all it's worth. Honestly I don't see being able to park near the green as an advantage. Even walking up from the path gives you a chance to look at the contours from afar. Besides it's easy to spot jerks on the course, no flag required. There will be more than one obvious instance than just driving near greens. The a-holes do that without the handicap flag, I see it every week.