Courtesy cart situation

[Duckdawg]

I know there?s a thread on here about the carts being eliminated, but I am looking for some guidance here. My folks are 86 and 81 respectively and have a tough time getting around. We?ve bought a parking pass in lot 14 (handicapped lot) but even that is a quarter mile from the stadium. Is there any way to make a private golf cart legal by the university?s definition, and be able too get it within a reasonable distance from the stadium? When we bought the pass we assumed the courtesy carts would still be running. Any help, ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Jack Lambert]

Drop them off as close as you can then go park.

[gravedigger]

Drop them off as close as you can then go park.

This is good advice. Where is lot 14?

[Jack Lambert]

This is good advice. Where is lot 14?

I'm not sure. I park at Regions and ride the shuttle. Also I wasn't trying to be a smart butt.

[basedog]

I have a couple of friends who are in there mid 80's, I tell them to ride the shuttle, drops you off at the architect building. Easy walk IF they are going to enter the North end of stadium. Just saying and good luck.

[Jack Lambert]

I have a couple of friends who are in there mid 80's, I tell them to ride the shuttle, drops you off at the architect building. Easy walk IF they are going to enter the North end of stadium. Just saying and good luck.

That's what I do. You are right at the stadium.

[dawgwhisperer]

I know there?s a thread on here about the carts being eliminated, but I am looking for some guidance here. My folks are 86 and 81 respectively and have a tough time getting around. We?ve bought a parking pass in lot 14 (handicapped lot) but even that is a quarter mile from the stadium. Is there any way to make a private golf cart legal by the university?s definition, and be able too get it within a reasonable distance from the stadium? When we bought the pass we assumed the courtesy carts would still be running. Any help, ideas would be greatly appreciated.

GOLF CART POLICY:
http://www.alumni.msstate.edu/s/811/alumni/interior.aspx?sid=811&gid=1&pgid=252&cid=2833&ecid=2833&crid=0

the idea of dropping them off as close as possible is probably going to be the best bet.

[Dawgbite]

A private golf cart will not get you any closer. They will not let a non university cart pass through any blocked street even to drop someone off and return. We tried this past weekend to drop people off at Giles (Architecture) and it was not possible. As the rules stand right now, the best option on the north end of the stadium is to park off campus or in the research park and ride the shuttle to Giles Hall. Lot 14 is at The new Old Main I think, that's about as close as you are going to get in a private cart.

[starkvegasdawg]

I know there?s a thread on here about the carts being eliminated, but I am looking for some guidance here. My folks are 86 and 81 respectively and have a tough time getting around. We?ve bought a parking pass in lot 14 (handicapped lot) but even that is a quarter mile from the stadium. Is there any way to make a private golf cart legal by the university?s definition, and be able too get it within a reasonable distance from the stadium? When we bought the pass we assumed the courtesy carts would still be running. Any help, ideas would be greatly appreciated.

They really screwed the pooch on this policy. I'd email Cohen just to get another one in his inbox. He sent a long reply back to me on why they cancelled them, but no real solution.

Here is his response to me:

Thank you for reaching out for clarification on our decision to discontinue the small campus carts this season. MSU Athletics and the entire MSU Campus family takes great pride in striving to provide the most friendly and safe game day atmosphere in the SEC and the nation. In our evaluation of our efforts at the end of each season we review all campus and game services for their safe execution and proper management. Primary objectives are to always provide safe, secure, dependable and reliable services for all guests on campus.

One area that was determined to not be meeting those expectations were the use of small, limited passenger carts to provide game day transportation to fans and guests. I think that we can all agree that golf carts are potentially dangerous, inefficient and not ADA compliant. Throughout several previous football seasons, we received many email and phone complaints such as: " I can never find a cart", "Your carts are never available, why do you even offer them", "I waited for 45 minutes after I called before the cart arrived", "Without seatbelts I almost fell out", "Your cart drivers drive too fast", "The carts I see on game day only carry students with coolers to tailgate", "I was walking to my car after the game with my children and almost got hit by one of your carts", and many more colorful comments. These complaints coupled with the fact that, to our knowledge, we were the very last school in the SEC to stop using golf carts for fan transportation led us in the direction of this new plan.

Therefore, in conjunction with MSU Parking & Transit Services, MSU Athletics is offering expanded ADA Parking accommodations along with the addition of dedicated ADA compliant transit buses that will provide transportation for disabled guest and families to and from campus transit terminals as well as many other locations throughout the city of Starkville and public parking areas. We feel our obligation and responsibility is to provide a safe and secure campus in all areas of service, and to provide options that allow those with accessibility concerns a more safe and compliant manner of transportation.

Options available other than parking in the North and South Public ADA lots include requesting an available space for purchase in a Reserved ADA Parking lot on campus from the Ticket Office if you are a Bulldog Club member and season ticket holder, or The Bulldog Club can assist in an exchange of your current reserved parking pass for an available reserved ADA parking pass. Additional options include utilizing the many bus and SMART transit routes into campus that have stops at Giles Hall, Old Main Academic/YMCA and the Newell Grissom Building. And one often overlooked option for guests is to consider a guest drop-off at campus tailgate areas prior to road closures which occur one hour and 45 minutes before the stadium gates open.

[gravedigger]

I have a couple of friends who are in there mid 80's, I tell them to ride the shuttle, drops you off at the architect building. Easy walk IF they are going to enter the North end of stadium. Just saying and good luck.

The old main gameday route picks up at regions and goes to the old main academic center next to the chapel of memories. The gameday davis wade stadium route picks up a block over on Lampkin at Starkville Daily News and drops at Giles architect.

Highway 12 picks up at Walmart, kroger, Patriots park, Vowells, Haven 12 and the new Walmart neighborhood Grocery and goes to Old main academic.

Research park picks up at the High Performance Computing lab parking lot and the Center for advanced vehicular studies parking lot and goes to Giles.

Just some fyi. These arent all of them. There is an ADA route from research and the recplex

[Duckdawg]

A private golf cart will not get you any closer. They will not let a non university cart pass through any blocked street even to drop someone off and return. We tried this past weekend to drop people off at Giles (Architecture) and it was not possible. As the rules stand right now, the best option on the north end of the stadium is to park off campus or in the research park and ride the shuttle to Giles Hall. Lot 14 is at The new Old Main I think, that's about as close as you are going to get in a private cart.

Not real sure what we?re gonna do because they can?t walk that far from the lot. We are on the west side and go in the South Gate by Barnes and Noble. Thanks for the replies.

[MaroonBelle]

My recommendation is to buy a couple transport wheelchairs. It wouldn't be a bad walk/push from lot 14. They are lightweight, foldable and easy to pack in a trunk and to use for short distances. Find out where you can leave them once you get into the stadium. We did this for my grandmother when visiting a botanical garden and it was easier on all of us. There are several at Walmart for under $100 and with aging parents you will probably use them for more than games at some point. These are push only, not self propelled so I hope you have others in your party to push two chairs. They also have a self propelled one that looks pretty good for less than $150. You can get 2 day shipping also.

https://www.walmart.com/browse/home-health-care/wheelchairs/976760_1005860_1224838

[MaroonBelle]

Somebody with some startup funds needs to get a pedicab business running. They can't keep you from running a bicycle especially with as much emphasis as they have put on making campus and Stark more bicycle friendly. Have lots of young fresh legs on college students to put to work and they are perfect for running on closed streets without being a danger to pedestrians like golf carts can be.

[Duckdawg]

My recommendation is to buy a couple transport wheelchairs. It wouldn't be a bad walk/push from lot 14. They are lightweight, foldable and easy to pack in a trunk and to use for short distances. Find out where you can leave them once you get into the stadium. We did this for my grandmother when visiting a botanical garden and it was easier on all of us. There are several at Walmart for under $100 and with aging parents you will probably use them for more than games at some point. These are push only, not self propelled so I hope you have others in your party to push two chairs. They also have a self propelled one that looks pretty good for less than $150. You can get 2 day shipping also.

https://www.walmart.com/browse/home-health-care/wheelchairs/976760_1005860_1224838

That?s a helluva good idea, thanks.

[basedog]

Somebody with some startup funds needs to get a pedicab business running. They can't keep you from running a bicycle especially with as much emphasis as they have put on making campus and Stark more bicycle friendly. Have lots of young fresh legs on college students to put to work and they are perfect for running on closed streets without being a danger to pedestrians like golf carts can be.

I know someone who could do this, I'm gonna get in touch with him.

[MaroonBelle]

That?s a helluva good idea, thanks.

Hope it works out for you. Might want to invest in a chain/lock to lock both together at the wheels to ensure they don't roll off without you.

ETA: You may even be able to see about getting a reimbursement from insurance/medicare with a dr. prescription.

[lawdawg]

You can always drop them off at the corner of Russell St and Bost Dr (behind the amphitheater, in front of the Pike house). That road doesn't close. Short, flat walk to southwest gate from there.

Of course, then, it'll be hell trying to get to Lot 14.

ETA: Cohen's e-mail above mentions swapping your pass for a Bulldog Club ADA lot pass. you should check into whether you can get a pass for A (Bost), B (Lloyd-Ricks), or C (Montgomery).