Florida legislators granted residents of Sun City Center the right to drive golf carts on streets within the community in 1989.

The special privilege came about because the late Democratic State Rep. S. L. “Spud” Clements Jr. added it to an already-existing popular bill as it moved through the State House in Tallahassee. At that time, Clements was quoted in The Sun as saying, “It was my ‘Tape-on’ bill.”

What Clements’ bill did was establish the right of golf cart drivers to operate on private streets within the Sun City Center community during daylight hours.

The Department of Transportation became involved later when issues came up about golf carts crossing State Road 674, and other streets belonging to the state and county.

Around 1992, the Sun City Center Golf Cart Safety Committee was formed and spearheaded many efforts that have no-doubt saved lives; including “cart warning” signage, safe crossing areas and special golf cart paths in high traffic areas.

Since that time, while most residents who use their golf carts abide by laws that were created to protect them, others continually break them.

Sheriff’s deputies report golf carts driving down State Road 674 – which despite the name “Sun City Center Boulevard” on a few street signs – is not a “boulevard” at all but a state highway and designated commercial truck route.

Deputies also report people going beyond the boundaries of Sun City Center regularly, and driving after dark. A few have even been pulled over traveling on Interstate 75.

Just because you don’t need a driver’s license to legally drive a golf cart doesn’t mean it’s OK to drive one when your driving faculties are impaired. I mean- when someone takes your set of car keys, is your first reaction to drive a golf cart instead?

Independence is a great thing. Sure, it’s nice to be able to come and go where and when we want without having to call a cab, wait for a bus, or ask someone else for a ride. But people who break the law in their golf carts need to think twice about whether they’re still capable of driving. If they are, they should expect to abide by the law, just as if they were behind the wheel of a car.

With the new stores – Home Depot to the west and Wal-Mart Supercenter to the east to mention only two – it is definitely a temptation to take the carts farther than they are legally allowed to go.

Sheriff’s deputies vowed to cover all entranceways to the new Wal-mart Supercenter for awhile, but shouldn’t law enforcement be free to go after the bad guys that invade homes, rob banks, kidnap children and rape elderly women?

It’s totally unfair to expect deputies to sit at intersections all day (and half the night) because some people refuse to abide by the golf cart laws. Personally, I’d rather see law enforcement freed up to do what we pay them for.

People who abide by the law shouldn’t be offended by this. Remember, a few bad apples can spoil the barrel. And in this case, that would mean everybody’s golf carts would have to stay on the greens.