William Skaggs, a handicapped employee at the local Dillons grocery store, rides a converted golf car to and from work, but he is not a golfer.
One problem - the cart is illegal under state law.
City officials and safety department personnel have done research and have recommended an electric scooter which will meet legal requirements of the state.
Another problem - Neither William nor his family have the $6,000-plus it will take to purchase and ship a scooter to Augusta.
His mother, Martha Martin, estimates the total cost around $9,000 for the completely enclosed scooter called Shoprider Flagship. This four-wheeled scooter is designed by a company in Australia. It has a maximum speed of 7 miles per hour.
“I get 15 to 20 miles an hour with my golf cart,” said William.
A fund has been estblished at Emprise Bank-Augusta to receive donations.
The enclosure feature is very important to the 33-year-old William due to a childhood incident which left him with a permanent trachea. Without it, he could suffer injury in cold weather.
Augusta, Kan. —
