I don't have a handicap permit but maybe I can just show the 18" scar on my leg where they operated on my knee and leg after a motorcycle accident that shattered my leg into about 60 pieces and destroyed my knee. My leg gets sore and tired very quickly so I'd ride a scooter around and be grinning the whole time regardless of age.

hmmm, i could add one of those big squeeze horns from a bicycle, a pair of dice hanging from the handlebars, and a radio to listen to my iPod tunes as I'm cruising around the showfield.
hmmm, could I add a cowcatcher to the front also to help push all the slow people out of the way as I'm coming thru......... ?
ok, maybe that's why they would rather I wasn't riding a scooter afterall!