Sunday, November 18, 2018

SCOOTIN' ALONG -- CALIF. FIRES -- ELDER SAFETY


The good news is California fires are gradually coming under control.   A fire recently started  east of where I live, is being contained.    Our area has not been subjected to any fire, smoke or ashes – our skies continuing to be blue. 

Federal emergency aid has been granted by our President, as he made a visit to some of the areas including that of the Thousand Oaks shooting massacre which had coincidentally occurred prior to the fires.  Meeting with our Governor Brown and newly elected Governor Newsom he expressed words of concern as could be expected to be forthcoming from any responsible leader of our nation in such a disaster. 

The President’s broad knowledge of the factors involved in these fires’ propagation appears to be rather narrow, to put it kindly, as he persists in blaming poor forest management as the problem.   There was reported HERE  “...a protester along the route of the president’s motorcade who held a sign that said, “Moron, we’re in a drought.”

I suppose our officials must use care to not antagonize a President some believe to be vindictive to those who don’t agree with him lest our residents not receive all the assistance needed.   California has primarily supported candidates with views other than those of the current federal administration, but that has become even more pronounced with the results of the recent elections.  

Very large Orange County has been known many years as a stronghold for the President’s political party.  Midterm elections altered that as all four House seats in Orange country – Richard Nixon’s birthplace and that of conservatism – now belong to the new House of Representatives predominant party.   

My friends’ family members here in Southern California had to evacuate but were fortunate to stay with other family until they could return to, thankfully, find their homes still standing, unlike some others in their areas, or in additional communities including Malibu near the Pacific Ocean. 

In Northern California a town ironically named Paradise, population over 26,000, burned to the ground.   Known as a retirement haven, tragically at this writing over 600 residents are still missing – whether they are in safe locations or are fire victims has yet to be established. 

Safety for older folks.....
There has been some concern that lives lost not only there, but in other areas, too, may have included an inordinate number of older people – some unwilling to leave soon enough, others unable to evacuate as rapidly as needed.   Likely this issue will be, or should be, examined in the weeks ahead.   
Data from 2017 fires concluded older people are at greater risk in disasters.  It should give us all thought that when the potential for safety concerns emerges, older and disabled folks should be among the first to act promptly, to not wait or try to be heroes – concentrating on saving ourselves could be the best way to aid our loved ones and those who would want to help us. 

Wildlife has not been spared as their habitat is destroyed including our mountain lions HERE and a heart-warming story about a rescued horse/mule.
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A couple updates:

My California I.D. card that serves as my driver’s license for the next five years arrived with my photo quite acceptable unlike the one on the new regular license initially issued.   Card photos quality was a subject I had previously posed recently for comment HERE.

Daylight Savings Time will hopefully be ended in California based on voters choice in our recent election.   There is still some uncertainty about voters choice being implemented though the California State Legislature now has the power to vote to change the clocks permanently with a two-thirds majority vote.  Even then the time change still has to to receive U.S. Congress approval.    

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SCOOTIN’ ALONG .....

Green transportation in California and in other cities across our country has been gaining increasing interest in recent years.  I’ve been noticing a few unusual vehicles in my community and Los Angeles TV news stories cause me to wonder if such vehicles/devices actual usage is becoming more prevalent. 

Electric scooters are being introduced by companies into prominent cities across our country creating quite a bit of controversy.  There are companies that distribute them around some city areas for individuals to use at will – riding them to their local destination, then just leaving them.  City governments often haven’t been given an opportunity to establish operation requirements they can then also enforce with licensing.   Many pros and cons are being debated about whether or not to allow these scooters, safety issues, to name just a couple.  
“...the first company to launch shared electric scooters in the United States, unrolled its first fleet – or flock – in Santa Monica last September. Their scooters have since appeared in some 70 municipalities across the country, including 17 in California, as well as Paris and Tel Aviv and dozens of college campuses." "... the biggest of a dozen or more competitors, has landed in more than 80 American municipalities.”

What do you think about electric scooters?  Have you encountered any?   Would you use them? 

  



28 comments:

  1. I think that the scooters can create issues like bicycles. Where can they be parked if left indefinitely? Roads and drivers will have to adjust and change. Change is always hard, but maybe this is a change for the good? The fires are so horrible. I have friends in the Bay Area that have been kept indoors for days due to air pollution. It affects so many.

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    1. So true — in some reports the complaints are that scooters are just being left blocking the sidewalks, for example. Photos I’ve seen of the Bay Area show darkened smoky skies.

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  2. Can you tell me if 'Campfire' is the name of a town or just the name of a fire that started from a campfire? I feel so badly for the people in California. The losses from the fires and the air quality is hard to imagine. The clean up and rebuilding will take so long, my heart hurts for those most effected. And don't get me started on Mr. Trump's stupidity and lack of true empathy.

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    1. Campfire got its name from Camp Creek Road in Butte County. Probably it should be designated Camp Fire and is in the Paradise community as I understand it. I’ve read there is some question about the future of rebuilding the area since the devastation was so massive. The question is where will these people live and where would they go as I heard in an interview with an 85 year old man who lost everything and a discussion with the Paradise mayor.

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  3. Thank you for explaining "Campfire." That had puzzled me also.
    Do you suppose that protester can expect to hear from the IRS about his pending audit? That way the president can slap back sneakily. He does like revenge.
    Even if you have driven a car for years, a scooter presents a whole new bunch of dangers both for driver and those sharing the road.

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    1. Our fires are usually named after locations — a road, river, lake, etc. Glad Jean asked.

      It’s one thing to ride a scooter, which for our older generations raises lots of questions in my mind, but are they restricting where they can be ridden by anyone— off sidewalks, for example? Think I’ve read they’re being relegated to bike lanes in So Cal area community, maybe bike rules, but I don’t know.

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  4. The President has problems understanding things. We have LA smoke, and smoke from several Mexican fires here. Today is better than yesterday,.

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    1. Maybe some moisture we may get closer to Thanksgiving will clear out and freshen the air.

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  5. Odd that you write about electric scooters and I had just discussed the possibility of buying one each for my son and daughter in love for their local use. Both currently use petrol ones plus a powerful motorcycle for long rides as they find it more convenient in traffic and for parking than taking the car. Electric scooters have recently been launched in Bengaluru, India and both of them are seriously considering getting one each as soon as they are launched in our city.

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    1. What a coincidence. Can see bikes of various variety as being an advantage in traffic congested areas.

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  6. I see the President was comparing California to Finland and saying Finland had no fire problem because they raked the forest floors. The Finnish government knows nothing about this "raking", and in any case the President doesn't seem to have noticed that Finland has a completely different climate to California - cold and wet and therefore not liable to wildfires. The guy clearly has a shortage of brain cells.

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    1. That Finland statement was really ridiculous but he makes them all the time — doesn’t seem to know what he doesn’t seem to know.

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  7. I've never seen any electric scooters here in Northern Ireland, only the foot-driven ones. But the real problem is vehicle pollution, especially all the diesel cars. Air pollution levels in the UK are sky-high but as usual the authorities are only responding in a half-hearted fashion.

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    1. Perhaps these electric scooters will get to Ireland eventually and more air pollution reducing vehicles will come into use, too.

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  8. On the NBC national news, it is always referred to in graphics as the Camp Fire.

    Bird scooters made a brief, unannounced appearance in downtown Cleveland this past summer. The company dumped about 100 of them. The city immediately sent them what amounted to a cease and desist order and threatened to impound all of them.

    The idea sounds good, but the execution and ramifications are the problems. And the problems so far are outweighing everything.

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    1. Most news print accounts do show Camp Fire, but when they speak the words can probably sound like campfire.

      Interesting to learn Cleveland’s reaction to the scooters.

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  9. I can see the insurance problems with these scooters, liability and damage could be severe.

    Those fires are so heartbreaking and so many people unaccounted for. It's so difficult to imagine the tragedy of it all.

    XO
    WWW

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    1. I think about those scooters upper speed limit as 15 mph, but riders don’t wear helmets — accidents could result in head trauma. I wonder if any older folks would use a scooter? Would pedestrians be at greater risk from scooter accidents — especially older folks? Of course, when cars first came on scene there were pedestrian concerns then, too — oh yes, and what about the horses in the streets prevalent then.

      Yes, the fires are devastating to people’s lives. People in other parts of our country are still recovering from hurricanes.

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  10. I am glad that your house has been spared. Good to know that you are alive and well. If there is a wildfire in Hawaii, I don't know how we will respond, as the ocean is our boundary.

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    1. Hope you never have a wildfire and are spared hurricanes.

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  11. Your poor State is suffering so much and it breaks my heart. I have a fried who used to live in Paradise and she watched the news with me with tears running down her face. It was at the time when Trump visited and when he called the town Pleasant instead of Paradise she just shook her head in disgust. I agree that the politicians had to be careful because he is just vindictive enough to hold back aid if they don't bow to him. I pray that after the first of the year things will change.
    On a happier note I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving.

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    1. Glad your friend no longer lived in Paradise to be subjected to the wildfire. Would be especially difficult to know the area intimately, then view the results after the fire. Thank you for the Thanksgiving wish.

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  12. The scooters are cute, but their riders are blind and brainless. Me, I would probably fall on my face and damage more of me. LOL I'm so glad OC is a far, far better color.

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    1. I’m with you — there was a time when an electric scooter might have attracted me, but I don't think most of us in an older generation will safely use them, though a seat might possibly make them more usable.

      As for OC, am not sure if demographic change, or the population has begun to see matters differently — maybe a little of both.

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  13. You are very polite and diplomatic when mentioning Mr Trump and his policies. Not everyone is as kind as you!

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    1. Sometimes understated words about the obvious can be more impactful.

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  14. Have a good thanksgiving. Hugs from the south.

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    1. Thanks — hugs for a happy Thanksgiving to you!

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