Golf Carts

[Guest]

How many others are forced to use the G*d forsaken machines. I generally patrol construction sites and some of them mandate cart patrol (did not know this until I was written up for 'not working' because I neglected to use the cart not knowing that the hour clock was checked and recorded daily. Apparently, if the cart didn't move, we didn't work, regardless of DOR's.) As I said, I work on construction sites, many of which are far too dangerous to travel by cart at night, terrible headlights, or are not accessible by little electric go carts. Anybody else have this ridiculous problem?

[FireEMSPolice]

A golf cart? Been there...done that and hated it. Golf carts should not be used for Security.

My last security job, the Chief of Security had a hard on for a Gator or Kawasaki Mule for years. Well, the campus finally let him buy a Gator. It was popular for about 2 weeks. It was not practical. I couldnt install any lighting on it and due to the engine noise, I could not hear my portable radio. The engine noise also prevents you from being stealthy. I once ran over a brick in the Gator and the steering wheel turned, hurting my wrist.

They should get you at a minimum a small SUV (for gear) or a car.

[HotelSecurity]

I do believe that there are places for them. In crowded pedestrian places such as fairs, inside airport terminals etc.

Here is what they have at the Vieux Port de Montréal http://policecanada.policecanada.org...alQC007_NF.jpg

[Andy Taylor]

We use one. A car would be impracticle as it would not be able to do the Uturns in the space we have to do them. The stock headlights do stink. we don't use them. When we tried the battery ran dead in about 3 hours. We have an LED lightbar with front takedown lights that get used as headlights. much brighter and more effective than the stock headlights and virtually no noticible difference in battery life.

Is it not perfect, but it seems like the best option for our needs.

[UtahProtectionForce]

my company uses them for things such as parking garges where you have to be able to travel through the garge in an emergency, and i have used them in event situations, where there are crowds of people, but other then that get ATV's or Cars..... or jeeps or trucks... or bicycles... Golf Carts suck, they are big, slow, and gas hogs...

[Andy Taylor]

Ours is electric, so no gas needed

[craig333]

Have you checked? Most of the time the hour meter runs when the key is on, not if the cart is actually moving. Not that I would advocate anything that goes against your post rules.

[acula32]

Carts

As I mentioned before I work on a college campus. How ever I have been in the private field too.

We tried them here to off set our mobile, foot, and bike patrols. A 30 mph cart with working head, tale, and hazzard lights.

Once the newness wore off, usually a few days. We found carts were a bigger hassle. Students often attacked them and we found ourselves baby sitting the cart at incident scenes.

In the private field I found them useful during large crowd issues like expo's or the like.

In conclusion, they have their uses but I'll stick with the Mountain Bike Patrol.

[The Hussard]

The wildwood(NJ) PD use golf cart to patrol the boardwalk i never drive golf cart at job and i dont see me using this in a cold and dark winter night during a quebec blizzard

[Hank1]

I have never used nor wanted to use a golfcart. Golf carts are not to be used by anyone in the Agency I am employed by. There are three authorized types of patrol. Vehicle, bike and foot patrols only.

Be safe,

Hank

[Guest]

actually

Most of the guards I have worked with, until very recently, sure could use the foot patrols. What good is a 300+ pound out-of-shape, out-of-breath guard going to do in an incident? Nothing in my experience. Take him off the cart and have him walk foot patrols. I am all for the bike patrols as well, I don't like the carts at all. It seems like most don't do anything more than joy-ride in them.

[N. A. Corbier]

Depends entirely on what his mission is. If its to call 911, about the same as a fit 25 year old.

This is reality.

[UtahProtectionForce]

Most of the guards I have worked with, until very recently, sure could use the foot patrols. What good is a 300+ pound out-of-shape, out-of-breath guard going to do in an incident? Nothing in my experience. Take him off the cart and have him walk foot patrols. I am all for the bike patrols as well, I don't like the carts at all. It seems like most don't do anything more than joy-ride in them.

I have seen this more times then i like, once upon the time i was working at an high rise apartment complex that sat up top a mall, so our apts had a north and south building, so we would be patroling areas that mall security also patrol like the common side walks and parking garages that were joint to the mall and apts, well one night about 1 year ago, i was walking between the north and south building when i see mall security on golf cart doubled up, the leave the sidewalk and enter the street, flip a U-turn, and the one guard sticks a flash light in his mouth and shakes it back and forth while the other guard was going WEEEEEEEE WOOOOOOOO, i caugth them doing this and shook my head, and told the thats not very professional, they stated well you know its night shift gotta have a little fun you know. i stated okay what ever and walked off, its a wonder why the police dont like us cause of idoits like them.........

[Guest]

true

Depends entirely on what his mission is. If its to call 911, about the same as a fit 25 year old.

This is reality.

This is quite true, if the guard is lucky enough to simply be on O and R. My company actually has to react and I've seen some pretty out-of-shape guys in situations that they couldn't handle. I know that is their fault for engaging when they were at odds, but I really feel like the golf carts contribute to their out-of-shape state. I am a fairly big guy myself, I refuse to use golf carts. I also think they make many guards just plain lazy. For example, I have watched parking lot patrols simple buzz through the lot at full throttle, not bothering to look at parked cars at all and usually relying solely on the headlights, no flashlight in sight. When patrolling a parking lot, we have been trained to visually inspect EACH vehicle for damage, signs of break-ins, or suspicious occupants. You cannot do that at 25 mph through a parking lot.