I'm not saying it's okay to use one of those things if you have no need for it. But for those people that you see "hop right off" one of those things, how do you know that he isn't physically capable of walking, but just not for long distances or long periods of time? Just today, I helped a guy at work (at Walmart), who was in an ECV. He bought a couple of molded pools and he needed help carrying them to the front. So I carried them to the front while he drove his electric wheelchair to the front. When he got to the front, he parked the vehicle, then took the pools and walked the rest of the way to his car.
I didn't assume that he's lazy and just got one of those things when he's perfectly capable of walking. I've seen plenty of people at Walmart (some of whom I know from church) who are able to walk, but the problem is with walking for extended periods of time. Sure, they can walk from their car to the Walmart entrance, but it's walking around for a long period in the store that they have a problem with. So they get one of those scooters. And whose to say that they aren't in some pain just from the walk into the store? Or even if the person is young and looks healthy in every other way, who's to say that he didn't kick his toe on the bathroom doorway this morning, breaking his toe? He would be able to walk, but be in alot of pain and, IMO, would be perfectly entitled to one of those machines rather than hobbling around all day at the MK with a broken toe.
Again, if a person is just getting one of those things to be lazy, then shame on them for taking up a machine that someone else may truly need. But if all we see is someone getting out of it and walking, without knowing any other facts, perhaps it's best to give them the benefit of the doubt rather than rushing to judgement.
