Retarded Man Not Allowed To Ride Moped Again

[matcom]

special thanks to MatcomNews cub reporter DS1 for this

<snip>

Edward Milton's moped is chained to a tree in front of his Pelham home.

Until last week, the 54-year-old mentally retarded man regularly rode the bike up and down his street, Overhill Road, stopping to talk with his friends in the neighborhood.

"He knows everyone here, and everyone loves him," said his sister-in-law, Debra Milton.

"Half of them know me; half of them don't," Milton interjected.

Last week, police told the family it's illegal for Milton to ride the bike without a license.

Debra Milton said losing the freedom to ride the moped essentially cut off her brother-in-law's access to the world outside his home.

While she is quick to say she doesn't blame the police, Debra Milton said there are not enough opportunities for social interaction for people like her brother-in-law, people she refers to as lost angels.

"They're just forgotten people," she said. "They don't have a voice and can't speak up for themselves."

"It would be good for him to have something at least once a week away from the house," said Helen Chance, a neighbor and longtime friend of the Milton family.

Milton had enjoyed talking on a CB radio under the handle Mini-Bike Rider, but the family stopped him from using it recently after neighbors complained that the radio was interfering with their telephone service.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1139480655229840.xml&coll=2

[DS1]

1. I guess Mini-Bike Rider just snapped open the big kickstand in the sky

:hide:

[LaraMN]

2. wtf?

?

[SOteric]

3. Damn it, that's really pathetic.

The letter of the law shouldn't so often be in a position to pervert the spirit of the law.


But and however, all that notwithstanding I want extreme bonus self-restraint points for not making a scooter joke at this point. :7

[DS1]

4. wow

I didn't think of that.

yup, i'm definitely sick :hi:

[SOteric]

7. Awww....

:hug: Still got some packets of Theraflu left?

[DS1]

8. oh yeah

took a nyquil last night instead as the theraflu would've likely kept me awake

it knocked me out good, woke up feeling great, but noon hit and I was suddenly feeling like Ted Williams

[madinmaryland]

5. I was wondering if there would be any scooter jokes.

:hide:

[matcom]

6. why do you think DS1 wanted ME to post it

:D

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. RFI interference from CB radios

is nearly always the fault of the receiver. The neighbors' phones likely don't have adequate radio-frequency interference filtering.

A CB radio can be de-tuned, but that'll decrease its performance and might not do much for the RFI.

The neighbors need to get better phones.

I feel for this guy and his family. Might not a bike or trike be an alternative? There's a guy here in a similar situation; he has a big trike and also a motorized wheelchair, and uses each to tow a specially made little trailer to pick up recyclables. Everybody knows him.

[xmas74]

10. This quote bothered me.

Debra Milton said the responsibility to meet the needs of the mentally retarded should rest with churches and not the government. "The government doesn't owe us anything; this is something we owe to God."

She pays taxes(at least I hope she does), she deserves services for her entire family. His parents paid taxes so why not take advantage of them? And why does she think that the churches should be responsible for the services? Not every church can afford to staff a group of this nature(preferrably someone who has studied in this field),pay for the supplies, the transportation, the snacks and meals, the utilities to keep their building open for a length of time, etc.
It's nice when people volunteer their time for a member of the community or for a cause but it shouldn't be the only service available. It shouldn't be up to the churches to provide this service as she seems to think.
Even though she seems to think that the govt should stay out of this area and all services should be provided by the churches in her area, I'm sure she doesn't turn down the monthly govt disability check or any medical services provided by the state for free for her brother.

(Just the opinion of someone who worked w/ the mentally challenged for five years)

[DS1]

11. She's bought the 'big gubmint is bad' line through and through

and it's a shame.

He poses a hell of a lot less threat to others than most teenaged kids who just got their licenses

[xmas74]

12. Exactly.

He's ridden for years, probably stays w/in a small area and sounds pretty cautious.
As to services-it sounds like there is a whole world out there that he is missing out on. I feel bad for him. Why isn't he working in a Sheltered Workshop, participating in Special Olympics (even at his age), attending monthly community dances, etc?
Poor guy. I really feel for him. Sounds like he's lonely.

[KamaAina]

13. And yet...

...this is permitted?! I sense a double standard here...

edit: those of us in the field view the "R-word" as archaic. There is even a movement to get organizations such as the American Association for the Mentally You-Know-What to take it out of their names, much like The Arc has done (it no longer stands for anything, it's just an arc).

[ohiosmith]

14. I wondered how long it would take for "R-word" issue to surface.

:popcorn:

[ContraBass Black]

15. Why can't he get licensed?

[no name no slogan]

21. There's probably a written test

like for a driver's license exam. He probably couldn't pass it, is my guess.

[ucmike]

16. so the moped chained to the tree prevented him from walking?

nothing in the story indicates that he can't walk around to see the neighbors.

[DS1]

17. Yes, but walking doesn't require an orange safety flag

:hide:

[ucmike]

19. and mopeds make that cool sound.

he'd look pretty silly walking up to his neighbors going VWEEEEEEEEEEEEVWEEEEEEEVWEEEEEEE....

[skygazer]

18. "Lost angels"?

WTF does that mean? :wtf:

Poor guy - no wonder he needs to get out of the house....

[no name no slogan]

20. You better watch out matcom

this could be you. YOU!!!! :silly:

[Divameow77]

22. What about getting him a motorized scooter?

You don't need a license for those.