When did golf carts and side by sides become so common?

[breakingcontact]

Where I live we have golf carts and "side by sides" all over the place.

I think to myself..."not my thing but I suppose so, they aren't hurting anyone so whatever".

I got around to looking up the price on golf carts and side by sides and was completely floored.

Folks out there with deep pockets or lots of loans I suppose.

Golf carts are commonly 5k and side by sides 15k!

I've seen some side by sides kitted out for offroading which I'm sure is fun.

Strange phenomenon to me but I may be getting old and set in my ways. (You could buy a used truck with that money! )

 

[Frosty]

I guess some of those side by sides are pretty quick flat out tear it up off road, so I can see that being a toy for someone, but the golf cart, I don’t know, i never understood that one either.

 

[breakingcontact]

I guess some of those side by sides are pretty quick flat out tear it up off road, so I can see that being a toy for someone, but the golf cart, I don’t know, i never understood that one either.

There seems to be some crossover too. I see some aggressive LOOKING golf carts.

 

[Frosty]

There seems to be some crossover too. I see some aggressive LOOKING golf carts.

Yeah there’s some custom work out there, but I don’t think they’re anywhere near as capable off road as the side by side. My buddy has one, he said 60+ mph is no problem and it just powers through the mud.

 

[littletommy]

My niece and her husband paid a little over 20k for a side by side! They trailer it back and forth to some camp a few times a year. They both have good paying jobs, but dang.

 

[Born2vette]

When I was a kid we went everywhere on our bikes. Now I see the children taking the family golf cart everywhere, including all the places that have no golf cart signs. Many seem to take golf carts to the subdivision pool. Now my old slow a** can walk from one end to the other in our subdivision in 20 minute so no one is more than a 10 minute slow walk from the pool and we have sidewalks and multipurpose trails (golf carts prohibited—which is ignored) throughout. Sadly many of those same children are very overweight.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

The golf cart thing seemed to take off when gas prices spiked at the tail end of the Bush years. I would not be surprised to see a resurgence with the recent spike as well, but do not live in an area conducive to them.

I saw a side-by-side at the liqour store in a small town as I drove by yesterday, though I don't know if it was strictly legal or not. It had it's safety flag, so how illegal could it be?

 

[Hatin Since 87]

Around the same time walking and exercise began to suck

 

[smokingman]

Go to any tractor show in Indiana and you will see almost as many golf carts as tractors, and a few side by sides.

My grandfather used to run the Johnson county tractor club so I have been to plenty of those shows. He had multiple golf carts and a little electric utility factory type truck he remade with a snowmobile engine, off road suspension, and off road tires("for the mud" lol).

I still miss him. I learned more from him about how to fix something than anyone else.

 

[Nugget]

We live in a small subdivision of about 20 houses. Three houses have golf carts and 2 or 3 others have four wheelers. It's mostly the pre-teen and teenagers that ride around the neighborhood. As born2vette said, I remember when kids rode bikes. Now, if it doesn't have a motor, they don't seem interested. Even their scooters and skateboards have engines! Man, I feel old now.

 

[HoughMade]

I haven't looked it up, but the state law was change 10 or 15 years ago to, by default, allow things like golf carts on many roads, but allowing municipalities to make their own ordinances. Before that, things like golf carts were in a legal gray area without much guidance.

 

[Nugget]

I haven't looked it up, but the state law was change 10 or 15 years ago to, by default, allow things like golf carts on many roads, but allowing municipalities to make their own ordinances. Before that, things like golf carts were in a legal gray area without much guidance.

There are few things more exciting for everyone involved as golf carts on county roads. The thrill of flying up behind one on a blind curve, having one pull out in front of you, or having an 80 year old make a surprise left turn in his as you try to pass him on his left in your car. (Yes, I've had all of those thing happen to me in the last several years.)

And let's not even get started on the number of them out on the roads if you visit a beach town in the Carolinas, Georgia, or Florida!

 

[oze]

I must be really out of touch. I had no idea what the heck a side by side is.

 

[breakingcontact]

I haven't looked it up, but the state law was change 10 or 15 years ago to, by default, allow things like golf carts on many roads, but allowing municipalities to make their own ordinances. Before that, things like golf carts were in a legal gray area without much guidance.

I don't think you can drink and drive them but...

 

[breakingcontact]

I must be really out of touch. I had no idea what the heck a side by side is.

Me neither until recently. Like a four-wheeler XL plus.

 

[WhitleyStu]

Seems that every farmer in my area has a JD Gator or Polaris Ranger. If a piece of equipment breaks down a swarm of UTVs converge on the location for support.

 

[Frosty]

There are few things more exciting for everyone involved as golf carts on county roads. The thrill of flying up behind one on a blind curve, having one pull out in front of you, or having an 80 year old make a surprise left turn in his as you try to pass him on his left in your car. (Yes, I've had all of those thing happen to me in the last several years.)

And let's not even get started on the number of them out on the roads if you visit a beach town in the Carolinas, Georgia, or Florida!

Sounds like the old people around here but in their cars

 

[RobbyMaQ]

Agreed. I'd love to have a gator or something for yard work. No space enough for a truck, but We just can't afford that sorta 'toy' when we can just continue to use the mower to haul stuff.

Even out here in Lizton on the country backroads there's a couple of em that ride a golf cart and a side by side up and down the roads...

 

[snapping turtle]

Wait until you get a look at these. Heat ac enclosed cab 60 mph ish dupm beds vans ect.

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[indyjohn]

In Indiana, it is up to the county to determine if quads, side-by-sides, or golf carts are legal to operate on roadways. Many rural counties allow it, most urban counties do not.

https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/recreation/trails/off-roading/off-roading-on-county-roads/

You all know I have a Gator. I use it as my primary transportation on my land. In town, it sits in the garage. Our subdivision has a few golf carts, a few motorized scooters, and a few quads. The kids that operate them are taking risks I think a bit worse than what I did on my Stingray back in the 70s. I grew up living on US36 in Putnam County. I dodged cars & semi-trucks doing 70+ mph for damn near a decade. We could see a good mile down the road, so we had plenty of time to get out of the way of what was coming. The dumb kids in my neighborhood will barely move to the side of the street when they come up on you flat out. This one young girl drives a 'lifted' golf cart practically flat out with her friends hanging off it. You can see by the map that ORVs are not allowed to operate on the streets of Marion county. Their parents are either unaware or don't care (my neighbor takes pics and sends them to Crime Stoppers, the City Action Line, and the HOA. No action.) Hope their parents have good insurance...