Belle Harris says the gift of a new scooter gives her faith in humanity. Photo / Alan Gibson
A grandmother who had her mobility scooter swapped for an inferior ride has received an upgrade of her own.
Belle Harris, from Tauranga, was left with an "old clunker" after her electric scooter was stolen from outside a Greerton supermarket. Police told her to use the left-behind, shabby scooter until
hers showed up.
But Home and Health Mobility have stepped in to give the 88-year-old a new red scooter, marked with her name to prevent another theft.
Owner Gary Darkes said his company had serviced Mrs Harris' scooter for years, and he sympathised with her situation.
He said her new scooter, a Pegasus, valued at $4500, was head and shoulders above the old one. It was being shipped down from Auckland. Mrs Harris said she had been more than compensated for the frustration of someone's cheeky swap-around of scooters.
"It was a mean trick, and meant a week of shaky rides. But it gives you faith in human nature, being gifted this new one."
The new scooter would improve her top-speed from 7km/h to at least 10km/h. "But I don't want to go much faster," she said.
It also had a locking mechanism and unique key, which would prevent another stolen vehicle - her last key fitted more than one scooter.
Police would be given the old scooter. They reported no sightings of the stolen scooter, which can only travel 10km on a full battery.
She still expected her original, $3000 scooter to turn up, as there were very few of the Canadian-built model in her community.
