I’m all for taking it easy on vacation. In fact, prior to having my daughter I spent many a vacation sprawled out on a lounge chair with a stack of magazines next to me soaking up the sun until it set. I would then retire to my room, order room service, and call it a night (an entire day in the sun can take a lot out of you…). But when I heard how some tourists in Las Vegas are choosing to spend their vacations I had to wince.
My dad, who is a frequent visitor to Vegas, has a standing joke that goes something like this: “I never lose in Vegas.” He isn’t talking about money, he’s referring to weight. My dad loves an incredible buffet and Las Vegas features miles of gluttony. But, every gorger knows that the best part about eating in Vegas is that you can burn off the calories by walking The Strip (from buffet to buffet)—according to conventional wisdom, at least. Or, maybe not.
These days an increasing number of tourists are forgoing the exercise option for electric “mobility scooters.” Sounds trendy, right? It is if you consider riding around on an electric wheelchair hip. Don’t get me wrong. Electric wheelchairs are a blessing for… people who actually need them. Leave it to a Vegas entrepreneur to offer them for $40 a day to healthy tourists who rather cruise around Sin City in transportation intended for those with compromised mobility.
The controversy began brewing when more and more young and fit visitors started renting the scooters out of (some blatantly admit) “sheer laziness.” One 25-year-old trim visitor fessed up, saying that with the scooter he could “drink and drive, be responsible and save my feet.”
Granted, the Las Vegas Strip is… well… long. Even when you are off the strip and in the casinos (and away from the oppressive heat) you can expect to walk the length of a few football fields. Imagine that—getting exercise… in Vegas? I suppose to some that really is a sin.
But, then you have the other segment of the population who thinks it is immoral for able-bodied individuals to be cruising around on what are basically glamorized electric wheelchairs. Some visitors who are disgusted by the growing trend have complained to scooter company owners saying the notion of using a device intended for disabled people is “unethical.”
For their part, scooter company owners say they can’t discriminate against potential customers nor can they require a “prescription or an explanation of why they need it.” Company owners do say the majority of their customers are overweight, elderly or disabled. But do admit there are a growing number of able-bodied renters who like the fact that they can gun the vehicles (at full throttle the scooters go about 5 m.p.h.) on sidewalks. Plus, the scooters go anywhere wheelchairs can — elevators, bars, restaurants, and casinos.
Where do you stand on the issue? Do you think it is unethical to rent a scooter if you are well enough to walk?
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