Scooter-riders can make an arresting arrival

SCOOTER RIDER TOO wrote:

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For years I have cringed as young guys on "crotch rockets" have zipped and dodged between cars on I-4. I wonder what type of training they had ?
I rode a motorcycle for many years, quit riding and then bought a scooter back in March to combat demand on oil ( I can afford gas--but choose to cut my consumption to help lower demand and hopefully drive prices down ).
I have spoken to numerous "scooter commuters" out there and we are definately a different breed from those kids on crotch rockets. Many of us have had close calls with idiots on cellphones.

I don't doubt that you ride safely, but it is so dangerous out there. I drive 17-92 everyday. The bikes and the scooter attempt to share the entire right lane. Drivers are very careless, on the cell phones etc. I just worry about you guys on those vulnerable scooters. Wish you could ride on the sidewalk.

Chris wrote:

<quoted text>What a cute little slogan. Too bad it sounds so stupid.
You can evade reality, but you can't evade the consequences of evading reality.
Somehow some 50% of the Netherlands bikes or walks to work, and their weather isn't any nicer than ours.

Hate to fill you in.......

But this is the USA........

I think you understand??????

Jemmie Smith wrote:

While traveling on John Young Parkway I followed a young woman on a scooter. I noticed the black helmet (her only safety feature, the cute white outfit (maybe a skort, maybe a dress, maybe a skirt & blouse). But what amazed me was her shoes. White, 3 inch heels. My only thought beyond her safety was if the shoes were very expensive and if they would break anytime soon.

some guys have all the luck.

Chris wrote:

<quoted text>What a cute little slogan. Too bad it sounds so stupid.
You can evade reality, but you can't evade the consequences of evading reality.
Somehow some 50% of the Netherlands bikes or walks to work, and their weather isn't any nicer than ours.

I lived in Europe for three years. The mass transportation is incredible over there. During commuting hours, I would arrive at my bus stop, if I had just missed my bus and could see it off in the distance, I merely had to look in the opposite direction to see the next one, headed the same place, headed my way. NO waiting, only a moment or two. Tickets were good on all types so you could take the bus for one leg, a trolley for another and a subway for the final part. I was in Frankfurt, Germany, big city, great transportation. I got to work every bit as quickly as I did once my car arrived (had it shipped from the US). Parking was a nightmare there, so was insurance.

Cynthia wrote:

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I lived in Europe for three years. The mass transportation is incredible over there. During commuting hours, I would arrive at my bus stop, if I had just missed my bus and could see it off in the distance, I merely had to look in the opposite direction to see the next one, headed the same place, headed my way. NO waiting, only a moment or two. Tickets were good on all types so you could take the bus for one leg, a trolley for another and a subway for the final part. I was in Frankfurt, Germany, big city, great transportation. I got to work every bit as quickly as I did once my car arrived (had it shipped from the US). Parking was a nightmare there, so was insurance.

The typical argument is that much of the US is more spread out than Germany and other countries where mass transit, bikes and scooters are popular. To a certain extent, this is true. However, it's no reason to assume there is nothing we can do but hope and pray for cheaper gas. You can see that thinking above-people that say 'this is the US' and shut down all critical thinking after that, or that see some lifestyle change might be required (no suit and tie in a subtropical climate? the horror!) and would rather just believe in _magic_...such as the wishful thinking that drilling or stopping speculation in oil markets will lower the price of gas. That keeps them from having to worry about it. Just put the gas on the credit card and soon everything will be back to normal.

This is dangerous and delusional thinking. The current US situation reminds me of Thelma and Lousie running their car off a cliff. We've still got forward momentum-airports being expanded, roads being built...but there is a definate downward trend making itself known.

I don't like $4/gallon gas. However, I do like that it is making people think before they go out and just drive around. I like that fact that it is making former SUV drivers purchase smaller, more fuel efficient cars. I know several people who own HUMMERS...2 of them lease their Hummers and the other lives in a crappy apartment and the other is my brother who is on an ARM loan and is terrified what is going to happen next year with his mortgage. NONE of them can really afford a Hummer, but like to look like they can.
I think it is great that more people are biking or taking scooters.
From what I have read, oil production has peaked or will peak in the near future. Demand is continuing to rise. We MUST conserve until we can find a viable alternative to oil.
King Whitee is an a$$ and so are the people like him who claim they are safer in their giant SUV......it seems like there is a story about once a week on one of those big petrol pigs that flips over and ejects everyone inside the vehicle--so much for being "safe".

I hear about an SUV crashing into a house once a week, that is for sure.

i purchased my scooter last year and have over 2500 miles on it. i live less than 2 miles to work and the gas & insurance savings alone has paid for the scooter. It's also a great stress reliever, just to take a ride around the neighborhood.
you do have to be alert and cautious when it comes to other drivers on the road, they are blind when it comes to bikes and scooters.