Island Echo always welcomes letters to the editor, which may of course not reflect the views of the publication and its staff.
Letter to the editor – 7th June 2023
“I would like to send a thank you message to the 2 very kind gentlemen who helped me on the afternoon of the 25th of May.
Article continues below this advertisement “I was travelling back to Warners at Bembridge on my mobility scooter along Lane End road on the pavement by St Luke’s Chapel when trying to avoid some uneven ground my scooter rolled over and threw me down the bank and into the road. I ended up with my scooter on top of me and leaking blood quite freely.
“2 gents stopped in their cars and came to my rescue. They packed my wife and myself with my scooter into one of the cars and drove me to Warners reception and did not leave until Warners people took over.
“Then they vanished without us being able to thank them, I would love to thank them.”
John Pettengell
Some nice genuine people out there.
Hope you are well after your tumble John. I was one of the guys who was there, and no need for thanks as most all would have helped if passing.
I was working in the church yard and was close by when you fell, and luckily another gent with a large enough car to take you, your wife and to take your mobility machine in the boot, as my van was loaded at the time with mowers etc, and too high to get you in!
I reported & sent photo of the dangerous condition of the crumbling edge of the tar-mac footpath straight away to the Clerk at Bembridge Parish Council, who in turn reported it instantly to ‘Island Roads’ the people who are responsible for the maintenance of the footways.
Hope you are all healed soon.
Well done, Lengths-man. An everyday superhero.
There is still humanity. Makes a change to report some good news eh?
I hope that the gentlemen has not been put off from re-visiting our beautiful Island, and that he is recovered from this accident.
Great to see we have those kind of people who will stop and readily assist a person in need, and not as some areas of the UK, would just use such to rob them adding to their woe.
We must be very careful with all the new housing that it doesn’t end up attracting the wrong kind here.
Nice of John to take the time to write and thank those involved. Clearly a lovely man.
Extra Housing is not required on the Island, so many properties
available on Rightmove, why build more.
How refreshing that this guy has written to the Echo to thank people rather than just complain about the state of the roads or sue.
Hope you make a rapid and full recovery Sir, and nice to know Bembridge has some kindly people at hand when someone is in need.
This is why I am adamant that the Council makes pavements safe for mobility scooters
and keeps all pavements free from vehicles.
All vehicles who block pavements should be towed away
NO EXCUSES
Pavements are for pedestrians NOT VEHICLES
Thank you to those who helped this man.
Whilst agreeing in a perfect world that parking should only be on the highway not the pavements, I can guess that you have never been a delivery driver.
You must understand that the Island and much of the UK’s roads were never made for the amount of people we have inorganically amassed here now.
So for a driver doing deliveries it often makes sense to pull a couple of wheels onto a pavement whilst delivering as opposed to causing massive tail backs, which in turn cause the impatient to risk overtaking etc adding not detracting to more accidents.
This accident was nothing to do with badly parked vehicles.
A nice story so don’t spoil it please by blaming the, in this case, innocent.
I understand delivery drivers have to make deliveries.
I am talking about idiots who park on pavements who are not delivery drivers.
Believe me, there are plenty of them.
The roads on the Island, like many of the UK’s roads were not built for heavy traffic, more for horse and carts and have been merely tar-mac’d over. So they are narrow, with bends and not so long back, when we never had so many people here, it was not such a problem.
The Gov is I think trying to slyly and subtly price the ordinary motorist off the road to remedy the situation for the future, but, in the transition period the problem will grow ever worse.
Those on benefits who plead constantly they are in ‘poverty’ should not be able to afford a car, as have no need, as they have all the time in the world. They should be the first to learn how to ‘walk’ their state funded clones to school again.
So true alsoran
Sadly you have on one hand someone like John who struggles along, disabled and exposed to the elements and in some areas risk of being mugged, yet the young chavy parents roar around in state paid for loud cars, claiming extra help for food and heating, yet living in a rent free home, and paid thousands a year, for in all honesty, just dragging up more likeminded children to rinse and repeat the cycle from puberty onwards. costly to the taxpayer for the next generation to fund even more spongers
Hey John, it’s The Island! Old-fashioned values and old-fashioned helpful. Hope you and your wife come back soon.
I saw a mobility scooter tumble in Shanklin last March and I am wondering if they are inherently unstable and if the 4-wheel version is therefore safer? Asking for my mum! Glad to hear John is ok!