November 29, 2014

Dear Sir,

Earlier this week I was pretty excited about my first visit to Bermuda and doing some ocean snorkelling again after many years. I was a little concerned about getting on a scooter for transportation since the only other time I drove a scooter (at age 14) I ended up in a ditch. But I figured I’m a decent driver, have bicycled a lot, many people do it, so I should be fine.

On Thursday morning we rented scooters and after some practice, headed from Paget through downtown Hamilton to go snorkelling at Clarence’s Cove. It was a beautiful day and although still pretty nervous on the scooter, I was loving the breeze and the views as we got up on the hill behind Hamilton. We found our way to North Shore Road but couldn’t find the right entrance for the cove. After several wrong turns we found some locals who gave us good directions. As we turned around to head that way, I found myself trying to making a sharper turn than my scooter skill level allowed … I tried to jump off the scooter as it went over but didn’t quite get my left foot out of the way. There I was on the ground with a badly scraped foot and rapidly swelling ankle. As I downed Ibuprofen and elevated my foot my boyfriend called the Oleander scooter company who called for an ambulance.

In less than 10 minutes, an ambulance and two police cars were there, ice was on my ankle and I was in the ambulance with vital signs being checked. We were whisked to the hospital emergency room, seen immediately by nurses, doctor, and the x-ray department. In no time at all we knew there were no broken bones. It looked bad but wasn’t too serious. The wound was dressed and we were on our way with all the meds and dressings I would need for the first day or two.

In short, we were pretty impressed with the prompt, professional, and courteous care I received from everyone involved. The fast response and treatment have probably made a big difference in minimising the damage and recovery time for my foot. Consistent with Bermuda’s reputation, everything is done well here. Thanks to everyone who helped me out!

That said, I think the biggest issue was that the scooter was a little too big for someone my size and there seemed to be only one size available where we rented. I’ll definitely visit Bermuda again and will try scooters again — but hope I can find something smaller and lighter to drive without having to go up and down these hills by bicycle — a moped or motorised bicycle would be awfully nice.

Susan Cornish

Atlanta, GA