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Elderly couple leads police on merry hunt
Reuters ^ | 6-2-2005

Posted on 06/02/2005 6:44:07 PM PDT by kingattax

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An elderly Australian couple evaded police on a 1,400 mile journey by car and bus after setting off in protest when the wife was denied an extension of her driving license because of old age.

Tom and Marian Foulkes, both in their 80s, drove from their Melbourne home in the southern state of Victoria to the north of New South Wales state and halfway back again, avoiding police searching for them.

At one stage, the couple had their car keys confiscated by a police officer who thought they were disoriented, but they hit the road again, this time in a bus.

Their two weeks on the run ended Wednesday when they were found holed up in a hotel in the Australian capital Canberra.

Paul Foulkes, who reported his parents missing, said they were afraid of losing their independence as his father had earlier lost his driving license.

"They wished to demonstrate that they are capable people and they can manage themselves and they can drive," Foulkes told Reuters Thursday. "The desire to be independent, to go off, it's the human spirit isn't it, to want to travel especially when there are excessive restrictions put on them."

Foulkes said his parents, married for 38 years and both with varying degrees of dementia, enjoyed their escapade.

"They said they had had a good time, they described it as a holiday, they weren't very happy to have been caught at all, they wanted to keep going," he said


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: elderlydrivers

1 posted on 06/02/2005 6:44:08 PM PDT by kingattax
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To: kingattax

Cute, but dangerous. Glad nobody got hurt.


2 posted on 06/02/2005 6:47:15 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
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To: kingattax
and both with varying degrees of dementia

Heck, I have varying degrees of dementia depending on when you catch me during the day.

3 posted on 06/02/2005 6:47:58 PM PDT by SIDENET ("Some people are desperate for whatever they're desperate for," - Bubba Fink)
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To: SIDENET
Heck, I have varying degrees of dementia depending on when you catch me during the day.

Who was the comedian that suggested the best way for adults to get high- just stand up!

4 posted on 06/02/2005 6:50:39 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
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To: SIDENET

I had my worst moment of dementia just before I said "I do."


5 posted on 06/02/2005 6:58:32 PM PDT by Donald Meaker (i)
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To: kingattax
..APB...old people on the loose...last seen driving 40 mph in the fast lane with left turn signal on......
6 posted on 06/02/2005 7:02:06 PM PDT by scott says
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To: SteveMcKing

I will tell You when I am no longer qualified to live independent and free, Grasshopper!
My Liberty never came in a box with an automtic expiration date on it.
If I need to be patronized, I reckon I can find a democrat that works cheaper than you do.
I never tried to reach My age out of any desire to be mocked and marginalized, put that in Your pipe, and smoke it!


7 posted on 06/02/2005 8:31:45 PM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (LET ME DIE ON MY FEET IN MY SWAMP, ALEX KOZINSKI FOR SCOTUS)
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To: scott says

lol

ain't that the truth?


8 posted on 06/02/2005 8:56:25 PM PDT by Fam4Bush
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To: SWAMPSNIPER
I will tell You when I am no longer qualified to live independent and free, Grasshopper!

Don't tell me. Tell a judge who sees it differently.

9 posted on 06/02/2005 9:04:40 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
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