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ScootLemont
Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2008
Posts: 2229
Location: Lemont IL
2008 Stella
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 Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 3:12 am Post subject: New York: A Scooter Perspective |
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Skootz Kabootz
Member
Joined: 15 Nov 2008
Posts: 3596
Location: West Hollywood, CA
'08 St. Tropez
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 3:52 am Post subject: |
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Excellent. We need more public awareness efforts like this.
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"It's only fun if you live to talk about it."
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Dr. Rock
Member
Joined: 01 Dec 2009
Posts: 116
Location: Oklahoma City, Ok
07 Genuine Buddy 125 Mrs. Jones
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:19 am Post subject: |
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Excellent video! I was in NYC for a couple of weeks in may and noticed vespas everywhere, but they were all parked illegally! they inspired me to do the same when I got home! Haven't got ticket 1 (yet). Make parking for Scoots yo!!
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Twitter: @Drjuggernaught
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agrogod
Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2010
Posts: 329
Location: PA.
Genuine Roughhouse 50
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:35 am Post subject: |
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What an awesome find. Enjoyed watching this video very much!
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beeporama
Member
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
Posts: 168
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Genuine BlackJack
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting, and fair. We already know how often scooters can get knocked down, and how you don't get respect from a lot of cars. At the same time, scooter riders can be jerks (or at least ignore the law) just as much as anybody else; it always annoys me when I see scooters/motorcyclists in a bike lane or splitting traffic where it isn't legal. Bicyclists have it bad enough.
Based on the short time I've spent in New York (I had a friend who lived there for a while) it seems like a good place for something like a Honda Metro because of its tiny footprint-- much less likely to get a ticket for tucking it away on the sidewalk or something.
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rockraines
Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2010
Posts: 49
Location: Chicago
2009 Blackjack
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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that velcro license plate is genius
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BootScootin'FireFighter
Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 1601
Location: (Metro DC) Alexandria, Virginia
Black 2009 Buddy 125 "The Mothership"
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| rockraines wrote: | | that velcro license plate is genius |
I love it, I'm totally doing that and from this day on, the cops can kiss my a$$ about sidewalk parking.
my thoughts on lane-splitting, my teeny tiny scooter is not the blame of the traffic jam, so why should I sit back like a schmuck and wait like all the other behemoths? And it's fun as hell to do!
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Wheelz
Member
Joined: 08 May 2009
Posts: 733
Location: Naples, FL
08 Rat 110-"Tomax" 07 Rat 123-"Xemot"
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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Hmmm, imagine that "A cyclist getting "pissy" when a scooter uses the bike lane 
Obviously that guy doesn't realize it probably took years and years of petitions and legislation to actually have those bike lanes installed, and it is called a bike lane not a scooter lane, a bike has as much right to the road as any other vehicle, but a scooter has no right to be in a bike lane.
Imagine how cyclists felt when that first bike lane was put in the city, I suspect it might have felt like motorcyclists/scooterist feel about that little parking spot they got.
I'll bet you dollars to donuts they would get "pissy" if that parking place was filled up by bicycles!
okay i'm done now.
as a P.S. i did enjoy the video, it makes me want to get the hell out of Florida and back to my city the awesome Chi.
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"I ain't got no dime, but I got some time, to hear your story..."
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fobbish
Member
Joined: 04 Sep 2009
Posts: 137
Location: Norcal
Buddy 125
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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Wheelz, I think you really have a good point there.
Velcro on license plate. Genius!
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Skootz Kabootz
Member
Joined: 15 Nov 2008
Posts: 3596
Location: West Hollywood, CA
'08 St. Tropez
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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Love the velcro license plate but one thought... can an unlicensed vehicle be impounded? Anyone know? Probably varies by state.
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"It's only fun if you live to talk about it."
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Kaos
Member
Joined: 19 May 2008
Posts: 4870
Location: Portland, OR
'08 vOoDoO Buddy 270cc,'74 Vespa Super with 200cc Rally180 Engine, '89 Honda CB-1 400cc Cafe
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Skootz Kabootz wrote: | | Love the velcro license plate but one thought... can an unlicensed vehicle be impounded? Anyone know? Probably varies by state. |
Absolutely it can, what they're betting on is that it's not worth the effort.
It takes the officer a lot more work to get it impounded than to just write a ticket.
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Current Top speed:88MPH
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Hellvis
Member
Joined: 21 Nov 2009
Posts: 165
Location: Hollywood, Florida
Black Jack, Vespa VBB, Vespa Primavera ET3, Harley Davidson 1967 FLH
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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I don't understand why the laws here do not allow lane splitting. I am from Switzerland and lane splitting is no problem there at all. When I was in Switzerland it would never occur to me to wait in the traffic jam.
Also in Switzerland there are everywhere designated parking spaces for motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds. Usually every large store has a parking spot right at the front of the store.
I was kind of surprised when I moved here to see that not only there is no lane splitting but there are no designated parking spaces. You have to park in a regular car spot where the bike is out of sight and it can be vandalized or damaged.
There definetly needs to be some changes as far as lane splitting and designated parking spots.
My 2 cents worth....
I usually park my Blackjack at the bicycle stand and never got a ticket so far. LOL
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heyitsomid
Member
Joined: 27 Nov 2009
Posts: 88
Location: Currently: LA Formerly of Berkeley, CA
Buddy Black Jack and formerly '65 Honda Cub
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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We have scooter and motorcycle parking in downtown berkeley and its great. I definitely think more urban centers should have them. Los Angeles in particular, if more people scooted there it would become a paradise like none other. I know here in the bay area, the rules are different across the board as far as parking goes. San Francisco has 2wheel parking but in some areas you have to pay a meter like a normal car would (at a discounted rate of course). In other areas of SF scooters and motorcycles of all sizes are found on sidewalks. Oakland (notorious for its parking rules) doesn't have parking for 2wheelers and if you share a spot with a car and if that car's parking expires you'll also be handed a ticket (little known rule though even by the parking officials).
+1 on the velcro plate. I'm a big fan of velcro in general actually.
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Hellvis
Member
Joined: 21 Nov 2009
Posts: 165
Location: Hollywood, Florida
Black Jack, Vespa VBB, Vespa Primavera ET3, Harley Davidson 1967 FLH
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, and forget about Miami. They do not have any spots and you got to park on a car spot and absolutetly no parking on the sidwalk, you get a ticket right aways....besides that the people drive like nuts down here.
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BootScootin'FireFighter
Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 1601
Location: (Metro DC) Alexandria, Virginia
Black 2009 Buddy 125 "The Mothership"
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 12:47 am Post subject: |
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| Hellvis wrote: | | Yeah, and forget about Miami. They do not have any spots and you got to park on a car spot and absolutetly no parking on the sidwalk, you get a ticket right aways....besides that the people drive like nuts down here. |
And to think of all these major cities that have full time "city planners" whose job it is to design ways to ease congestion and improve mobility. Perhaps one of these lunchboxes will finally wake up and realize that in an area with half-ass mass transit (Miami, Baltimore, Los Angeles*, Houston, Phoenix, and Detroit to name a few), people need other incentives to leave the car at home more often. How hard is it to take 3 or 4 car spots in a CBD and restripe it for 2-wheelers? Start treating the smaller vehicles with a higher level of priority and respect and it will generate a good response. And many of the cities with the worst mass transit are in warm weather climates, completely built around the automobile and not transit, so they could lead as an example for communities giving preference to 2-wheel transport. Once we get more and more SUVs off the road and cut down on the mass murder taking place across the country on our city streets, then more and more people will find cycling as a viable alternative as well.
Fortunately in DC, we've seen increased Metro ridership after the gas prices skyrocketed, and they're still maintaining their ridership stats. Cycling to work is extremely popular, especially in warmer months. Scooter ridership is increasing daily, I see them everywhere, and more and more "motorcycle parking" is on the drawing board. I still see nearly 3/4 parked on the sidewalk, myself included, so I'm definately getting me a velcro liscense plate holder. Kaos was right about the cops not wanting to deal with the paperwork of impounding a vehicle, especially one that's able to tow a scooter. For me, it's about them not knowing the difference between mine and the 50cc parked next to me that IS legal on the sidewalk. I already took the little 125 stickers off, so it's just that mine is plated that makes it obvious.
I should be one of these city planners. I'd piss off so many drivers, I'd be run out of town!
* although LA has a subway and an expanding light rail system, and several bus lines, it is still a city overwhelmingly designed around the personal vehicle (obviously). I spent almost a week there and got around by bus/subway. Although it took a while and was often frustrating, I get a sense that improvements in the transit system in that area are gaining a lot of support and momentum, so it should be a lot better in the next 10 years.
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Rob
Member
Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 635
Location: Munster, IN (Chicago 'burb)
Buddy 125 & a couple of bigger bikes
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:35 am Post subject: |
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| Skootz Kabootz wrote: | | Love the velcro license plate but one thought... can an unlicensed vehicle be impounded? Anyone know? Probably varies by state. |
I can only speak for Indiana, but they sure can here. We spend most of our weekends at cottage on a lake. Most of the folks down there have for many years used golf carts to get around the lake. All unlicensed and technically illegal to use on both state and county roads. This year, for whatever reason, the county cops decided to start enforcing that particular law. So, if they pull you over, they'll ticket you and tow the golf cart. After all is said and done, it's about a $300 lesson learned.
Something tells me that in this economy this is more about generating income than keeping dangerous vehicles off of the road.
Rob
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ASUDeadhead
Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2010
Posts: 44
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
2009 Buddy 125
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:13 am Post subject: |
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I have two vehicles, my Buddy 125 and a bicycle. As a bicyclist, I am annoyed at the comment about riding in the bike lane. A scooter is a motorized vehicle and should obey the traffic laws (with great mpg at least). But as a motor vehicle operator, in Phoenix, I hate cyclists who do not obey the traffic laws, so I am torn and just have to get over it.
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TVB
Member
Joined: 21 Feb 2009
Posts: 3074
Location: Grand Rapids MI
1999 Trek 7300; 2009 Buddy 50
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:33 am Post subject: |
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| Wheelz wrote: | | Hmmm, imagine that "A cyclist getting "pissy" when a scooter uses the bike lane |
Yeah, if I'd been the reporter or photog who did that interview, I would've quietly punched that guy afterward. The notion that bicyclists have equal rights to the road is a fantasy that exists only in the leaflets of your local bicycle advocacy organization and the law. In reality, bicyclists have only s much right to the road as the nearest motorist deigns to grant them.
There's a new bike lane on my street, which I rejoice over, but you will never catch me in it while scooting (unless my early-onset senility is acting up and I forget which set of wheels I'm using). Similarly, the only time you'll catch my bicycle on the sidewalk is when personal safety demands it, and I still give pedestrians priority.
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TVB
Member
Joined: 21 Feb 2009
Posts: 3074
Location: Grand Rapids MI
1999 Trek 7300; 2009 Buddy 50
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:38 am Post subject: |
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| ASUDeadhead wrote: | | But as a motor vehicle operator, in Phoenix, I hate cyclists who do not obey the traffic laws, so I am torn and just have to get over it. |
My contempt for cyclists who don't obey traffic laws comes mostly from the fact that I am a cyclist. One that obeys traffic laws as well as reason and safety permit. I don't see myself getting over it.
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beeporama
Member
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
Posts: 168
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Genuine BlackJack
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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| BootScootin'FireFighter wrote: | | my thoughts on lane-splitting, my teeny tiny scooter is not the blame of the traffic jam, so why should I sit back like a schmuck and wait like all the other behemoths? And it's fun as hell to do! |
My concern is that where it isn't legal, it is unexpected, and might startle a motorist. If the light changes from red to green while you're halfway up between two lines of cars, they might spook and do something stupid, or not see you.
Less tangibly, I feel as though it reinforces the stereotype that motorcyclists (including scooterists) think they are above the law.
I'm not going to say you are wrong or try to change your mind; but that why I avoid splitting traffic or using bike lanes.
| Hellvis wrote: | | I don't understand why the laws here do not allow lane splitting. I am from Switzerland and lane splitting is no problem there at all. |
For what it's worth, lane splitting is allowed in California. A surprising number of our laws in the U.S. vary by state.
I think that we just don't have the visibility to legislators. Motorcycles aren't enough money for the big makers to spend heavily on lobbying, and we have no big advocacy group like AAA (even if we did, I don't know if enough motorcyclists would want to join and pay in). I think a law allowing lane splitting might pass in most states, but you need someone who cares enough to push and get on the agenda.
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